National Archives & Portrait Gallery 5.5-Hour Guided Tour
Trace America’s founding ideas and influential figures with an expert guide
Duration
5–5.5 hours
Ideal For
Up to 8 people
Includes
Guide, museum tour, tickets
Highlights
Trace the ideas and people behind U.S. history at the National Archives Museum and National Portrait Gallery. Your guide connects original documents, landmark portraits, and the stories that shaped the nation.
- Explore the Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, and Bill of Rights
- View a rare 1297 copy of the Magna Carta in the Rubenstein Gallery
- Discover presidential portraits and stories of notable Americans
- Wander galleries shared by the National Portrait Gallery and Smithsonian American Art Museum
- Peek into the Lunder Conservation Center labs
- Pause for a lunch break; lunch is not included
What's Included
- Professional tour guide
- Permanent-collection admission
Important details
- Arrive 10 minutes before your scheduled start time
- Bring identification showing age
- Children under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian
- Requires moderate physical fitness and is not available for wheelchair users or travelers with walking disabilities
- Bring only a handbag or small, slim backpack; large bags and suitcases are not permitted
- Prepare for rain or shine and wear appropriate attire for site entry
- Maintain proper behavior and decorum in active government facilities
Cancellation Policy
Cancel up to 24 hours before the tour start time for a full refund. No refund is provided within 24 hours of the start time. No-shows and late arrivals are charged the full price.
Product ID: AVTDDZ
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
Bottom of the front stairs of the National Archives Building on Constitution Ave NW
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.
