Rubell Museum DC

A beautiful space with a welcoming atmosphere—none of that ‘don’t-touch-anything’ museum energy (even dogs are welcome). The contemporary art collection offers a sharp, critical perspective—something surprisingly rare in a city full of Smithsonian institutions. Interesting curatorial decisions and friendly staff.

A gem! We visited on a Wednesday, pay what you will.. We had the entire space to ourselves. Provocative, exciting art. Easy, paid street parking. Good restaurant choices a short walk away.

It’s refreshing to see art centered around African American and Black people. I love visiting art galleries but it is rather boring to see a lack of diversity. Although the gallery isn’t massive the art is still phenomenal. Native Americans, Latin and Hispanic American, Japanese, and other artists are in this museum as well.

What a cool museum. 3 floors of excellence. There is something here for everyone to see and there are Qr Codes throughout if you want a little audio to go along with the artwork. Street metered parking is available too. DC residents are free and $15 for others if you're not a member. There is also a cute coffee shop there if you love coffee.

I loved this museum! I’m not really into art museums but this place was awesome. I was so fascinated by the art displayed and reading about the artists who created them. They had a lot of art from Black creators so I believe that’s the focus. There was an interactive exhibit in the lower level that I found very interesting. The staff were polite and helpful. The young man at the front desk even was even nice in finding ways for me to enter for free (as a BOA account holder I was able to). The museum is rather small so I didn’t spend a ton of time there, which of course is great because I got to do other things. The only issue is that the museum is a bit out of the way. But I would still highly recommend going here.n

Really great museum featuring outstanding contemporary works by Black artists and many artists of color. Very calming atmosphere. 3 floors, but there's an elevator if needed. Super friendly staff. There's also a cute coffee shop (no food) inside!

Upon entering, visitors are greeted with gigantic works of art overlooking the room's spacious lobby arranged at each corner of the walls. However, these pieces are only a visual appetizer as to what's to come further on, where the Rubell Musrum houses much more captivating pieces. Continuing onward, numerous rooms of different art can be freely explored in any order. While paintings and other 2D art is present, I was mostly captivated by 3D works and installations which fill up entire spaces. Being able to inspect and interact with these pieces at an up-close distance never loses its thrill and is always engaging. Exhibits rotate as is expected, meaning visitors will be thrilled across any number of visits that are spaced apart.

Pay at least $1 during the week to see the art. THANK YOU! It makes it affordable for working artists. I appreciate the educational material also talked about the former school and its segregated past. It's nice to see that is contemporary that pushes forward ideas, especially art you may never see at the Smithsonian.

The newish Rubell Musuem is tucked away in Southwest. Though it is a bit of a hike from any Metro station (I walked here from L'Enfant), it's well worth the visit. The museum's shiny exterior was built around a much older brick building. There is a coffee shop on the main level and the aroma of coffee filled the museum. The galleries have high-ceilings (except the brick-lined basement) and have a pleasant airy natural-light filled ambience. Contemporary art fills three floors. Almost all the art grabbed my attention and caused me to linger, ponder and enjoy what I was seeing. It's heartening that this is a private museum and the current president is unable to interfere with operations like he has done with the Smithsonian and Nat'l Gallery. I would suggest allotting about an hour and a half to view all the exhibits.

Really well curated museum. Big enough to keep your attention but small enough to move through the exhibits at a leisurely pace and get through the whole museum in 90 minutes. A can't miss place for lovers of contemporary art. Thought provoking and interesting pieces. Free for DC residents and in a different part of town than other museums so fewer crowds. Came around noon on a Wednesday to a mostly empty museum which was delightful. Also a lot of diversity of the artists on display. Grace Street Coffee is currently on site so there is a small but nice space to work from for a change of scenery. Will certainly be back.

I enjoy this museum and they change the exhibits often so there is always something new. If you are a DC resident with ID, you can visit for free. They also have a cafe in the entrance that makes a really good matcha latte.

And just when I was starting to think I'd been to all of DC's great museums! I visited the Rubell a couple of weeks ago when I spent the day in DC. We were in the Wharf/Navy Yard area for something, and I saw the Rubell on the map and decided we should check it out. I'm so glad we did. It really blew me away. The Rubell is a houses a private collection of contemporary art. When we visited, they had two excellent exhibitions - one on the work of Alexandre Diop and one highlighting the work of 25 contemporary artists. I consider myself a pretty artsy person, but I wasn't familiar with many of the artists who work was exhibited when we visited (except for Mickalene Thomas and John Waters), but I left a fan of so many others - Amoako Boafo, February James, Otis Kwame Kye Quaicoe, Alexandre Diop....! The museum is located inside a 1906 building that used to house a historically Black public school (Randall Junior High School) before it ceased operations in 1978. The building has several levels and was larger than I thought it would be - and beautifully renovated for its new purpose! There's a coffee shop and small shop at the entrance, which was nice (the espresso I ordered really hit the spot)! DC residents visit for free, but I was happy to pay the $15 admission to see these amazing exhibits. I will absolutely keep my eyes out for a future exhibit at the Rubell. It shot straight up to the top of my favorite museums in DC list, and I'm excited to return!

Thrilled to have another contemporary art museum in DC! It's free year-round to DC residents (sorry, tourists) which is great. The building isn't enormous (you can cycle through the floors in a couple of hours) but they change out the exhibitions regularly so there's reason to come back. Currently they're featuring a lot of East Coast-based artists, with some African (Ghanaian and Ethiopian) mixed in. A lot of really interesting painting and sculpture on the Black experience. I will definitely be back! Bonus: small coffee bar in the lobby from Grace Street Coffee, which has decent espresso. (Also a small gift shop area, mostly books.)

I can't believe I waited so long to drop by the Rubell Museum. As someone that lives within walking distance, I almost took it for granted with the assumption that I could drop by anytime. While that might be true, the installations do change annually and although I was unaware of that at the moment, we are now just 5 days away before they close for a month while they switch out the current art that is on display. Wow is all I can say. Admission is free for DC residents and the museum is beautiful, with lots of natural light. I was amazed by the range of contemporary art - from the controversial and provocative to the stunning imagery throughout. With three floors to explore, the museum was actually larger than I expected but still only took me about an hour to explore at a leisurely pace. This is truly an incredible place and I feel so fortunate to have a museum like this that cares are representation nearby. I will be sure to not wait nearly as long to return!

If you want to see contemporary and thought-provoking art and what today's young artists are creating, look no further than the Rubell Museum! My friend and I spent almost an hour and a half exploring here and I was surprised because I thought it would be smaller! The museum is free for DC residents, but if you don't live in DC they have pay what you wish donations Wednesday through Friday and on the weekends adult tickets are $15. The lobby also has a gift shop and Grace Street Coffee. The first artist you will see upon walking in is Franco-Senegalese artist Alexandre Diop, who uses mixed media and found objects to explore topics like colonialism. It is quite striking to view from farther away and up close. The architecture of the renovated school building is beautiful and minimal, putting a spotlight on the art work. Other favorites included the colorful and rhinestone art of Mickalene Thomas and Otis Kwame Kye Quaicoe's Black cowboys. I thoroughly enjoyed viewing everyone's works! It was very refreshing to see contemporary, young, and diverse artists, both local and international. I think they change up their art and exhibits, so it is worth a revisit!

I came to Rubell for one of their speaker series but never got a chance to visit the exhibit until now. They have a lot of interesting art and the layout is so well curated where you don't feel overwhelmed. They have different themes for each floor including "community, kin,etc" focusing on various cultures and identities primarily black culture. I wasn't sure how often they rotate out exhibits, but if they have new exhibits I will definitely visit again. It's also free for DC residents if you show ID. Staff was very helpful and the art collection is extremely impactful!

The Rubelll Museum is a former Junior High school that opened as a contemporary art museum in October 2022. It's off the beaten path as far as DC Museums go and is worth a visit if you enjoy art. The entryway of the museum can be seen through the glass doors as you approach the building. It features a small coffee shop (Grace Coffee), an admissions desk, and a tiny gift shop. After paying my donation, I entered the "What's Going On" exhibit, which consists of an expansive room with tons of natural sunlight and four enormous art pieces by artists Vaughn Spann, Christopher Myers, El Anatsui, and Kehinde Wiley. I was already familiar with Kehinde Wiley's work, but I was particularly drawn to Myers' piece called Earth. The smooth notes of Marvin Gaye's song "What's Going On" played softly from a nearby stereo. A long bench was strategically placed in front of each artwork to allow you to sit and absorb the messages in each painting. I visited the exhibits in other rooms and saw provocative works of art with various social justice themes from the financial crisis of 2008, to exploitation in popular culture, to intersectionality. I was glad that I decided to visit during the morning to avoid the crowds and explore the museum at my pace. I wasn't fond of all the art, but all were conversation pieces for sure! The museum will close for a week in October to install new exhibits, so plan accordingly if you're planning to visit in the near future. DC residents can visit for free! Non-resident admission is $10-15 on the weekends and pay what you wish on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.

One of the newest museums to the DC area. This museum is masterfully curated. It features a myriad of black contemporary artists. The art is staged throughout the gallery on three floors including a basement level. The exhibitions delight, educate and inspire the aesthete. Museum is free but donations are encouraged.

When the Rubell Museum first opened in 2022, there was a lot of buzz going around about the new privately owned museum. And after my first visit, I absolutely understood why!!! From the architecture of the building, right through to the art work on display... I was in awe & artistic heaven. You'll find elaborate installation pieces using a multitude of materials and medians, woodburn drawings, acrylic, watercolour, oil and polymer paintings, sculptures, and photography throughout the gallery. There are pieces from Keith Haring, Kehinde Wiley, Sylvia Snowden, Vaughn Spann and so many more talented artists.

"D.C.'s Whitney Museum" is how ClockOutDC (a website and Instagram you must follow) called the new Rubell Museum. Located in a 1906 Black school building that also was once a shelter for those experiencing homelessness and artists' studios, the Rubell Museum houses 190 pieces of art from 37 contemporary artists. More than masterpieces, the voices behind them is what the museum wants to elevate. Each artist focuses their work on the world's most pressing social and political issues. After visiting for a media preview, here's my experience: 1) Admission: Open Wednesday through Sunday in the late morning to early evening, admission is FREE for D.C. residents, veterans, EBT card holders, and those with disabilities. In fact, those with ADA disabilities can bring a plus one for free and EBT card holders can bring three others for free. Everyone else must pay between $10-$15 per ticket. 2) Space: Preserving the historic school, tall windows let lots of natural light into the exhibit halls. Past the gift shop is a large lobby with several large scale pieces. Walk up the stairs to two additional levels and walk down for the basement of art. It took me 60 minutes to walk through it all, reading the plaques and experiencing the art. Every piece is interesting and thought-provoking. 3) Exhibit: The first exhibit is honoring singer/songwriter Marvin Gaye, who graduated from Randall School years ago. A stand out if the room of gold items in the basement and every piece in the lobby hall. 4) Staff: A few people on staff wander the floors and gladly answer questions. 5) Location: It's in Southwest Waterfront a few blocks from the Waterfront and Navy Yard Metro stations. Nearby are parks, playgrounds, views of the U.S. Capitol, community gardens, and more.

Great museum. Contemporary. Different. Thought provoking. Go alone. Go with a friend. JUST GO!

Amazing museum! The art here is so cool and nothing like the Smithsonian museums. Entry is free for DC residents and about an hour to look through. Plenty of space to sit & chat with a friend after. Accessible, LGBTQ friendly, and plenty of street parking nearby.

Situated between Navy Yard and the Wharf, this new museum splashes art into the neighborhood. The building features floor-to-ceiling windows, which ensure softly illuminated exhibits. In addition, the different floors have different treatments from simple, clean backgrounds to a rougher brick backdrop in the basement. Admission is free for DC residents. Make sure to bring your ID! Anyone else visiting the museum will pay $10-15 per ticket. The staff is fantastic, helping direct visitors to the rooms and answering any questions about the exhibits. The art curation is masterfully done to showcase modern, thought-provoking art. The collection has over 7,400 works from 1,000+ artists. It's a great complement to the other museums throughout Washington, DC.

This is a review of the cafe inside the museum: This second Grace Street café is embedded in a museum, but one doesn't immediately notice that, since it has its own entrance. It is super-calm and quiet--when the barristas speak to one another, it is very quietly, and customers are all working :) Ambience befitting a museum, I guess! There is very limited seating space--really, two groups of chairs. But these are quite comfy. It has a highly modern, spacious, bright vibe, with windows floor to (high) ceiling. Their cappuccino is delicious, albeit not very hot. Please note: they only have coffees, teas, and a few other beverages: nothing to eat. At least not when I was there. Very friendly staff. I quite like it, and may come back (but not if I'm hungry :-).

I didn't take too many photos but I really enjoyed this museum! If you like unique contemporary art that makes you think I would suggest this museum! It also had some cool weird art to which I enjoyed. It was in an older building but each floor had about 3-4 rooms with different art showcased. It's smaller than other museums in dc but I thought it was much less overwhelming and I enjoyed the complexity of the art.

Found this place on IG and decided to check it out. Pretty unique and interesting pieces of artwork throughout their four floors. I found myself analyzing majority of them to figure out their meaning before actually reading the description. (I was right about some ) Great place to bring a date or if you're just looking for something to do. It does cost money to enter, but there are various discount options. If you're a DC resident or Active US military it is free for you (with proof). It is $15 for adults. Note: some of the artwork is not appropriate for children, but there are signs that tell you that before you walk into the exhibit. Street Parking

I found this museum to have the most contemporary art of the museums I have visited in DC. The art was creative and often could be have found to have deep, relatable meanings. Looking forward to revisiting as the exhibits rotate!

Finally got a chance to visit the Rubell over the weekend, and I loved it. What a beautiful space! I loved the art on exhibit and the Kehinde Wiley piece, which is one of the first pieces of art you see when you walk in. The building has a rich history, and I recommend that everyone checks this museum out.

Originally saw this museum on the news and added it to my list ! I am soo happy I went and experienced all of the beauty within these walls. The trike we museum is full of super dope art by various artist. Great for date or family/friendly fun,

I kept hear about this museum on Instagram and finally decided to check it out. Probably one of the best museums I've gone to so far in DC! I loved every installation/art and the meaning behind the art. I highly recommend checking this museum out!

This is one of the best museums I've been to in the city! Upon entering, the check-in process is seamless and efficient, and the staff is friendly and helpful. They give you a sticker that you can stick wherever you want to track the guests for the day - it's small, not like those "hello, my name is" stickers. There are also items for purchase in this area. I didn't buy anything this time, so I can't speak to price points, but everything was neat. Upon entering, the first gallery is huge and displays four impressive pieces of art. The floor is concrete (and the rest of the museum is wood), so if you want to wear heels, be mindful that you will click clack all around the museum. You move through the glass doors and up to the first level. There is an art exhibit when you climb the stairs, but brace yourself before you look inside because each one has a surprise inside. Each room was excellent and had enough room for people to move around without traffic jams. There are also spaces where each room has a small hall leading to the main foyer of that floor, and some of the rooms have chairs and benches that guests can sit and admire or take a breather. The second floor, yes, there are elevators, mimics the layout of the first with an exhibit in the middle of the room. The artwork overall is stunning - especially the Harriet Tubman piece. I could have stood there for hours and almost did! I noticed that there were quite a few children present, so I was pleased to see that the museum had signs warning parents that some of the art in certain rooms were not kid-friendly. This visit was 10/10, and I will be returning in the future. Honorable mentions: I paid for my ticket online, which was $15 - I opted to add $5 for my donation, so the total trip was $20 plus tax. However, DC residents are free with ID or proof of residence with ID. I ubered, so I can't speak to the parking situation, but it is near the Waterfront Metro and the Navy Yard metro.

Great art but folks at the ticket reception are entirely unhelpful and uncaring about the artists or those curious about art. Quite surprising and very off-putting.

Free to DC residents with IDs, large pieces of contemporary art, some made of recycled materials on three floors in a building repurposed. Pn P6 bus route. A few images /works probably not suitable for children or those triggered by some topics, but warning signs on wall outside room. Small shop. NO cafe or restaurant -- walk towards M Street SE for coffee shops, cafes, etc.

The Rubell DC museum building is beautiful. However, the exhibits change just once a year (w small changes), and it seems that the best art is now at the Miami location. The exhibits in 2023-24 are mainly mid-Atlantic, very contemporary artists. No art by the 'big name' artists was in the venue. "it's all in Florida" said the docent. Probably worth a quick look once, for the building.

Quite an interesting experience visiting this new museum. Guess it's just not my cup of tea as there were maybe five pieces of 100 that I could appreciate. They have some very risqué art but it's in separate rooms where they post signs in case you don't want children to be exposed to it. I tried to keep an open mind but much of it was lost on me. There's a wonderful quilt by Christopher Myers and a great piece that's a tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen. I visited on a day when there was a special promotion with kids activities and free admission so try for one of those days. DC residents and military get in free with ID.

Visited the Rubell museum in DC this weekend. We had high expectations after visiting their sister museum in Miami. The collection was lovely and the building itself was very charming. Unfortunately, the staff at the front desk were very rude. Our experience in Miami was quite the opposite, the staff was friendly, engaged and informative. The women at the front desk in DC hardly said more than 3 words to us and offered curt, one word responses to our questions. Really soured the entire experience.

Wonderful addition to the City. Great facility. I wish there had been more art interpretation. After I left I wanted to find out more about the individual paintings and artists but there doesn't seem to be much on the website.

Fun, cool modern art museum. Free for DC residents. Took us about an hour and a half to see everything. Definitely recommend if you're looking for something fun to do on a weekend!

Not impressed. A few nice pieces of art. Why are old magazine ads featuring African Americans showcased as art? When museums do this, it strikes me as lazy. Surely there are artists from diverse backgrounds especially in the DC area whose art can be featured. Also, this museum is in a diverse neighborhood but the employees or volunteers are not. This is an all too common pattern in museums. Do better.

Intimate, spectacular spot to see thought provoking works. Great for families. Highly recommend!

Normally art isn't my thing but this place was awesome. Admission is free for DC residents and $15 for others, but worth the price. Very unique exhibits, some of which are more appropriate for adults but they have clear signage that warns people. The space is beautiful too - high ceilings and very industrial and compliments the overall experience very well.

We visited the museum on a nice fall Saturday. It was a nice walkthrough. Thankful for their elevator because we brought a stroller, even though some of the spaces were a little tight. A cool variety of art and expressions. I would love to come back for new exhibitions.

This is a really fantastic museum! It is refreshing to see an art museum with so many Black, brown and indigenous artists represented. The quality of the artwork is breathtaking in many cases. DC residents get in for free, and it's pretty close to the Wharf and Navy Yard areas, which makes it a great date destination. I loved that you could see the old bones of the architecture that used to be an old school - exposed brick, staircase details, etc. I would have loved to given it 5 stars, but there are a few things holding me back. First, it would be nice if there was a coat check. In the dead of winter it would be nice not to haul your winter coat, scarf, etc around. At times, especially in the smaller spaces, it could get crowded. I would imagine they could easily limit the amount of guests based on the availability of timed tickets. We were there on a Saturday afternoon and it made me wish I came on a weekday so I could have more space and time to enjoy. Speaking of which, there are so many fabulous pieces that could use more space to breathe, I am thinking of the Harriet Tubman portrait in particular. I wish the Rubell had even more wall space to let these pieces shine. I highly recommend!

Thank you Rubell's for opening your collection to DC! The renovation of the school (now museum) is striking. From the moment you are greeted you know you have arrived at a special place. The grandness of the first gallery to the warren of classrooms turned into galleries I moved easily from place to place. The exhibition What's Going On was a fitting tribute to the site and showcasing their collection, I know that this will become a standard stop when friends and family come to visit.

Great place in DC to see some of your favorite Black artists. Great contemporary building that really makes the art pop. Great little store out front to purchase merchandise