Reviews of National Museum of the American Indian (Tourist Attraction)

Stephanie Reid

I've been here a month ago in this museum, and I was genuinely impressed. I haven't thought any of this museum than the beautiful designed of the building having the perfect portrait of the numerous Native American tribes of our country which I admired so much. The exhibits had interactive features, videos, and lots of textual information available to compliment the artifacts and art displayed. I am grateful to the museum staff for all their hard work to create such a beautiful exhibit!

Casey Key

A relaxing and fun musueum. I recommend the Americans exhibit and the fourth floor exhibit. Weekends have fun concerts inside.

ece ozkan

Especially the gift shop is a must, it has so many interesting items!

Abiose Adedoyin

Beautiful and historic. Audio-visuals to enhance your experience. Great place to visit.

Hannah Allison

This is a fun, informative museum with lots of different displays that are historically accurate and full of information that is easy to understand and beautifully laid out. I found the layout a bit confusing, and had trouble following the chronological order of some of the displays. Would recommend spending an hour or two here, or more!

Soojin Shearer

Appreciate they serve foods to go with the theme. You can enjoy foods better if you think of the price you paid for your lunch is actually admission fee to the museum. $25 per person for all ages. That’s how I justified.

Colleen Krumwiede

Went to an event hosted at the museum. So cool to see the exhibits. Loved the interaction with more info on some objects as well as the selected photos and objects to celebrate the struggles, unique identities, and artistry.

Robert Biggs

I love this place! The permanent exhibits are great as are the temporary ones. I would recommend starting on the third floor to and walking through the "Our Universes" exhibit. The cafeteria is kind of pricey but the food is pretty good. The gift shop has a lot of cool stuff and quite a few knickknacks, but all are at least relevant to the museum unlike the Archives gift shop which is basically a toy store.

Angi Scudder

Very interesting exhibits and displays, lots of information-far more than what is in our history books. The 4th floor has all the treaties the US government made (and broke) with the Native Americans. We didn't have enough time to explore all the floors and will definitely go back to explore some more. The cafeteria has food that is traditional Native American fare and all was well prepared and delicious! This is a museum every American needs to visit. Very fascinating!

James Lau

It was a nice and many history and information about American Indians: the culture, religion, and the historical background. We could easily spent a whole day there. We recommended to start on the 4th floor and worked the way down. They had on the 4th floor a 13 minute video to introduce the background. A very detailed history about how the early history and conflict between the natives and the European settlers. It gave a fair account of how the natives were mistreated as American expanded westward.

KR Howard

This is a must-see in D.C.! I wish I had more time to venture through this museum my first time. I'll definitely be back to visit again. It's a great lesson on American cultural history.

Ephraim Alkhas

Few historical artifacts. Largest display was of contemporary use of Indian/Native American themes in advertisement. No history of Indian wars, and very few historical artifacts for a national museum. Seemed more social justice theory oriented than trying to put us in contact with the past.

Julia Skapik

Amazing food (although expensive) at the cafeteria native chefs and very low impact environmentally. Beer and wine a plus! Lovely outdoor space too. Great kid play space on third floor.

noizebatch nine

- nice quiet museum - cool history stuff - takes maybe 2 hours to get through all of it depends on how much you read on everything - overall a good place

Frank Bertrand

Great Displays with good placement and flow. The cafeteria food is ok, but prices are outrageous. $24 for a grilled piece of Chicken is too much. Great staff, very helpful.

Jessica Marine Sharp

I loved this museum. Wish there had been more about NATIVE Americans, as the Museum is in The USA. There was very little and the museum focused heavily on Mayan and Aztec. But it's still a very nice museum.

robert lieberson

Fascinating museum. Great exhibits. Still a bit from the white man's perspective. Great gift shop. Museum restaurant tries to present food native Americans might have eaten but does not quite hit the mark. More like quasi-Mexican food. Does not capture the very different vegetables which would have been available.

Teri Pool

I have been several times since it opened 15 years ago. It is one of my favorite museums. Today, I visited the treaties exhibit and felt the horror of how my people pushed so many people off of their land, and much admiration for the strong sense of pride and community that has helped them survive. An amazing exhibit.

Ray Schultz

Too much space dedicated to their beliefs, astrology, etc. Expected way more information about the North American Indian history. Especially how they were treated by the English settlers. Only one small area detailing the trail of tears.

Anton Nekhai

Love the Smithsonian museums on the National Mall and this one is no exception, definitely does not disappoint in the least bit. I love the exhibits they show and I love that they give a voice to the often marginalized population of American Natives (both from North, South, and Central America as well!) The most memorable thing from this museum however is the cafe, which includes a lot of weird world food selections. The cafe can be a bit pricey though so definitely expect to spend a bit. That said if you're at a museum and suddenly craving yucca fries or a bison burger, this cafe is your best bet! A word of warning though: the cafe is only open until 3pm, so go earlier rather than later to not be disappointed!

Miya Page

I have wanted to visit this museum for a long time. I brought 3 of my 4 children and one of their friends. One of them is 3.5 years old. I promised her that we would go to the play area. I double checked the website twice to make sure that the play area would be open and it was closed. So the older children and I were not able to enjoy all of the exhibits. If you are taking young children that are not ready to read and the play area is closed do not go. This museum is better suited for young people that don't mind reading about the exhibits. The older children and I have decided to return without the 3.5 year old.

Jeff Wachter

We only spent time in the kids section, but it was amazing. They have a cool "passport" program where you stamp your passport after interacting with each exhibit. Great mix of content and activity for the kids. Mine loved balancing on a kayak, trying out the video skateboard, and sitting in the teepee.

Brigitte Laforest

Beautiful museum. Loved the representation and history of the various native American tribes. Also loved the storytelling displays.

M. Jenkins

Very informative, interesting and very moving exhibits. Lots of reading and not a huge amounts of interactivity, but it was extremely engaging, and there was a live show of original Hawaiian dance while I visited. There is also a pretty cute children's area, if you are coming with kids.

Kevin

To many things to see. I think the entire visit could take one day long. The place is wonderful, very well arranged. Go without any doubt.

Frances Loke Wei

An important place to learn about the socio-historical landscape of the US and the ties between natural and cultural capital that isn't often discussed. Also really loved the crop garden outside the museum displaying the Three Sisters principles of permaculture and crops domesticated by native American peoples. They host great events and symposiums here to raise awareness and encourage discussions on issues related to identity -- find out more on their website!

Vanessa Santos

Very nice, however it is now necessary to schedule to be able to play in the kids what it is not nice.

Charles Hull

It really is amazing to see all the contributions and all of the influence that American Indians have had in American culture advertising music and just the blast from the past that I remember growing up Great exhibits beautiful architecture very well done A must see when traveling to Washington

David Patterson

Great museum. We'll done exhibits with a great mix of actual pieces and technology.

Chris Lazarus

The building is to me the most beautiful one built in late 20th century, full of symbolism. The exhibits are wonderful..I plan on returning many times to try to absorb it all.

William Richardson

Very interested to see all the hand crafted items and other artifacts that they have on display. Didn't care for the gift shop to expensive.

Jesse Serl

So, being native American I honestly found this museum as a joke. It was essentially just a giant, empty space. I have been to museums half this size of this one in Utah with ten times the amount of information and artifacts. I feel like the building was what was on display, not the histor . Sadly I will not be returning to this museum in the future.

Ben Wiggins

Exhibits were well put together. Showed both sides of an amazing group of people.

Tyler Moyer

Once you get to the 3rd floor and higher, it isn't too bad. Alot of open space and feels like most of the things were purchased in a souvenir shop

tarek alsaidy

The coffee they offered was good, but it wasn’t Genuine Native American coffee. Apparently the natives didn’t have coffee at that point in history. 2/5 for disappointing me.

Richard Samuels

Beautiful building. The theater with the introductory film was down when we visited. Interesting exhibits in treaties and the Inca. Not real crowded in the middle of tourist season.

Kristy Hunt

Awesome museum with great exhibits. Can get a bit crowded (of course) which makes seeing some of the exhibits a little challenging as they tend to be have a lot of text that provides historical facts and most importantly CONTEXT that shows how the past is ever present. Best times to visit are right around opening and right before closing. Also, there's almost always some kind of community event on the weekends where various First Nations people are present showcasing and educating visitors about their very much alive and thriving cultures and communities..

Crystal Whetstone

Great museum with rotating exhibits. Does a nice job of highlighting the diversity of indigenous American experiences and identities. It's free and excellent stop for families and those interested in learning.

Pedro Saffie

Asbolutely Amazing to visit, So interesting.. The restaurant is a little expensive but the food is beautiful.. Especially the meat counter.... Highly Recommended

Sara-Christine Gemson

Great presentation of both Native and American perspective on a range of historical and social issues providing a much deeper and more accurate understanding of history. Also great introductory movie providing a good snapshot of the diversity of indigenous peoples in the Americas. The cafe also serves tasty and interesting dishes!

Leonard Schoenfelt

Not emphasizing artifacts of a dead culture...showing and interacting with a strong surviving and evolved culture...beautiful and inspiring interior...teach us to pray

Alexis Thomason

As someone who knows for sure that Native American Heritage runs through their blood, even from early on in the lineage, I was excited for this Museum. I saw this one while waiting to meet someone so I did not get to finish everything. The exterior was designed to be pretty outstanding compared to the other museums. There were not many people were present but some people had a tour guide which I stepped in for the last few minutes I was there.I definitely plan on going back one day.

Matthew Smith

It's a very unique building. Inside it highlights the history and culture of Native Americans, North, Central, and South. The food court is VERY expensive. Definitely buy your meal from the food trucks outside. It's much cheaper.

Simple Life

We recently spent the day in Washington, DC. This was one of the four museums we toured and our least favorite. It was too political. Compared to the other museums we visited this one is definitely at the bottom.

Naomi Hilton

I'm verrrrryyy confused about the layout of this museum. The first three floors are a cafeteria, dance floor type area with people selling misc trinkets, and a theater. The museum has hardly any artifacts in proportion to the size of the building. Disappointed we weren't able to get a better understanding of the American Indians and their culture from a museum that is solely dedicated to them.

Sabdanaa Jeyakumaran

A must see for tourists to get a good understanding of the real history of North America

Rodorick Brown

I love the Americans Exhibit and The Great Inca road on the 3rd floor.

Matthew Transue

Every bit of this museum tells a story, from the grounds outside to the many displays inside. I wish I'd had more time to explore, but started from the top floor down and never made it past the top. The exhibits have so much detail, especially those speaking to the land acquisition by the colonials and then the Americans. Each display spoke to the differing views by the natives and the others, and the slide from peaceful partnership to forced relocation. It was hard to walk through. Bright spots in my visit included the museum store and the cafeteria. The museum store had it's assortment of mass produced merchandise, but also a wonderful assortment of native made art. The cafeteria did a great job showcasing traditional foods, along with information on the cultures they came from. This museum would be a wonderful whole day trip, well worth devoting the time and attention.

Elias Darraj

A truly amazing GEM. Amazing galleries and connecting the dots of history, treasures, lies and the suffering of the indigenous population. Great history of South American Indians as well. The museum is not overcrowded sho thoug wil have time to enjoy. Great sections for kids to watch cartoon stories and get their hands in activities.

Byron Wesley

Awesome telling of a somber sorry. Much needed.

Briana Wojcik

Interesting exhibits but a lack of them. It's a huge building that uses too much of it's space for gift shops and cafes rather than creating meaningful content.

Bea

The whole family found it far better than expected. Historically balanced, informative and interesting. Beautifully laid out. Canteen of native food was very interesting. Shop was brilliant

Timothy Lu

Very interesting museum with no visible semblances of ethnocentrism nor racism. Stellarly-designed museum, both architecturally and exhibitionally. An incredible variety of exhibitions designed with the interests of the American Indians (legal terminology; I prefer to use "First Nations" or "Indigenous" but legally it's American Indian) in mind. Excellent museum that lives up to the Smithsonian name

Richard Gibson

Just rating the food...tasty food with Native American flavors. Best eating on the Mall

Rosie Walters

Native Indian museum is a great place to walk around great scenery from every Viewpoint of window the overview film was excellent recommend that everyone must see.

Saurabha Deshpande

Nice museum to check in Washington DC trip. Its near to the Capitol Hill, botanical garden and next to the Space museum. The place has lot of information on american Indians and their culture and history with some important artifacts which are hard to see in original. There is a gift shop which sells the souviniers and jewelry.

K H

Very Very Informative and A Very Nice Native Jewelry Selection, Bough a nice lvory Bracelet...

Sezgin Akçelik

To.learn about native people history best place to visit and need 3 hours and sat their food on the first floor

Brittney Fernandez

I recently visited DC and decided to go to this museum, and I was genuinely impressed. The museum is designed beautifully, but more than that, they did an excellent job at accurately and respectfully portraying some of the numerous Native American tribes of our country. The exhibits had interactive features, videos, and lots of textual information available to compliment the artifacts and art displayed. I am grateful to the museum staff for all their hard work to create such a beautiful exhibit!

Monica Juanita Elizabeth Chriscilla Okeh

Beauty and informative from the 4th floor to the back to the first. I really enjoyed it. Kind of mixed of emotions when I think about how the Natives and Americans came together.

Vickie Weed

Awesome museum that really tells the story of Native Americans - the details don't necessarily get added to history books in schools. We only explored the third floor and learned so much. The displays are great!

Robert Balliot

The National Museum of the American Indian offers a wonderful educational journey through time and space. Cultural examples from Inuit to Apache to Cherokee and Narragansett are presented. The timeline of the first human beings in America to the present is laid out in text, video and artifacts. It's a wonderful place to visit and explore. It also has a good, moderately priced cafeteria that can fit hundreds of visitors .

Elaf Mohammed

i was lucky to visit both museums in NYC and DC The National Museum of the American Indian is part of the Smithsonian Institution and is committed to advancing knowledge and understanding of the Native cultures of the Western Hemisphere—past, present, and future—through partnership with Native people and others. Wikipedia

Daniel Gardner

Museum guides have great tips on where to start and what to see. Fourth floor treaties exhibit was easy to understand; helped me understand things I didn't know before.

Amy Doherty

The museum is amazing. The staff in ImagiNATIONS was not great....

Jessica DuBrey

I was amazed at the displays and the amount of detail that went in to each. I definitely recommend beginning your toe with the video in the 4th floor theater. It will enhance your experience.

Kathleen Dolan-Valdes

Great. Better than I anticipated. Loved the exhibits and presentation. Friendly staff. Good food.

Daniel Sude

The museum can be quite interesting, as different tribes "tell their own stories" through exhibits. I sometimes feel like those stories could be more explicitly told, but many cultures prefer an oral history, with clear, personal perspective to authoritative text. For a material culture experience I strongly recommend the gift shop and the cafeteria. The latter is expensive (25 to 30 for a single person) but offers one of the most unique high quality meals in DC. I grew up in the DC metro area and known delights from Afghani food to Vietnamese to fine French. This cafeteria, sometimes with specific versions of recipes selected from one village in the Andes, holds up in comparison. From the smokey cedar plank grilled salmon with juniper berries, to smokey and savory Hawaiian grilled fruit salad, every trip is culinary adventure with unique, culturally-distinct, recipes.

Patricia Takle

Wonderful, informative, great flow design, loved the demonstrations. Some galleries were too tight for wheelchairs to maneuver.

Shreyasee Shinde

Went here just to kill time and ended up learning a lot about the American Indian history. Great exhibits! The architecture is simply beautiful- both exteriors and interiors. The attention to detail makes the museum much more authentic. There is a cafeteria (could be a bit pricey). The souvenir store is filled with many unique artifacts.

T Grant

Our group didn't get a chance to see everything we wanted to. There wasn't enough time..I would love to come back. What I saw was heartbreaking and life-changing...God help us...

John R. Brandon Bayton, Jr.

Love this museum. Truly a learning experience. It's a beautiful place and the architecture of the building perfectly conveys that of native people. The art pieces and exhibits are awesome. The restaurant area is a great place to a taste of native cuisine.

Robert Lewis

Very interesting and informative museum. I'm glad that this museum exists to inform. The cafe here is extremely overpriced though.

KRISTIN CARLSON

Expansive and detailed. Educational. Amazing but pricey cafeteria

Aaron Walsh

So amazing. I have been to DC many times but first time to this museum. It is so worth going. The food court is really on point as well.

cat wu

Great place to buy native american handmade stuff with really decent prices, cheaper than trading posts. Tho, the cafeteria doesn’t have authentic native american food.

Brittany Blurton

A beautiful and thought-provoking place full of wonder, wisdom, and woe. A must see for anyone living or visiting DC

P0l1shGuy

The variety of food choices here are impressive. Quality is great too. Servers always ready to teach you what you are ordering. Plus you get to sit looking out of a window at a spectacular water fall.

Monica Arciga

Great museum with lots of interesting facts and exhibits. There is a kids play area on the third floor which includes interactive displays and a reading library. There is a cafe on the first floor.

James Albright

Beautiful building. Take time to understand how the architecture reflects the American Indian culture and experience. Found the exhibits to be comprehensive. Obviously not just a history museum, but more of a cultural institution. Particularly enjoyed walking the gardens along the perimeter of the building, seeing how the structure fit into the landscape and effectively nature was integrated into the building's message.

Karen Guevara

I love this museum and I may be a bit biased because I'm central American and I see things in this museum that I've seen in my home country of el Salvador. I typically don't see my culture/ history in the museums here but this one has things I can relate to. My daughter loves it, especially on the 3rd floor I believe they have workshops and things for the kids to do.

Mary Leaphart

This is an integral part of our history in America. The museum itself is poignant, and does not shy away from the darker parts of our shared history with native peoples. It takes the time to share the perspectives of tribes all across North and South America and does so brilliantly. On a much lighter note, the food is really, really good.

Jon F

Decent museum. The outside of the building is beautiful, but the exhibits inside are not as engaging as those of the other museums on the mall. That said, it's free and it has interesting artwork and information so I can't rate it too poorly.

Iris Lazarus

Love the interactive section of the museum, there is so much that this place has to offer to kids. Good place to bring children.

Gail Rando

There is a spirit of peace and unity here - the way we need to live: caring for Mother Earth and each other... respecting one another and the right of all peoples to live according to their values. Thank you to all those who helped to create this sacred space.

Daniela Georgieva

I cannot explain with words how STUNNING the museum is, we spent a whole day inside. From now on everytime I visit DC I will be back for more. So much to see, so much history between the walls of this building. A must see, it should be added to the personal Bucket List of every traveler. There is a couple of shops, some really expensive items and some very affordable that you can bring home.

Tim Smith

Very informative and fascinating history! Family oriented. Rich in culture.

Jonathan Brown

Beautiful museum helping tel the history of the white man’s past with the natives of the United States. The artifacts and stories are fascinating, but the exhibits are confusing and feel out of order. I often got confused about what was next and how the story was told because the signage wasn’t clear.