Location

The Smithsonian gardens are located on the National Mall, at the Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture, and at the Anacostia Community Museum in Washington, D.C.

View our Gardens Map to see the locations of our 15 public display gardens.

Smithsonian Gardens also produces interior exhibits and horticultural displays around the Smithsonian. Visit the Current Exhibitions and Horticultural Display pages for more information.

Hours

Most Smithsonian gardens are open 24 hours day, 365 days a year.

Exceptions:

  • The Enid A. Haupt Garden is open daily dawn to dusk and closed on December 25.
  • The Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery is open 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily and closed on December 25.
  • The Freer Courtyard Garden at the National Museum of Asian Art is open 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily and closed on December 25.

Admission

Admission is free of charge.

Additional Visitor Information

Accessibility

The majority of the gardens are accessible and offer paved paths. The Victory Garden at the National Museum of American History features gravel walkways in some areas.

Events

Check out our Events Calendar for information about in-person and online events.

No special events or weddings until further notice. Learn more about the status of special events in the Enid A. Haupt Garden here.

Parking and Transportation

Public transportation is encouraged. Limited on-street parking is available in areas near the gardens along the National Mall, including reserved spaces for visitors with disabilities. You can book guaranteed parking in nearby garages in advance with ParkWhiz. Note:ParkWhiz is a third-party vendor (ParkWhiz Privacy Policy).

Bus parking on the National Mall is discouraged. There are several areas where tour buses can park on a first-come, first-served basis. For information on bus parking sites, contact the National Park Service Mall Operations Office at 202.426.6841.

Picnics

Visitors are welcome to eat in the many seating areas found throughout the gardens. Picnicking on the grass or in roped-off areas is not allowed.

Dining facilities are located inside most of the Smithsonian museums.

Photography and Filming

Photography and filming for noncommercial use is welcome in all of the gardens. For the safety of our visitors and plants, devices such as tripods, monopods, or selfie sticks are not permitted. Please stay on designated paths and do not impede the flow of visitors while taking pictures or filming.

Casual individual or small group photo sessions are allowed as long as they do not obstruct the designated garden paths, are not staged on the grassy areas or behind any roped off areas, and do not require the use of tripods or supplemental lighting set-ups. Smithsonian Security reserves the right to stop any photo session if there is a concern about the safety of visitors or threat to Smithsonian property including plants, outdoor sculptures or artifacts.

Smithsonian prohibits photography intended for advertising or any other commercial purpose without approval. Commercial photography and media requests should be directed to the museum’s Public Affairs Office. Working members of the media must be escorted by a museum staff member while in the building or garden.

If you are a professional filmmaker, you must submit a filming request to produce films related to the museums.

Restrooms

Restrooms are available inside the Smithsonian museums during regular museum hours.

Safety

Enjoy the plants and trees in our gardens but please don’t pick or climb them! For your safety and the safety of the plants, please stay on the marked paths and refrain from playing on rocks or in the fountains or other water features.

Service Animals and Pets

Service animals are welcome in all of the gardens.

Pets are permitted in all Smithsonian gardens except the Enid A. Haupt Garden and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Please keep pets on a leash and on designated pathways at all times.

Smithsonian Castle Construction

The Smithsonian Castle is closed for rennovations.

During construction on the Smithsonian Castle, the Enid A. Haupt Garden will remain open. Pedestrian routes on both sides of the Castle will allow access from the National Mall to the National Museum of African Art, the National Museum of Asian Art, and the garden.

Smoking

Smoking is prohibited in all Smithsonian gardens.

Tours

Weekday group tours are available by request for groups of 10 or more people.

Weekly public garden tours of the Enid A. Haupt Garden are offered in the spring and summer.

Please visit our Tours page for more information.