In 1972 the museum was spruced up and renamed for its famous architect, James Renwick (designer of the nearby Smithsonian Castle), then reopened as the home of the Smithsonian’s craft collection. The Renwick has since become renowned for its rotating exhibits of inventive, detailed, and even whimsical works of American art that appeal to all ages. Informative, docent-led tours of the collection's highlights are available daily (except Sunday).
Lovers of fine arts and modern art will enjoy this small museum.
Scavenger-hunt materials for children are available free of charge at the Information Desk.
A museum store sells books, art supplies, and educational toys.
Barrier-free ramp access is available at the 17th Street entrance; manual wheelchairs are offered at the basement security desk.
Smoking, eating, and drinking are not permitted in the galleries; there is a café on-site.
To protect the artworks, tripods and selfie sticks are not allowed in the galleries.
The Renwick is across the street from the Old Executive Office Building and the White House on Pennsylvania Ave at 17th Street NW. It’s near several public garages, and limited street parking is available throughout the area. It’s also close to two Metro stations: Farragut North (on the Red Line) and Farragut West (on the Orange, Blue, and Silver Lines).
The museum is open every day of the year except Christmas Day. Free tours meet at the Information Desk in the lobby, offered Monday to Saturday at 12pm (except the second Tuesday of each month and all federal holidays). The Renwick attracts a great deal of foot traffic, so it's best to arrive early or late in order to have the most elbow room.
Originally built in 1859 to house the Corcoran Gallery—Washington DC’s first art museum, which soon outgrew the space and moved down the street—this ornate Second Empire building had become a decaying, almost-lost cause by the mid-1960s. It was saved from demolition by President Lyndon Johnson and declared a National Historic Landmark.
