National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden

The National Gallery Sculpture Garden, in Washington

The Sculpture Garden of the National Gallery of Art is a pleasant open-air space inaugurated in 1999, on the National Mall. The Washington audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this setting of greenery where modern art dialogues with nature, around a great pool.

Modern art in the heart of the greenery

Here is the most recent part of the National Gallery of Art: its Sculpture Garden, inaugurated in 1999. This vast landscaped open-air space, adjoining the museum, prolongs the collection in the open air and offers a pleasant promenade in the heart of the National Mall. The garden is laid out around a great circular pool, that becomes an ice rink prized by the Washingtonians in winter, and lined with shaded alleys, lawns and trees. Over the promenade, you discover some twenty monumental sculptures of modern and contemporary artists of international renown, arranged with care in the greenery, that play with the space, the light and the gaze. These surprising works, sometimes playful, sometimes abstract, create a striking dialogue between art and nature, in a peaceful and elegant setting. Entry there is free, and the place is much appreciated for a cultural and relaxed pause. With its convivial atmosphere, its summer concerts and its café, the garden is a place of life as much as an open-air museum. A setting of greenery and an open-air museum, the Sculpture Garden is a fine stop of the discovery of Washington.

What to see

Here you stroll in the vast landscaped garden inaugurated in 1999, adjoining the National Gallery of Art, laid out around a great circular pool that becomes an ice rink in winter, where some twenty monumental sculptures of modern and contemporary artists dialogue with the greenery; with free entry, the place offers a pleasant cultural pause with its café and its summer concerts. The Sculpture Garden is an open-air museum of Washington. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Sculpture Garden lies on the National Mall, next to the National Gallery of Art, in Washington, reachable on foot. Entry is generally free; it follows its own hours, which vary, and the pool becomes an ice rink in winter. It is best to check the arrangements before coming.

What is the Sculpture Garden of the National Gallery in Washington?

A vast landscaped open-air garden, inaugurated in 1999 and adjoining the National Gallery of Art, laid out around a great circular pool that becomes an ice rink in winter; some twenty monumental sculptures of modern and contemporary artists dialogue there with the greenery, in a free and convivial place with a café and summer concerts.

Where is the Sculpture Garden in Washington?

On the National Mall, next to the National Gallery of Art, in Washington, in the United States.