Plan Your Visit
When can I visit?
The Enid A. Haupt Garden is open daily dawn to dusk, except December 25. All other gardens are open 24 hours 365 days a year.
Admission is free.
Where are the gardens located?
The Smithsonian’s gardens are located on the National Mall and in the Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture in downtown Washington, D.C.
View our Gardens Map to see the locations of our 13 gardens and landscapes.
How do I get there?
What do I need to know?
Gardens and Safety
Accessibility
Photography and Filming
Special Events and Weddings
Pets
Restrooms
Picnicking
Smoking
Smithsonian Security
Smithsonian Visitor Information
What is there to do?
Gardens
Exhibitions
Events
Tours
Other questions?
Call 202.633.2220 or email us at gardens@si.edu.
Information for Visitors
Gardens and Safety
Enjoy the plants and trees in our gardens but please don’t pick or climb them! For your safety and the safety of the plants, please stay on the marked paths and refrain from playing on rocks or in the fountains or other water features.
Accessibility
The majority of the gardens are accessible and offer paved paths. The Victory Garden at the National Museum of Natural History features gravel walkways in some areas.
Photography and Filming
Photography and filming for noncommercial use is welcome in all of the gardens. For the safety of our visitors and plants, devices such as tripods, monopods, or selfie sticks are not permitted. Please stay on designated paths and do not impede the flow of visitors while taking pictures or filming.
Casual individual or small group photo sessions are allowed as long as they do not obstruct the designated garden paths, are not staged on the grassy areas or behind any roped off areas, and do not require the use of tripods or supplemental lighting set-ups. Smithsonian Security reserves the right to stop any photo session if there is a concern about the safety of visitors or threat to Smithsonian property including plants, outdoor sculptures or artifacts.
Smithsonian prohibits photography intended for advertising or any other commercial purpose without approval. Commercial photography and media requests should be directed to the museum’s Public Affairs Office. Working members of the media must be escorted by a museum staff member while in the building or garden.
If you are a professional filmmaker, you must submit a filming request to produce films related to the Museum.
Special Events and Weddings
If you would like to host a special event or wedding in one of the gardens, please contact the Office of Special Events and Protocol at SmithsonianEvents@si.edu or 202.633.2020.
Service Animals and Pets
Service animals are welcome in all of the gardens.
Pets are permitted in all Smithsonian gardens except the Enid A. Haupt Garden and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Please keep pets on a leash and on designated pathways at all times.
Restrooms
Public restrooms are available inside nearby Smithsonian museums and the Smithsonian Castle.
Picnicking
Visitors are welcome to eat in the many seating areas found throughout the gardens. Picnicking on the grass or in roped-off areas is not allowed. Dining facilities are located inside each of the Smithsonian museums and the Smithsonian Castle.
Transportation and Parking
Public transportation is encouraged. Limited on-street parking is available in areas near the gardens, including reserved spaces for visitors with disabilities. You can book guaranteed parking in nearby garages in advance with ParkWhiz. Note: ParkWhiz is a third-party vendor (ParkWhiz Privacy Policy).
Bus parking on the National Mall is discouraged. There are several areas where tour buses can park on a first-come, first-served basis. For information on bus parking sites, contact the National Park Service Mall Operations Office at 202.426.6841.
Smoking
Smoking is prohibited in all Smithsonian gardens.