United States Botanic Garden & National Gallery Tour

The United States Botanic Garden is a living plant museum. Exhibits interpret the role of plants in supporting earth's diverse and fragile ecosystems and in enriching human life. Public displays are located in the Conservatory, on the surrounding terrace gardens, and in adjacent Bartholdi Park. Established by Congress in 1820, the U.S. Botanic Garden is one of the oldest botanic gardens in North America. The garden's first greenhouse was constructed in 1842; since 1849 the Garden has been located at the eastern end of the Mall. The Garden has been administered through the Office of the Architect of the Capitol since 1934.

The Conservatory houses permanent collections of plants from subtropical, tropical and arid regions. Special exhibits showcase orchids, medicinal, economic, endangered, and primitive plants. From mid-May to mid-October, the Conservatory terraces feature displays of thematic container gardens. The Conservatory has recently undergone an extensive renovation and after a multiple year closure, is now open to the public.

Your next stop is to The National Gallery of Art, a non-Smithsonian museum that ranks with the Louvre in Paris and the Prado in Madrid as one of the world's greatest art museums. This beautiful building is filled with natural light and presents its artwork in rooms that echo the styles and colors of its era. Don't miss Leonardo Da Vinci's only painting in the Western Hemisphere! Weather and time permitting, you will have the opportunity to visit The National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden. Taking up 6 acres of prime land, with an emphasis on 20th-century artwork, the Sculpture Garden is an important addition to the vast art collection of Washington, D.C. Inside this permanent outdoor exhibition, it transforms into that of a picturesque 19th-century garden, with winding paths and a variety of plantings in irregular clusters. Yet there are vestiges of classical design even inside – in particular the central pool, strongly defined by two concentric rows of linden trees. The art is strongly modern and postmodern in flavor. The oldest piece in the garden is Tony Smith's "Moondog," a deceptively simple-looking geometric abstraction conceived in 1964. There are four works from the '70s, two from the '80s and nine from the '90s. Your guests will view masterful pieces of sculpture by Calder, Lichtenstein and Noguchi and many others. A welcome addition to the Smithsonian landscape!

TOUR STOPS INCLUDED:
U.S. Botanic Garden
The National Gallery of Art
The National Gallery of Art Sculpture
Garden (time permitting)