National Archives & Portrait Gallery Tour in Washington DC
Tour the National Archives and National Portrait Gallery in a small group
Duration
5 - 5.5 hours
Ideal For
Never more than 8 guests maximum people
Includes
Guide, Museum entry, Small group
Highlights
Explore two Washington, D.C. museums in one semi-private walking tour, with time for a lunch break. See founding-era documents at the National Archives, then follow your guide through highlights at the National Portrait Gallery.
- Explore the National Archives Museum with a guide
- View the Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, and Bill of Rights
- See a 1297 copy of the Magna Carta in the Rubenstein Gallery
- Walk through the National Portrait Gallery and Smithsonian American Art Museum
- Visit the Presidential Portrait Gallery and the Kogod Courtyard
- Keep your group small with a maximum of 8 guests
What's Included
- Semi-private walking and museum tour
- Professional tour guide
- Tickets for the permanent collection
Things to know
Not wheelchair accessible and not available for guests with walking disabilities. Bring identification and arrive 10 minutes early; large bags are not permitted. Lunch is not included; gratuities are optional.
Cancellation Policy
Free cancellation for a full refund up to 24 hours before start. No refunds within 24 hours. No-shows and latecomers are charged the full price. Reschedule is allowed; a fee may apply within 24 hours.
FAQs
Arrive 10 minutes before the scheduled start time.
Yes, tickets for the permanent collections are provided.
Yes, you may remain inside until closing time.
Meeting details
Meet at the bottom of the large stairs on Constitution Ave: https://maps.app.goo.gl/LRbySdKn36CSMLyYA
More about the Smithsonian American Art Museum
The Smithsonian American Art Museum shares its grand historic home with the National Portrait Gallery, occupying one of Washington DC's oldest public buildings and forming the second half of this combination tour. While the National Archives showcases the founding documents that built a nation, the Smithsonian American Art Museum reveals how that nation expressed itself through paint, sculpture, photography, and folk art across more than three centuries. Set in the beautifully restored Old Patent Office Building, the museum stands as a cultural anchor in the Penn Quarter neighborhood and offers a perfect counterpoint to the documents and declarations you will have just explored.
Stepping into the Smithsonian American Art Museum after your visit to the National Archives, you trade parchment and ink for canvas and bronze. Your guide helps you connect the threads between the historical figures preserved in founding documents and the artistic vision of the country that grew from them. You will wander galleries filled with works that range from colonial portraits to bold contemporary pieces, with natural light pouring through soaring windows and the hum of conversation echoing across marble floors. The pairing of these two Washington institutions on a single tour creates a layered story, where the Smithsonian American Art Museum gives a human face and creative voice to the ideas first set down a few blocks away.
This combination tour is ideal for curious travelers, families introducing kids to American history and culture, art lovers, and anyone who wants more than a surface level visit to the capital. History buffs will appreciate the context, while creative spirits will linger in the galleries of the Smithsonian American Art Museum and discover artists they had never encountered before. With a knowledgeable guide leading the way through both the National Archives and the Smithsonian American Art Museum, you gain insight, save planning time, and leave with a richer understanding of how American documents and American art tell the same remarkable story.
Related locations
National Archives Museum
Admission includedStanding inside the National Archives Museum, you come face to face with the original Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. The dimly lit Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom holds these fragile parchments in a hushed, almost reverent atmosphere. The National Archives Museum reminds every visitor that the principles shaping American life are not abstractions but physical objects you can see with your own eyes.
