Museums of the Mall: Designing the Smithsonian Architecture Tour

Washington’s National Mall is home to some of the nation’s most beloved museums, stretching from the Smithsonian Castle to the U.S. Capitol. Known as the “Nation’s Attic,” the Smithsonian Institution includes 19 museums, over 150 million objects, and attracts 30 million visitors annually. Each museum is a gem of its own, showcasing distinctive design that reflects changing eras and evolving ideas about culture, science, and design. From the Gothic towers of the Smithsonian Castle to the sculpted curves of the Museum of the American Indian, the east side of the National Mall is a rich tapestry of architectural contrasts. This tour reveals how design, symbolism, and controversy—not artifacts—tell the story of America’s most-visited museums.

We start outside the Smithsonian Castle, the Mall’s original museum, a graceful mix of Romanesque and Gothic design. We’ll discuss the curious story of James Smithson, the British-born founder who left his fortune to a country he never visited in life yet came to rest at a decade after his death. Behind the Castle, the peaceful Enid A. Haupt Garden conceals two underground museums. We’ll appreciate the Arts & Industries Building, one of DC’s most eclectic structures, and pass the Hirshhorn Museum, known as the “Brutalist donut.” We'll pass the Air and Space Museum to highlight its pioneering design and restoration and explore the grounds of the Museum of the American Indian, a wind and water sculpted marvel. We’ll go inside the National Gallery of Art’s two buildings– one neoclassical, the other modern. We'll pause at Bartholdi Fountain, a garden honoring the designer of the world’s most famous statue. We wrap up at the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial, with sweeping views of the Capitol and National Mall.