Semi-private tour of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery and American Art Museum

The Portrait Gallery once a Civil War Era hospital where famed poet Walt Whitman helped injured soldiers. Today, those portraits along with thousands of others are housed in the building. The Portrait Gallery has hosted art exhibits since 1829 and eventually becoming a dedicated museum. Featuring portraits of the great women and men who aided strengthen the United States. Presidents and first ladies are displayed, as well as military leaders of the Civil War, such as Grant and Sherman. See 19th-century daguerreotypes, early photographs, before learning about Robber Barons and Suffragettes of the early 20th century. Move on to the American Art Museum where impressionist artists' works such as Mary Cassatt masterpieces are on display. See iconic paintings by Edward Hopper and David Hockney. Georgia O’Keeffe’s alluring flowers will strike up conversations as much as the unusual portrait of former President Obama. Learn about the WPA-era photographs that depicted the nation during the Great Depression.