The Daughters of the American Revolution Museum is one of Washington's premiere American decorative arts museum - and it's free! The DAR Museum at 1776 D Street is just two blocks from the White House, facing the Ellipse.
The collection includes more than 30,000 examples of decorative and fine arts, including objects made or used in America prior to the Industrial Revolution. Furniture, silver, paintings, ceramics, and textiles are exhibited in 31 period rooms and two galleries.
The period rooms represent a wide range of dates, locations, and functions. A 17th-century one-room New England house, parlors and bed chambers from the 18th and 19th centuries, a tavern, and a 1930s home of a wealthy antiques collector and much more are all here for you to visit.
The main gallery includes a changing exhibit space as well as racks for the display of some of the museum's collection of historic quilts. Where else can you see fabulous quilts and other objects from early America?
Monday - Friday 9:30am - 4pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Closed Sunday and Federal Holidays
Free
Docent-led Tours available on the hour and half-hour:
Monday - Friday: 10am - 2:30pm
Saturday: 9am - 4:30pm
For groups of 10 or more
Available Monday - Friday: 10am -2pm
Must schedule at least two weeks in advance
Cost: $3 per person
http://www.dar.org/museum/room_tour.cfm
This tour delivers the goods. Being raised just outside of washington d.c. (Bethesda), I've gone on innumerable DC sightseeing tours in my lifetime. Every time a family friend or relative visited from out of town meant another trip down to the Mall, another sightseeing tour. Monument tours, ghost tours, "Duck" tours, you name it I've done it. But out of all the DC tours I've been on this was one of the best. I went last weekend with my nieces and nephews on the Capitol Hill tour, which lasted a little over two hours. The tour guide was extremely knowledgeable of the historic sites and presented the information in a fun and lively manner. His enthusiam for the subject was infectious. He had my nieces and nephews in rapt atttention from start to finish. Highly recommend.