Museum · Washington · District of Columbia

Dumbarton Oaks

Dumbarton Oaks, formally the Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, is a historic estate in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. It was the residence and gardens of wealthy U.S. diplomat Robert Woods Bliss and his wife Mildred Barnes Bliss. 1940 is when its story starts. Nearby, White House (1.8 mi) leads the list.

Photo: Boucher, Jack E. (as "creator" of the work), National Park Service, US Departmen, Public domain

Nearest place to stay

0.3 mi

Georgetown Hill Inn

Open since

1940

Wikipedia readers

38K

a year · #684 of 7,799

In brief

A museum inside Washington

Places to stay next door

Georgetown Hill Inn is 0.3 miles away; The Georgetown Inn (0.5 mi) and Panama Embassy (0.5 mi) are close too. 267 places to stay are within 4 miles. Hotels nearby ↓

A day trip from Baltimore

Baltimore is about 36 miles northeast (straight-line). Hotels nearby ↓

Best months: Apr, May, Sep and Oct

April, May, September and October are the mild months, with highs of 67–80°. When to go ↓

An airport 5 miles away

Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA) has airline service, about 5 miles from Dumbarton Oaks.

Established in 1940

Dumbarton Oaks dates from 1940. About ↓

Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.

When to go

Weather through the year

This is the year’s weather near Dumbarton Oaks.

Jan44° / 27°

Feb47° / 28°

Mar56° / 35°

Apr67° / 45°

May76° / 55°

Jun84° / 64°

Jul89° / 69°

Aug87° / 67°

Sep80° / 60°

Oct69° / 48°

Nov57° / 38°

Dec48° / 31°

Typical highs and lows in Washington. Green months are the mild ones. Weather: NOAA 1991–2020 normals for Washington. Washington’s full climate →

About

Dumbarton Oaks

Dumbarton Oaks, formally the Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, is a historic estate in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. It was the residence and gardens of wealthy U.S. diplomat Robert Woods Bliss and his wife Mildred Barnes Bliss. The estate was founded by the Bliss couple, who gave the home and gardens to Harvard University in 1940.

In 1944, it was the site of the Dumbarton Oaks Conference, which developed plans for the founding of the United Nations following World War II. The part of the landscaped portion of the estate that was designed as an enhanced "natural" area, was given to the National Park Service and is now Dumbarton Oaks Park.

Type: Museum
Established: 1940
Wikipedia readers: 38K a year

From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Facts: Wikidata.

Where to stay

Lodging by Dumbarton Oaks

267 places to stay within 4 miles. For the closest bed, Georgetown Hill Inn is 0.3 miles away.

Dumbarton OaksWater1Places to stay (the list)Places to eat

Closest places to stay

1Georgetown Hill Inninn or B&B · 0.3 mi westDirections
2The Georgetown Innhotel · 0.5 mi southDirections
3Panama Embassyhotel · 0.5 mi northwestDirections
4The Poppy Georgetowninn or B&B · 0.5 mi southeastDirections
5The Avery Georgetownhotel · 0.5 mi southeastDirections
6Potomac Lodge No 5lodge or cabins · 0.6 mi southDirections
7State Plaza Hotel Inchotel · 0.7 mi southDirections
8Hotel Lombardy Inchotel · 0.7 mi southDirections
9Henley Park Hotel Inchotel · 0.7 mi southDirections
10Georgetown University Hotel And Conference Centerhotel · 0.7 mi westDirections

Places to eat nearby

1,587 restaurants, cafés and bars within 1½ miles

181 Asian & Indian164 bars & pubs150 coffee & cafés81 Mexican & Latin70 subs & sandwiches59 ice cream & sweets58 Italian

Compare 8 towns to stay in

Town	From Dumbarton Oaks	Drive	Places to stay	People	Typical home	Safety
Washington	in town	—	247 201 hotels · 2 motels · 24 inns & B&Bs · 6 lodges & cabins · 12 hostels · 2 campgrounds	693,645	$737K	D⁻
Arlington	3 mi southwest	5 min	58 54 hotels · 1 motel · 1 inn or B&B · 2 lodges & cabins	236,254	$895K	—
Alexandria	7 mi south	10 min	44 41 hotels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins	160,662	$735K	C
Bethesda	6 mi northwest	10 min	26 23 hotels · 1 inn or B&B · 2 lodges & cabins	69,397	$1,170K	—
Tysons	9 mi west	15 min	25 25 hotels	28,936	$640K	—
College Park	9 mi northeast	15 min	17 16 hotels · 1 motel	35,418	$438K	—
North Bethesda	9 mi north	15 min	13 13 hotels	49,677	$732K	—
Falls Church	6 mi west	10 min	8 7 hotels · 1 motel	15,159	$1,056K	B⁻

Day trip from

Straight-line miles.

Baltimore36 mi northeast Richmond98 mi south

Getting there

Nearest airports with airline service

DCARonald Reagan Washington National · major hub5 mi

IADWashington Dulles · major hub21 mi

BWIBaltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall · major hub28 mi

Places to stay and eat: Overture Maps (hotels, motels, inns, lodges, campgrounds, RV parks; not vacation rentals) · streets, water and the site outline: Overture Maps / OpenStreetMap contributors · town figures: U.S. Census ACS · Safety: TownRatings Safety grade · airports: OurAirports. Distances are from Dumbarton Oaks’s main visitor area; drive times are estimates.

Make a day of it

Nearby, too

Also within 3 miles are these.

Big draw2 mi National park siteWhite House311K visitors a year

Big draw2 mi National MemorialWashington Monument204K visitors a year

Big draw2 mi LandmarkUnited States Triumphal Arch

Big draw3 mi LandmarkArlington National Cemetery

Big draw3 mi MuseumSmithsonian Institution30.0M visitors a year

Big draw2 mi National MemorialLincoln Memorial7.7M visitors a year

Big draw2 mi National Historic SiteFord's Theatre National Historic Site394K visitors a year

Big draw3 mi LandmarkTomb of the Unknown Soldier

Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons

Photo credits

White House: This image or media was taken or created by Matt H. Wade. To see his entire port, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Washington Monument: Oren Rozen, CC BY-SA 4.0 · United States Triumphal Arch: Hstoops, CC0 · Arlington National Cemetery: Protoant, Public domain · Smithsonian Institution: Highsmith, Carol M., 1946-, photographer, Public domain · Lincoln Memorial: Aerial_view_of_Lincoln_Memorial_-_east_side.jpg: Carol M. Highsmith derivative w, Public domain · Ford's Theatre National Historic Site: Ingfbruno, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Tomb of the Unknown Soldier: Arlington National Cemetery, Public domain

Common questions

Planning a visit to Dumbarton Oaks

Is Dumbarton Oaks in Washington?

Yes. It’s inside Washington, DC.

When is the best time to visit Dumbarton Oaks?

April, May, September and October, with highs of 67–80°.

How far is Dumbarton Oaks from Baltimore?

About 36 miles northeast of Baltimore, as the crow flies.

What is the closest airport to Dumbarton Oaks?

Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA), about 5 miles away.

What hotels are near Dumbarton Oaks?

Georgetown Hill Inn (0.3 mi), The Georgetown Inn (0.5 mi) and Panama Embassy (0.5 mi). 267 places to stay are within 4 miles.

From locals

From people who live in Washington

People in Washington have not posted tips yet; their Town Square is open.

When do you go to beat the crowds at Dumbarton Oaks? Where do you eat after a visit to Dumbarton Oaks? Is Dumbarton Oaks worth it with small kids? What do visitors to Dumbarton Oaks usually miss?

Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.