The National Portrait Gallery is intertwined with the Smithsonian American Art Museum - same building. What a surprisingly excellent three hours. In fact, when I walked through several famous museums in NYC, I took only a few photos of special items. At this museum, I took 25 photos - so many wonderful drop-jaw objects. I also was introduced to Alma Thomas' excellent paintings. Awesome. It's also free.

We have been to the Portrait Gallery to attend a wedding event on a Saturday evening along with 600 guests. Yes, they do have a huge majestic hall to host large gatherings. The ceiling of the hall was three stories high and the inside was beautiful. While we were waiting to enter the venue, we took sneak peak of some of the portraits in the hallway. Parking could be a challenge although garages are located nearby. People usually take metro or bus to cone to visit the museums and art galleries.

My husband and I went to the combined National Portrait Gallery/American Art Museum. It's located in a beautiful building. Numerous artwork and portraits are available. The most popular section seems to be the American Presidents section with portraits of all the U.S. presidents from George Washington to Donald Trump. We did not see one with the current president. We tried to do the whole museum in our time allotment, though I'm not sure we covered it all.

Popped in on a whim as I was close by. I enjoyed myself. I made a beeline for the “America’s Presidents” exhibition, which is probably the most popular part of the gallery. It was busy but not so packed that it made it unpleasant. The area with the more historical portraits was quieter anyway. My only negative observation is that some of the lockers on the ground floor appeared to be out of order. It’s great that they are provided free of charge (certainly in Britain you’d have to pay) but I must have tried half a dozen before I found one that worked.

The Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) and the National Portrait Gallery (NPG) are both housed in the old Patent Office building. The NPG features portraits of people who had an impact on the U.S. Every year, there is a gallery titled "One Life" that is devoted to various portraits of a famous American. This year the subject is Frederick Douglass. The NPG had an exhibit titled "1898: U.S. Imperial Visions and Revisions" about the Spanish-American War and the acquisition of an empire by the U.S. Another exhibit featured portraits of all the Presidents.

One of my favorite museum so many portraits to see, from presidents, painter, singer, athlete. This place has so much to see. Anyone that interested in art this place is definitely a delight. The best part is free of charge and open late during the week. Parking can be hassle but definitely worth it to see.

I loved every inch of this museum! In my top 3 in DC along with Smithsonian National Museum of American History and the National Gallery of Art. Holy smokes, I could have stared at Obama’s portrait forever. Simply electric.

Take your time here! The presidential gallery is wonderful, and there are special exhibits which can be great so check them out also. The portrait gallery and American Art section are both in this building, be sure to see the American art, which includes landscapes, modern, etc.

Excellent museum with varying exhibits. It shares space with the American Art Museum. The Amish Quilt Exhibit is fantastic. We did participate in the free docent-lead tour and the lady we had was just beyond excellent. I wish I remembered her name but she is a retired librarian and extremely knowledgeable. There is so much to see here!

Truly a hidden gem amongst the “bigger” museums in the area. Going here was a spur of the moment decision fueled by Reddit reviews and it lived up to the hype that I read about. It’s much more than looking at pictures. Each painting/picture has a detailed description of what it is and the history behind it. The exhibits are top notch and truly a history lesson. There is much more “older American history” on display in this museum than in the “American History Museum.” Give yourself two hours to go through this if you want to read everything.