A fun, free, historic place to visit in Georgetown. The property is a former rich resident’s collection of books, art, and treasures. There are some fun exhibits with unique items, and I enjoyed exploring the grounds. The staff here is incredibly friendly and helpful as well. I recommend getting a guided tour. The music room is historic, as the room where the idea of the United Nations was first floated. You truly feel like you’re going back in time as you wander the halls.

The dumbarton museum is beautiful, they have lockers for your personal belongings so that you can walk around freely and enjoy learning about history. I especially loved the architecture of the viewing rooms, they provide natural sound amplification for tours and speaking to a class. The items displayed throughout are well lit and have meaning text explaining the items. I really enjoyed this place and was thankful to visit. Dc has lots to offer for free

Beautiful top-tier collection of Byzantine and Pre-Colonial artwork and artifacts displayed in a very inviting and educational way. Security guards and personnel were also extremely kind and welcoming, only adding to the experience. A must-visit!

Free to go in to the garden during the winter. Had a nice stroll around. I can imagine how gorgeous this place is during the summer. Was neat to see the museum portion - unfortunately it just so happened that some parts of it was closed when we were there.

Great place to walk around and enjoy the scenery. Don’t forget your student ID if you have one! Good place to probably bring a book and chill for some time too.

The museum is free, but if you want to visit its garden, the admission is $10. You can buy the ticket at the gate of the garden or online. The garden is Italian style I very well designed and intriguing. It has lots of paths to go around. However, since those paths are very narrow, often rough, and hilly, I do not recommend to visit here if you have to use a wheelchair or a stroller.

Absolutely gorgeous museum. The artifacts are pristine. The location is peacefully urban. The building architecture is fantastic. The staff are wonderfully polite.

Wow - lived in the DC area for 5 years without even realizing this existed. But these grounds are beautiful and really well-kept. The quiet atmosphere really feels like an escape from the city without even leaving Georgetown. Free admission in the Fall - highly recommend the visit.

Beautiful gardens. Majestic trees. Very relaxing.

This place is spectacular architecturally, aesthetically, culturally, and horticulturally. I always describe the garden as a small piece of Versailles here in DC. They could really do with an online ticketing service though because the line to get in was around the block during peak bloom of the cherry blossoms. Aside from that, the gardens are magical and romantic spot.

Really lovely location. And when you take into account the neighborhood setting, it is really is a delightful place to explore.

Its a great place to visit during the spring. Loved it.

This little museum is free, air-conditioned, and a great place to pop into before the gardens open. There is a sizeable collection of religious pieces from the Byzantine era, and some pre-Columbian artifacts. Be sure to check out the music room!

Great little museum. Free! Interesting collection. Great museum shop.

Theres so much to see in this museum, including the Byzantine collection and Renaissance-style music room, but the Pre-Columbian collection is always the highlight for me. The setting is just magnificent and enhances the enjoyment of the objects on display. The museum is free although there is a charge to tour the gardens. The staff is very friendly and helpful. The Georgetown-Union Station Circulator can drop you off a couple of blocks away on Wisconsin Avenue if you want to avoid walking uphill.

Very good experience visiting here! I had a great time.

If you like gardens and small museum collections, stop by if youre in the area. The gardens are great, didnt expect to find them at in in this area.The museum has some varied and interesting items, the building and grounds though are probably the most memorable part to me.

This place is stunning. Perfect for a nice little walk or in my case Photogropher’s looking for nice scenery.

Beautiful grounds! I didnt go inside, but the gardens are really lovely to walk through.

This place is really cool. The museum has free entry and is filled with some fascinating artifacts from Byzantium, Egypt, and several other places. The collection is not extensive but it is excellent. I really enjoyed browsing the pieces they had. The attached gardens do require a ticket but they let us in for free anyway because the ticket seller was not there when we got there. The gardens are very peaceful to walk around in. A great way to spend an afternoon.

Great Attraction! :DDumbarton Oaks is a historic estate in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C.It has pretty gardens in the park

Great museum to experience artifacts from various cultures. A unique experience in which I would recommend. My favorite exhibits were the pre-Colombian Mesoamerican hall with Olmec, Mayan, Aztec, Zapotec, and other cultural pieces here. Very cool!

The museum is interesting - particularly the cool design of the pre-Columbian exhibit space (note the echos if you stand right in the center of one of the circular areas), but the gardens are really what makes it special. We went on 11/3/19, and the admission was free (starting 11/1). So that is maybe a good time to go - there is still a lot of color in the gardens. It is magnificent. There are numerous terraces, hidden nooks, old stone benches, fountains, vegetable and flower gardens, winding stone or gravel paths, etc. Just a beautiful, beautiful place. Will definitely be back.

Diffcult to access, no parking. They do free tours but you must set up weeks in advance. The grounds a quite beautiful and their art collection is decent. This is a place to go if who happen to be near by and have an hour to kill.

Nice collection of Byzantine and Mayans art

Finally scratched this visit off my bucket list, after 2 decades since I worked with Burley Marx wanna be Cornell landscape architect. I built gardens for 9yrs. I was eager to see this notoriously infamous garden. Established shrubs and trees are magnificent with timely settled hardscapes.I really wish to return seeing D.O. in different seasons.I met a friendly Bunny in the cabbage garden & want to know what the policy is of the garden with pests moles, rabbits, etc. As well as insecticides.Summer 2019; There are contaminated boxwoods along one walkway where signs are not yeilding enough to plant enthusiasts.The museum is intensely focused for being a moderately small size.

Terrible for children but okay exhibits. I thought oh dear when the surly man at the front insisted I check a diaper bag. As I walked round with a four year old and a baby, it quickly became apparent that we were the highlight of the crack security teams week. My son looked in a mirror that was located under an Aztec rattlesnake and was berated because he touched the mirror, then he was too close to it, then - not making this up - because he was apparently smudging the glass from afar. To be clear, the mirror is there expressly so you can see the underside of the exhibit, it is not in fact the exhibit, and - shock - my son is short. Thanks for not tasing him, bro!In general, this is an okay if somewhat random collection of Late Antiquity Mediterranean and pre-Colombian American pieces, the sort of museum that gets thrown together in a hurry to keep an I-cant-believe-its-not-looting collection on the right side of the law (or to save an unpleasant encounter with Indiana Jones, who knows). There are some really good pieces of Aztec jewelry and an ivory diptych thats quite rare, and some okay marbles, but really not worth the hassle.If youre in the area and you fit the target demographic of childless, well-heeled pre-corpse you often encounter shuffling round Georgetown, you could kill an hour here. If youve got kids, Id give it a miss unless you love being followed round by uniformed thugs looking to pick a fight with children.

Exquisite artifacts and displays in a gorgeous historic building. The Pre-Columbian collection rooms are an art form in themselves. Very impressive, well- managed, clean, gracious museum open to the public for free. Beautiful unique items in the gift shop with a very helpful staff member. I cant rave about this place enough. This-- along with the gardens-- was a most pleasant and peaceful experience!!

Beautiful gardens and an interesting museum!

The museum has several types of collections all of which have exquisite pieces.

It has been too Many years since Ive been here, but like anything this beautiful, you eventually feel the pull/draw at your being telling you to come back/go back. Ill update this post asap after I return to this beautiful place:)

Free museum. Nice collection of bizantine and precolumbian art. Very short on information. The gardens are the highlight of the place, though. They are beautifully constructed and maintoned. We took the free tour and it really added to our enjoyment and undetstanding of the gardens.

Nice hidden gem wed heard about while looking for fun places to stop by in Georgetown. The staff was very friendly and the exhibitions were beautiful.

This stop on my walking journey was worth it!

A master work of a garden and a jewel box of a museum. The perfect place to recharge if you are feeling overwhelmed by the massive offerings on the mall.

Its a good place to know little bit if history

This is a great multi level, multi theme museum strategically located in Washington DC. They have an entrance fee (unusual for DC where most museums have free admission) but I believe they waive it on certain weekdays and for students etc. Details are at their website. They have a really nice garden with an eco friendly theme. The settings are serene and conducive to introspection. We actually enjoyed the outdoors a lot more than the actual museum. A great place to spend an afternoon

Another wonderfully amazing free thing to do in DC! No matter who you are or how old you are, you will definitely enjoy this museum! It isnt very big, but the amount of great stuff of historical significance to see inside is beyond amazing! I will recommend this place to everyone I meet/know.

The Dumbarton Oaks gardens are probably my favorite place in DC. They are so beautiful and such a great mixture of different garden rooms with different characters. Although it is obviously most beautiful in the spring/summer/fall, you can go for free in the winter!

Nice collection of artifacts in a cool museum.

Was there last night for an opening event but not much at all the ground/garden was open. Hundreds of guests were crowded in a small tent which I think could be an safety issue. We quickly left there. We just moved to the neighborhood a month ago and thought it could be a place to enjoy. What a disappointment!

A great collection of religious iconography from the Byzantine empire. I love the music room too. I would like to catch a recital there one of these days.

One of Americas most engaging private gardens, beautifully designed with dozens of formal outdoor rooms and dramatic elevation changes. Breathtaking in spring, especially during cherry blossom time, but fascinating and rewarding every season of the year.

Friendly staff, beautiful interior, well curated and displayed artifacts. The museum is free and the gift shop is stocked with fair trade items. The garden is $10, but you can skip the long line at the gate and buy a ticket at the gift shop. The garden is a fairytale.

Excellent house museum with a very eclectic collection. Ancient Rome, Byzantine, and pre Columbia’s artifacts are the heart of this collection. House also has a beautiful adjacent garden worth a visit.

Beautiful gardens. Perfect for a date

Great place with a story

Stunning, relaxing, and just plain beautiful. museum is also highly recommended for a quick stop before Georgetown. good date spot.

The museum flows very well, love all the pre-columbian works of art. Also visited the gardens which were wonderful!

Museum first rate.....impossible to enter garden as long lines and a slow credit card machine took over an hour....no one in charge, no line for a cash solution...you really put the dumb back into Dumbarton. Never got into the garden at all...a very disappointing long journey. 5 stars for museum....zero for unseen garden on a beautiful day.

I loved this little museum. A small collection, but very impressive. It was raining so we didnt go through the gardens much, they did seem nice from what I saw. The collection includes a number of byzantine artifacts from textiles to jewelry, to marble statuary. The pre-columbian artifacts are similar in range. I will come here again.

It was free and had interesting exhibits. The gardens have limited hours though, we didnt realize and had to come back. Totally worth it!

Beautiful 16 acres of gardens on former private estate! So many levels and varieties to explore! Hidden gem in upper Georgetown!! Highly recommend a visit!!!

The gardens were beautiful. I would love to take my wife back.There is something about its lived-in atmosphere that makes it more enjoyable than a pristine, palatial estate. Definitely want to spend more time in the gardens.

Very crowded on Sundays. great architectural designs and beautiful place to visit. The entrance fee is good and they do offer senior discounts. hahaha (only because this place is free.)

Exhibits are ALWAYS well curated. Art space is like a museum. With the exception of current exhibits, most permanent items are more than 500 years old. Helpful and knowledgeable docents. Worth a special trip. European travelers to DC will appreciate this space.Concerts with talented performers are held on a regular basis, but pricey for a family to attend ($100 plus for a family of four).The gardens are one of a kind! Spectacular! You are one and one-half blocks from busy, very urban Wisconsin Avenue, and you think you are 25 miles outside of DC in the country. The trees cover the skyline of DC and the neighborhood. Completely! Only green foliage and the sky. All tranquility - and then you hear a fire truck. Grounds are easily navigable in an hour. Formal gardens are great for adults; probably less interesting for children under 12 years old - more look, dont touch-type of gardens.Everything financially is well-kept up - space, lighting, staff, historical rooms, terraces, gardens and security. Refreshing in these challenging times for many small museums.

Great but not well known gem with museum and extraordinary gardens. Garden tour for fee but worth the cost. Allow sufficient time to explore the museum and the wonderful gardens. Went in June but plan to visit at several different times of year when variety of plants will be blooming.On concern is that there appeared to be poison ivy near the walking paths do keep your eyes open.

A unique place in the middle of DC. Beautiful gardens and museum. Its a popular place for marriage proposals.

Beautiful small museum exhibiting Byzantine, pre-Columbian American, and medieval art and artifacts. Grounds also are exquisite, especially in springtime. Middle of a week day we found ample on-street parking nearby, and there are commercial garages within a ten-minute walk.

Visit this place if you like the nature

Such an unusual find ~ with a unique & eclectic collection.

A bucolic spot in the middle of town

Great, well curated collection. Excellent displays. Cant believe I havent visited before!Only drawback is that it is rather small.

We had a great experience. Even though the museum is relatively small when looked at compared to the Smithsonians etc., you can still spend several hours here. Very interesting.

Nice place for a party

Phenomenal private museum with a fascinating collection spanning European antiquity and ancient mesoamerica artifacts.

The quality of the collection is incredible. The Byzantine collection is one of the best Ive ever seen; the icons are absolutely stunning. Also, the pre-Columbian pieces are housed in an amazing building that makes you feel like youre walking through a garden.

A local news story recently featured a police officer weeping when learning the story of a man who stole bread to feed his nephew or niece (it was unclear which). One can assume many of the people reading or hearing about this story may have had a similar reaction, albeit in the comfort of their own home or while staring at the screen of their smartphones on their evening commute home. One can only assume such stories serve not only a social function but also a personal one, operating at the very nexus of the political and individual.While online news articles may be the preeminent art form of our time, this has not always been the case. This museum is good reminder that prior to our ability to leave pithy emojis via venmo, pictures of people were often engraved on currency during the Roman empire and that sometimes the zodiac was woven into tapestries prior to Gemini season memes.Thats not nothing.

Great exhibit on the Middle Ages. Interesting because it keys off the legend of the juggler who performed in front of a statue in Notre Dame Cathedral. It traces how that story turned up years later in childrens lit, and on radio and TV. There are film clips from TV in the exhibit. Also shows influences of Middle Ages architecture and literature when interest in them revived in the 19th Century.

Cool place to go get some ice cream in the night and they had various flavours to choose from.

Randomly ran into this museum and its definitely worth a visit. Its free and they have all kinds of ancient artifacts displayed in a very unique set up. The museum was designed by a famous architect (cant remember who) and its a unique design with a lot of windows.

Great collection and very nicely curated. Given that the museum is free, its well worth a visit.

Very pretty. Lots of flowers!

Stepping into this place is like walking into a green forest hidden in a city. Forgetting even the exquisite museum the lush outside gardens are beautiful.

Amazing Byzantine artifacts exhibition.

Had a wonderful time, so glad we went.

This small museum is devoted to Pre-Columbian America, the Byzantine Empire, and the discipline of landscape architecture. Unfortunately, the Harvard scholars who teach these subjects are not part of the exhibits. They seem to live next door in the mansion that once belonged to Senator John C. Calhoun. The medievalist hall, which is part of the museum, is the site of the Dumbarton Oaks Conference, where the Soviet agent Alger Hiss assisted in drafting the charter of the United Nations. El Greco and other masters are on display. Do not miss Georgetowns hidden jewel!

A place to learn ; A chance to grow.

Always deeply educational and inspiring, with an amazing Pre-Colombian collection.

The current exhibit is fascinating. Highly recommended.

The musium is SO interesting!

Best gardens I have ever visited, the whole is not overwhelming which is often the case with extensive gardens. The exquisitely thoughtful design lends itself to layers of revelation as you ramble. I enjoyed every vista and found wonder with every turn.The house and museum are really what all museums should be; fascinating, intelligent, relaxing and edifying.

Very beautiful park.

Very nice museum in a quaint neighborhood.

Fabulous collection, interestingly presented. I would go back. Fabulous gardens too!

Very informative and exquisite collection.

My favorite pre-hispanic art collection in the area.

Really a hidden gem as far as DC museums go. Admission is free for the museum itself (admission to the gardens will run you 10$, but is definitely worth it). Highlights include Byzantine and central American collections

Kind of a hidden gem. Lovely small museum with interesting things to see. i really enjoy it

Great scenery and a peaceful garden to stroll around on a lazy Sun afternoon. Not stroller friendly though - as first timers, it wasnt wise of us to use our stroller. We should have gone with a baby carrier. As the guard pointed out at the entrance, it was difficult to plough through the gravel of the main lane and our access to the most of the wonderful gardens was limited due to steps everywhere.

This is ones of the finest, most interesting and intimate of DC destinations for the arts. Exquisite collection

Beautiful museum with a great collection of indigenous art.

Nice museum. Is free. And it have a wide variety of items from different ages.

The gardens are lovely. The museum is worth seeing.

Fine museum. Superlative gardens!!

Amazing garden

Classic pieces beautifully displayed. The companion contemporary art exhibit was a standout!

Great eclectic collection.

Wonderful museum and space

I cant wait for the Dumbarton Oaks Gardens to reopen!! Such a remarkable, historic gift to the city to roam both the gardens AND Museum. One of the largest collections of pre-Columbian art is housed at Dumbarton Oaks - and there is the added wonderment of great work on behalf of the United Nations and world peace.