The Phillips Collection occupies a converted 1897 Georgian Revival townhouse in Dupont Circle, two blocks from the Metro stop of the same name, and holds the distinction of being the first museum of modern art in the United States, opened by Duncan Phillips in 1921.
Phillips built the collection around artists he believed in personally, and that intimacy still defines the galleries. Renoir’s “Luncheon of the Boating Party” draws the steadiest crowds, hung in a wood-paneled room scaled like a private study rather than a hall. Rothko’s four paintings sit in a dedicated chapel-like room the artist helped design himself. Bonnard, Braque, and Klee fill out adjoining rooms connected by narrow staircases and creaking hardwood floors that remind visitors this was once a family home on 21st and Q Streets NW. Rotating special exhibitions occupy the newer wing, pairing historical works with contemporary artists in direct conversation.
Visitor Highlights & Practical Info
Weekday mornings offer the quietest viewing, since school groups and weekend crowds thicken by early afternoon. Third Thursdays bring extended hours to 8pm with free admission, a good option for evening visits without ticket cost. The museum closes on New Year’s Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day, so check the calendar before planning around holidays. Dupont Circle Metro (Red Line) sits a short walk away, and the surrounding blocks hold embassy row architecture worth a stroll before or after. The ground-floor museum shop stocks exhibition catalogs and art-themed gifts worth a look on the way out.
