Spotlight: Renwick Gallery With Kids

The Smithsonian Institute is the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex. Anyone who has visited a Smithsonian museum knows that they offer an unparalleled opportunity to see just about everything from dinosaurs to America’s founding documents and all at the low low price of free. Yes, in case you did not catch that, the Smithsonian museums are free (including the National Zoo)! I’ve already featured visits to the various Smithsonian museums in Washington, DC, including the Udvar-Hazy Center, the Portrait Gallery and the Botanical Gardens, but today, I want to encourage those contemplating a visit to Washington, DC to move beyond the more popular Smithsonian tourists offerings and explore a hidden gem that those of us who live in DC love and visit: The Renwick Gallery with kids!

The Renwick Gallery is a relatively “young” museum by Smithsonian standards. Having just re-opened in November 2015, the Renwick is home to the Institute’s contemporary craft and decorative art collections. While housed in a gorgeous historic building located just a block away from The White House, the Renwick’s exhibits change frequently and the exhibits typically take over the entire museum. Indeed, the Renwick is currently scheduled to close from February 20 – March 30 for the building take over of No Spectators: The Art of Burning Man.

Even if modern/contemporary art is “not your thing,” I highly recommend the Renwick Gallery as an ideal location to visit with kids because of the large scale nature of the exhibits. From November 2015-July 2016, the Renwick was home to  WONDER, which my then-18 month old toddler absolutely adored. Unlike traditional art museums with paintings and objects behind glass, WONDER’s three dimensional creations and vibrant colors really brought art to life for my toddler.

The upstairs level was overtaken by a large rainbow display suspended in the air and filled with people of all ages, just sitting and enjoying the way the light and the colors interacted. As you can imagine, my toddler felt right at home in this setting!

Practical Tips:

• The Renwick is not stroller friendly. There is a entrance located off 17th street (not the main entrance) where you can stroller your child in and park the stroller downstairs, before taking an elevator up to the main level.
• The Renwick is located only a block or so from The White House, so it’s an easy walk over to the White House for a photo opportunity. While you’re there, be sure to pop into St. John’s Episcopal Church, the yellow church across Lafayette Square from the White House. It’s a beautiful, historic church that every sitting president, since James Madison, has attended on at least one occasion.

Be sure to check out our entire category of posts on things to do and places to visit in Washington, DC with kids! We are so lucky to call this place home and hope that our tips and tricks come in handy as you plan your own adventure in Washington, DC!

Every so often, we encounter a place that is so fabulous for those traveling with kids that it is worthy of being featured on its own. For more fabulous locations, please check out our other Spotlight features!