Had a great experience! Its beautiful inside. And they have so many old beautiful things to see. To much for me to tell u about. Its definitely a museum u wanna hit if your in DC! I got lots of pictures!

So interesting to look at the museums and revisit history of different areas. We went on summer solstice, so all Smithsonian museums were open until midnight and there were singers outside that were very nice. It highlights so many parts and contrasts different cultures with real artifacts. It was definitely worth visiting.

The Arthur M. Sackler Gallery is an art museum of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. focusing on Asian art. The Sackler Gallery and the Freer Gallery of Art together form the Smithsonians national museums of Asian art in the United States. The Freer and Sackler galleries house the largest Asian art research library in the country.Founded in 1982, the Gallery is named after Arthur M. Sackler, who donated approximately 1,000 objects and $4 million to the building of the museum. Located on the south side of the National Mall, and being physically connected to the Freer Gallery of Art, 96% of the museum is located underground below the Enid A. Haupt Garden.Their donations and contributions have been protested by people who accuse them of being a key contributor to the opioid crisis in the U.S.

Never been here before and Im a DC local. Looks are deceiving because although the from the outside it looks fairly small, on the inside its HUGE due to it primarily being underground. This place is filled with gorgeous art work, jewelry, pottery and artifacts from all over the world. I went here to see the Chinese princesses temporary exhibit and it was astounding. You could literally spend all day in here or more because of its sheer size and amount of INTERESTING objects in it. Just because this isnt a Smithsonian do not disregard going to see it, its absolutely stunning and you wont regret it. Cant believe its taken me so long to find this place. Also its not crowded, and quiet. Great place to escape the calamity of the mall.

Beautifully place, beautiful scenery! Their current exhibits on dining in ancient Persia, and Chinese empresses are incredible!

A gem of the Smithsonian museums. The current two exhibitions on the ancient bells from China and the Buddha are excellent showcases of the Asian culture and history. The permanent exhibitions are always a big draw for me to come back again and again to appreciate a very diversified and highly civilized culture of the region.

Amazing Asian art collections. The Freer Gallery and Sackler Gallery are combined in one via under ground tunnels. While the Freer has the obvious entrance and typical National Mall museum facade, the Sackler is housed under the nearby garden just behind the Smithsonian castle. Inside are so many beautiful art works spanning Persian, Indian, and Chinese, and Japanese empires. It very easy to spend many hours inside just strolling at a relaxed pace and taking it all in. The gardens offer a great place for a respite from all the walking. Highly recommended.

I really enjoyed this gallary/ museum. The displays were breathtaking. It is a nice place, very clean and spacious. There are many rooms with displays so if youre someone who really does enjoy exploring artwork and learning about different cultures you may need a few hours to get through all the displays and ti truly absorb what is there. I cannot wait to go back again. The staff was also very friendly and helpful.

We saw the Empress exhibit of the Qin dynasty. It was amazing!

It belongs in a museum! ... Indiana Jones-level antiquities are strewn throughout the Sackler. Every room has a priceless treasure; a history lovers dream.

We took advantage of the holiday weekend to visit the Gallery and we’re glad we did. The Arts of Asia meet America is amazing. The place is clean and airy, the collection is rich with artifacts and very informative, yet the display is not crowded. I particularly love the collection of Tibetan Buddhas.I would recommend this Gallery to the Asian Arts lovers.

One of my favorite Smithsonian Museums in DC. If you appreciate Asian art and culture, youll enjoy this one. Takes about 45 mins- over and hour to explore the museum.

Superb all round! A must do!

Almost completely underground, this art gallery of Asian continent art, with some African and European, is a maze. Great pieces though.

Not the superstar of the National Mall, but a fabulous museum and one of the best gift boutiques around.

I know the issues with the connection of the funds for this museum to the opioid crisis, but the collection in this museum is amazing. Right now a terrific Hokosai exhibit, a historical Buddhist exhibit with many artifacts and a Tibetan temple, and a Chinese bells exhibit that I enjoyed, but would also be fun for children - quite a few bells to play. Hope I can get back soon.

Strongly curated. The temple bell installation and the Buddhist altars are enveloping. Rare forms of Asian art relating to metaphysical and philosophic understanding. The gardens in the courtyard are immaculate and well planned.

Great museum. I went during the exhibit for the empress of China. Stunning!

The rooms are very well designed, modern, and informative. Exhibits vary from sculptures to ceramics to jewelry to paintings, and more.

Understanding the arts from Asia was educational. Beautiful and were very intricate!

Lovely art museum, always fun to stop in. Give yourself a few hours to explore. No food or drink inside but there r free lockers. We love the peacock room by Whistler. Stumbled on a talk about its history. Fascinating. There r always fun exhibits & lots of beautiful Asian art to see. Benches in most rooms, elevators are handy but there is a fair amount of walking

The Sackler gallery is a wonderful space, remarkably quiet given its location on the Mall. The selection of art, sculptures, and installations is fascinating. The pieces are nicely curated with background information adjacent to each item. The Buddhist exhibits are well worth a visit on their own. In general I would say bring a packed lunch and drinks with you. This part of DC is entirely devoid of good quality reasonably priced food and drink.

Beautiful interior. I love how the outside looks tiny, but this place is actually pretty big. It’s about four floors deep!

The Freer Gallery and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery (free entries) are where you will find the Smithsonian Institutions coverage of Asian arts. Located on the south side of The Mall, just next to the Smithsonian Institution (Castle), the galleries opening times are 10am to 5.30pm daily.The galleries display small collections of Asian artworks including the likes of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Buddhist, Hindu, Arabic and Islamic works amongst others. What you see are impressive individual pieces however the the collection as a whole is too small and represent a too wide range of respective forms, cultures and art periods. The collections lack depth and breadth compared to the many comprehensive Smithsonian Museums throughout D.C. Here the intention seems more to provide a brief glimpse and introduction to world of Asian arts and that is ok!What I probably enjoyed most during my recent visit was simply viewing the James McNeil Whistler paintings which showcase his interests in Asian tradition, style and delicacy. Whistlers famous The Princess from the Land of Porcelain painting is also on display in the gallery. Apparently this is the first time since 1904 that the painting has been removed from Whistlers other famous creation Peacock Room.I was also very much intrigued by the Filthy Lucre Peacock Room Remix exhibition by Darren Waterston. This is an extraordinary rendition of Whistlers Peacock Room. Visitors are able to walk into the installation and contemplate Waterstons imaginative interpretation, which is thought provoking and highly memorable, regardless if you like what you are seeing or not.During my visit there was also a temporary exhibition Turquoise Mountain highlighting Afghan artists as well as displaying pottery, garment, textiles, woodwork and calligraphy. Afghan artists were on site and giving woodwork demonstrations as well.Note: The Freer Gallery and Arthur M. Sackler Galleries are connected by way of underground passage and combined exhibition space with the Ripley Centre and the National Museum of African Arts. You can access each of these venues by way of any of their entrances.

My first time here and won’t be my last. Peacock blue and white room is a must!!!

Nice place to go, a lot of cool exhibits! Its also connected to the Freer Gallery and the African Art Museum so you dont technically ever have to go outside to go to all three which is nice when its cold.

An ecclectic selection of both Buddhist and Hindu artwork. It is a really quiet, calming and underrated art collection. The staff was very helpful and friendly.

Impressive place. Nice design. There are some temporary displays combining with sounds and multimedia. You can feel the solemnity of Bodhisattva

We enjoyed this museum the most. This is not your typical gallery of portraits and sculptures. The artists were inspired by cultural rituals and necessities and its wonderfully displayed in their work. Well worth a couple hours to examine the exhibits and absorb the spirit of their art.

Beautiful gardens that u cannot miss

The Sackler was our favorite museum on the Mall. We probably spent a whole day roaming the galleries and soaking in the Asian historical and cultural information.We especially liked the Tibetan temple exhibit, and the chanting soundtrack that was playing there. Knowledgeable docents gave great tours.As the Gallery is mostly below ground, we were happy to find it. You get to the entrance at the garden entrance to the Smithsonian Castle (at the back).

My favorite museum in the National Mall! This hosts the Asian art gallery. Everything here you’ll want to take a picture of!

This place tends to have a lot of great art exhibits. The Quran one was particularly incredible.

This place was very interesting to feel about Asian culture. There are many relics and photographs.

This museum looks small from the outside but spans 3 more stories underground. Its filled with beautiful and thought provoking exhibits and is well worth your time. Also, if you go to the bottom floor, you can seamlessly move through connected space to the museum next door, the Smithsonian Museum of African Art.

At first I didnt want to visit this museum because were from Asia, why would we wanna see more Asian artifacts. But since we were at the Smithsonian Castle, we decided to give it a try. How I was wrong. The entrance has made a different first impression! With an interesting monkey display and the most friendly guard weve ever met who explained to us the story behind the display, we came in with curiosity. The museum was not crowded, it has a few free big lockers where we can keep our bahg and coat, and water coolers are everywhere. At one level, the building is connected to the Freer museum so I cant really remember which room belongs to which museum. But overall, the Sackler and Freer museums are a must visit!

Wonderful museum focusing on art from Asia. We just attended the re-opening celebration and it was fantastic. Its part of the Smithsonian family of museums, so attendance is free. This would easily cost $30-$40 if a fee was charged to enter. Be sure to check out the Buddha room in the Sackler building.

Reasonably sized museum. Love the empress exhibit

Love the art center/African American museum

Absolutely first-rate collection. The current Hokusai exhibition is drawn entirely from the museums own collection!

We loved this Museum so much we came back the next day. My kids loved all the Art and Summer Solstice! So much fun.

Lovely museum. Loved the exhibition on Chinese Empresses

Went to see the Empresses of China, but were blown away by the Buddha exhibit! Fascinating how the Buddha is portrayed and perceived in countries around the world.

One of the many outstanding Smithsonian museums in DC. The Buddha exhibit is awesome. They always have awesome exhibits and stuff you rarely see anywhere else. Gift shop is very cool too.

Accessibility is in good shape, could use electronic doors and more signage, but the maps are good. Staff all incredibly knowledgeable and committed to finding answers if they dont have them.

Awesome gallery! Encountering the Buddha was AMAZING! Excellent curation of a beautiful collection. Very informative, calming, and impressive. The flow of the exhibit was perfect! The Tibetan shrine was a truly transformative experience. I could have stayed here all day.

Cool artifacts and lots to see. Be sure to check out the peacock room.

Decent collection, although not as diverse as I had hoped. East and South Asia seem to dominate, which is expected because, as cradles of civilization, theyve been around longer. Would be nice though to see exhibits from places like Indonesia or Uzbekistan. That said, there was a small exhibit on Yemen, with some really fascinating images of the country.I know Mr. Sackler was instrumental in the establishment of this museum, but I really wish theyd just called this the Asian Art Gallery so visitors would easily recognize what the space is for. Or maybe have Sackler as part of a secondary name.Allot two hours if youre planning to visit. If you have more time, swing by the African Art museum next door. The two museums are actually connected at the third level underground, so you dont really have to leave the premises to go to the other museum.

So beautiful and peaceful

Clean, well kept museum. Not crowded. Good for a 1-2 hour stop.

Great selection of Asian and African art. Exhibits are compelling with good descriptive plaques. Enjoy the underground design of the building and the two gift shope. Perhaps my favorite one of the Smithsonians!

This place has spectacular centuries-old Asian art

How fortunate we are to be able to see fantastic exhibits like Empresses of Chinas Forbidden City, currently at the Sackler gallery. We can go any day of the week, stay for hours, and its all free. Portraits, paintings, magnificent embroidered robes, jewelry and information about the lives of the Qing dynasty empresses will keep me going back again and again until the exhibit closes on June 23. You would ordinarily have to go to the Forbidden City Museum in Beijing to see most of these objects. For the next couple of months, all you have to do is hop on the Metro to enjoy the exhibit and learn about this fascinating time in Chinese history. Thank you James Smithson, wherever you are.

One of my Favorite museums to go to.. The courtyard in the center of the museum is my favorite place to sit in silence.

Amazing pieces from Asia. But the islamic part had mostly pieces from Iran and India but not much from Arabia

The Buddah Exhibit is a must see if you are in washington. Such beauty and history. We went immediately after visiting the holocaust museum and it was what was needed for grounding and destressing ourselves. Very peaceful and relaxing.

This Smithsonian museum holds Galleries 21-30 of the Freer-Sackler Galleries. The two museums are connected by a basement hall, accessible by elevator or stair in either building. The current exhibits include a collection of silver and gold pieces from Iran, a Tibetian temple exhibit, a gallery on the bells of Ancient China (and the properties of their sounds), and Ikats of Central Asia (temporary through July 9th). The Ikat gallery has some beautiful textiles on display; it is definitely worth a visit. On the ground floor there is a gorgeous brass-and string piece which you can walk through. The museum also connects to the National Museum of African Art. The building itself also has some great architectural design.

Gem of a place. This was a really nice find and not what I was expecting. The building is surprisingly large and the collection vast. Really good pieces on far and near eastern art.

Underrated Smithsonian. Worth a visit (or two)

The Sackler Gallery is a fantastic showcase of Asian culture and history. The usual exhibits are all wonderful, but I recently visited for the Solstice Saturday Celebration and limited-time exhibit of Chinese Empresses. Both events were amazing.

The Buda Exhibit is fascinating . The tour with the Docent is better than walking through alone. Many other galleries also. Plan to spend a minimum of 3 hours here.

Grand opening weekend, Taste, see, hear, do! Tea in the courtyard. Long lines everywhere, but worth the wait. Checkout the Peacock Room.

Beautiful art museum definitely a must if you have the time.

The Sackler presents a thoughtful blend of ancient and modern artifacts, creating a full sense of continuity in art. Always carefully and thoughtfully curated, the Sackler is a work of art in its own right.

The Asian Art Museum just does not deal with art. There are events, films, and other activities that happen there. It is also linked to both the Freer Gallery of Art and the Ripley Center AND African Art. Restrooms available and a lovely gift shop.

I love visiting this gallery not only for the exhibits, which are always interesting, but the architecture of the place itself is so eye-catching and photogenic. Id love to be able to bring a tripod to get shots of the inside to stitch into a really good panoramic but tripods are not allowed. Maybe Ill write before my next trip to see if I can get a special dispensation of grace.Its also conveniently connected to the African art museum next door.

One of my favorite Smithsonian museums to visit. They have a terrific Buddhism exhibit and the Peacock Room is great for understanding the opulence of the time.

Amazing collection, and a great way to get something in return for what the Sackler family has wrought

Beautiful gallery that connects two different museums together. I was also lucky enough to see a live performance of middle East instruments.

This is my favorite museum in DC. I even became a member of the Silk Road Society. I just wish they had more space. If you enjoy Asian art, visit these galleries!

A place Where Asia meets America. Awesome Asian-themed exhibits full of culture, artwork, and enlightenment

Quiet scholarship. Many Iranian artifacts.

This gallery is attached to the Freer Gallery. Absolutely beautiful art and a lot of information to go with the pieces. They have interactive learning things on tablets too. There was also a room where you could watch what they had playing (when I visited it was a video of Buddists worshipping in different ways, which went with what was on the tablet right outside the viewing area). I feel like there are more expansive galleries, but honestly I could have spent most of the day here reading everything and using the tablets if I didnt have to go.

Had a blast learning...

Great collection of Asian art. The gallery also offers many excellent programs and events.

Interesting museum, it was nice to be able to walk to other museums without going outside.

Great collection of artworks..and the staff are very good..you can ask for magnifying glasses to observe more in ndian miniature paintings.

What a lovely art gallery. The staff was very friendly and directed me to the exhibits that I wanted to see. Make sure you stop by the information center and theyll be able to tell you when the guided tours happen. The two buildings are connected underground and you kind of have to wander through a maze to get from one to the other but its doable. Exhibit change all the time

Always a great place to see and learn about Asian art. Current exhibit is Chinese Empress - very interesting with some beautiful artifacts.

So well organized! Loved the displays and how so not crowded it was so ae were able to enjoy without over crowding.

Wonderful Asian Art exhibit. Some in house, some borrowed from Beijing. Sacklers collection of Asian art was broad and extraordinary. Only a small portion of it is rotated through at any time so regular visits are suggested.

Very quiet and calm compared to other museums. Mostly sculptures carvings and metal work.

This is a wonderful gallery. Its tucked away underground and behind the Smithsonian castle, marked only by a small structure. Its easy to miss if your not looking for it. I thoroughly enjoyed the temporary Buddhist exhibit. Fantastic gift shop as well.

Gorgeous gallery. Their regular collections are fascinating and beautiful. They are special exhibit on Lyons was dramatic and interesting. Most Fascinating was the special exhibit on the lovely Bells. There were very few people there and I saw most of the gallery in 2 hours. High recommend.

It is lovely if art is your thing. Kids are bored to death. The Peacock room was the best part.

Terrific exhibits about Buddhism dot-dot-dot from Tibetan ritual room 2 various Hooters from countries, tracing Origins and development. The analysis of the hollow core versus wood core Buddha using digital techniques is fascinating. The Bell exhibit where you can play ancient Bells on a digital keyboard... Amazing!

Wonderful museum and building. Fabulous collection . And its free!

As always, visiting a Smithsonian institution is never an unreasonable use of time. The Sackler Gallery hosts art which doesnt fit in the rest of the Smithsonians galleries, as far as I can tell. There were Chinese bells from antiquity in the basement, along with modern and experiential art on the ground floor. Excellent way to experience art!

Beautiful building, nice exhibits and concert series

Now this place blows my mindTheres so much going on here. Theres so mitch hidden away down below. The stairwell down is super neatIt transports you into another world. Wonderful place to visit for some immensely unique art from around the worldSecurity was super cool and will check jokes or dance with you. Lived in the city since I was a kid and had no idea just how cool this underground exhibit isLiterally got my nephew interested in other cultures that werent just video games

Actually, this gallery is the Freer / Sackler gallery. Freer was a Detroit industrialist who left his huge collection to the Smithsonian (the Detroit Institute of Arts wasnt yet in existence). The Freer collection became the Smithsonians first fine arts gallery. Sackler came along about 60 years later and his gift was added to the Freer. We now have a National Gallery of Art separate from the Freer / Sackler. Id say see them both - but, at the Freer youll see the Peacock Room which was created by James Whistler (a good friend of Freer). The Peacock Room was in Freers Detroit home and it went to the Smithsonian with the rest of Freers collection. Its spectacular. Youll love it.

Great art and a good way to spend a Sunday

Not lots to see but well air conditioned and a good escape from the heat.

The Freer and Sackler Galleries are the Smithsonians originals and despite its small space, you should pay it a visit. Its on the National Mall and free and has one of the most beautiful courtyards in DC. Here are a few interesting facts about the galleries:1. Opening in 1923, it was the first art museum in the Smithsonian network.2. Charles Freer, a business man and private art collector, designed the museum to house his collection. He planned the museum knowing he wouldnt live to see the opening.3. To prevent museum fatigue, the space is intentionally kept small preserving its domestic feel.4. Its courtyard was once called the most beautiful spot in Washington and also housed peacocks in the 1920s.5. The museum is mostly dedicated to Asian art but there is a small collection of American art.Enjoy!

5th grade trip great experience

The Arthur M. Sackler and Freer Gallery is part of the U.S. governments Smithsonian Institutions free museum system. This particular museum specializes in Asian art and is home to a wide-ranging collection from India, China, Japan and the Islamic world. Housed in a lovely complex in Washington D.C., set in a beautiful garden. Highly recommended.

One of my favorite galleries in DC. The Peacock Room is not to be missed. Also the special exhibits are generally noteworthy.

Impressive exhibit on Chinese Empresses of the Forbidden City with beautiful court robes and paintings. Thank you for the scholarship behind the exhibit, it was very thoughtfully presented.

Pretty cool Place !!

An essential part of the National Mall and anyones trip to DC, especially for the art connoisseur