Freer Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
The Freer Gallery of Art, situated in Washington, D.C., is an art museum affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution. Its primary focus lies in showcasing Asian art. Together with the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, it constitutes the National Museum of Asian Art in the United States. These galleries boast the largest Asian art research library in the country and house an extensive array of artworks from diverse regions, including East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Islamic world, the ancient Near East, and ancient Egypt, in addition to a substantial collection of American art.
The Freer Gallery is home to a staggering collection of over 26,000 objects, spanning a remarkable 6,000-year period from the Neolithic era to modern times. This collection encompasses a wide range of artifacts, such as ancient Egyptian stone sculptures and wooden items, ancient Near Eastern ceramics and metalwork, Chinese paintings and ceramics, Korean pottery and porcelain, Japanese folding screens, Persian manuscripts, and Buddhist sculptures. Notably, amid its American art collection, the Freer also houses the renowned artwork titled "Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room" by the American artist James McNeill Whistler, which serves as a centerpiece.
The museum extends its offerings to the public by providing free tours and hosting a diverse schedule of events, including screenings, lectures, symposia, concerts, performances, and discussions.
Why You Should Visit:
As free, massive, art galleries go, this is quite respectable. The Freer has more permanent exhibits and the Sackler has more temporary exhibits.
The two spaces – Freer & Sackler – connect to each other underground, making a substantial enclave (and quite a nice place to be in bad weather).
Then again, if the weather is nice, you can enjoy the peace and quiet of a beautiful aboveground courtyard towards the western side.
Tip:
If you do nothing else, visit the Peacock Room, a magnificent result of Whistler's imagination and talent (under natural light every 3rd Thursday).
The coolest, most Instagrammable installation has got to be Terminal – a gold & thread maze using the spires found on top of temples and mosques.
The Freer Gallery is home to a staggering collection of over 26,000 objects, spanning a remarkable 6,000-year period from the Neolithic era to modern times. This collection encompasses a wide range of artifacts, such as ancient Egyptian stone sculptures and wooden items, ancient Near Eastern ceramics and metalwork, Chinese paintings and ceramics, Korean pottery and porcelain, Japanese folding screens, Persian manuscripts, and Buddhist sculptures. Notably, amid its American art collection, the Freer also houses the renowned artwork titled "Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room" by the American artist James McNeill Whistler, which serves as a centerpiece.
The museum extends its offerings to the public by providing free tours and hosting a diverse schedule of events, including screenings, lectures, symposia, concerts, performances, and discussions.
Why You Should Visit:
As free, massive, art galleries go, this is quite respectable. The Freer has more permanent exhibits and the Sackler has more temporary exhibits.
The two spaces – Freer & Sackler – connect to each other underground, making a substantial enclave (and quite a nice place to be in bad weather).
Then again, if the weather is nice, you can enjoy the peace and quiet of a beautiful aboveground courtyard towards the western side.
Tip:
If you do nothing else, visit the Peacock Room, a magnificent result of Whistler's imagination and talent (under natural light every 3rd Thursday).
The coolest, most Instagrammable installation has got to be Terminal – a gold & thread maze using the spires found on top of temples and mosques.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Washington D.C.. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
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Freer Gallery of Art on Map
Sight Name: Freer Gallery of Art
Sight Location: Washington D.C., USA (See walking tours in Washington D.C.)
Sight Type: Museum/Gallery
Sight Location: Washington D.C., USA (See walking tours in Washington D.C.)
Sight Type: Museum/Gallery
Walking Tours in Washington D.C., USA
Create Your Own Walk in Washington D.C.
Creating your own self-guided walk in Washington D.C. is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Washington D.C. Introduction Walking Tour
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia or simply The District, is the capital of the United States and, in many senses, America’s front yard. After the American Revolution, the need for the newly independent nation's federal government to have authority over a capital city and not rely on any state for its maintenance and safety, came in the wake of the Pennsylvania Mutiny of... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 5.2 Km or 3.2 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 5.2 Km or 3.2 Miles
Arlington National Cemetery Tour
"The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example," a distinguished politician of the 19th century said once.
The historic military necropolis – the Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia – is the final resting place for many of America's heroes, whose willingness to sacrifice for their country has earned them the... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.1 Km or 2.5 Miles
The historic military necropolis – the Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia – is the final resting place for many of America's heroes, whose willingness to sacrifice for their country has earned them the... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.1 Km or 2.5 Miles
Georgetown Walking Tour
Georgetown is a historic neighborhood situated in the northwest quadrant of Washington, DC. Despite its proximity to downtown, this former port area has preserved much of its distinct character. In Georgetown, "old-world charm meets modern allure," they say. Those poetically inclined tend to compare it to "a tapestry of cobblestone dreams and timeless grace."
The... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.9 Km or 2.4 Miles
The... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.9 Km or 2.4 Miles
DC Monuments and Memorials Walking Tour
"In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years," goes the famous quote by Abraham Lincoln.
Indeed, those remembered in Washington, D.C. – the renowned statesmen, politicians, fallen soldiers, and other distinguished persons – had their years filled with life to the brim. What they left behind is a great legacy manifested in historic... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.6 Km or 2.2 Miles
Indeed, those remembered in Washington, D.C. – the renowned statesmen, politicians, fallen soldiers, and other distinguished persons – had their years filled with life to the brim. What they left behind is a great legacy manifested in historic... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.6 Km or 2.2 Miles
Georgetown University Walking Tour
Georgetown University, established in 1789, is America's oldest Catholic and Jesuit institution. Spanning four campuses in Washington, DC, its main undergraduate campus in Georgetown features fifty-four buildings across 104 acres.
With its Gothic and Georgian architecture, serene green spaces, and Jesuit traditions, the university promotes academic excellence and global engagement. For... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles
With its Gothic and Georgian architecture, serene green spaces, and Jesuit traditions, the university promotes academic excellence and global engagement. For... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles
Federal Buildings Walking Tour
The capital of the United States is home to several notable federal buildings that hold significant historical, architectural, and governmental value.
Among the stately “emblems of authority” in Washington D.C. perhaps the most prominent is the official residence and workplace of the President of the United States – The White House. This resplendent mansion at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.9 Km or 3 Miles
Among the stately “emblems of authority” in Washington D.C. perhaps the most prominent is the official residence and workplace of the President of the United States – The White House. This resplendent mansion at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.9 Km or 3 Miles
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