Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden

This museum of modern and contemporary art is named after Latvian-born Joseph H. Hirshhorn, who, in 1966, donated his vast collection -- more than 4,000 drawings and paintings and 2,000 pieces of sculpture -- to the United States "as a small repayment for what this nation has done for me and others like me who arrived here as immigrants." The Hirshhorn opened in 1974 to display these works, adding 5,500 more bequeathed by Hirshhorn in 1981, upon his death. The Hirshhorn's current inventory numbers about 11,500.

Constructed 14 feet aboveground on sculptured supports, the doughnut-shaped concrete-and-granite building stands 82 feet high and measures 231 feet in diameter. The cylindrically shaped building encloses a hollow core, where a fountain spouts water five stories high. The building's light and airy interior holds three levels of galleries, each following a circular route that makes it easy to see every exhibit without getting lost in a honeycomb of galleries. Natural light from floor-to-ceiling windows makes the inner galleries the perfect venue for regarding sculpture -- second only to the beautiful tree-shaded sunken Sculpture Garden across the street (don't miss it). Make your way to the third-floor oculus and you'll be rewarded with a dramatic view of the National Mall.

A rotating show of about 600 pieces is on view at all times. The collection features just about every well-known 20th-century artist and touches on most of the major trends in Western art since the late 19th century, with particular emphasis on our contemporary period. Among the best-known pieces are Rodin's Monument to the Burghers of Calais (in the Sculpture Garden), Hopper's First Row Orchestra, de Kooning's Two Women in the Country, and Warhol's Marilyn Monroe's Lips.

Pick up a free calendar when you enter to find out about free films, lectures, concerts, and temporary exhibits. Some of these events are quite popular. For instance, the Hirshhorn hosts Hirshhorn After Hours three or four times a year, and it's always a sellout. Twenty-somethings especially love to attend the function, which takes place from 8pm to midnight and combines socializing with art, music or other performance, and cocktails. The $18 tickets are available in advance online, www.hirshhorn.si.edu/afterhours.

In 2011, the Hirshhorn debuted an exciting new space, created by a temporary, inflatable, blue "bubble-like" structure that sits in the museum's inner courtyard and balloons above it to a height of 145 feet. The balloon emerges from the middle of the museum's doughnut shape and is visible from various points along the Mall. The museum plans to inflate the balloon twice a year, in May and October, and use it as a seasonal auditorium, cafe, and cultural hub. Be on the lookout!

Meanwhile, docents continue to give impromptu, free, 30-minute tours to anyone who stops by the information desk, noon to 4pm daily.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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