Smithsonian Gardens
Division of the Smithsonian Institution. Locally, it belongs to Washington. Its story as a place to visit starts in 1972.
A garden inside Washington
You can stay in Washington
Smithsonian Gardens is inside Washington, which has 247 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
A day trip from Baltimore
Baltimore is about 36 miles northeast (straight-line). Where to stay ↓
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 3 miles away
Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA) has airline service, about 3 miles from Smithsonian Gardens.
Established in 1972
Smithsonian Gardens dates from 1972. About ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
A month-by-month look
The weather near Smithsonian Gardens shifts through the year, as below.
Smithsonian Gardens
The Smithsonian Gardens, a division of the Smithsonian Institution, is responsible for the "landscapes, interiorscapes, and horticulture-related collections and exhibits", which serve as an outdoor extension of the Smithsonian's museums and learning spaces in Washington, D.C. Established in 1972 as a groundskeeping and horticulture program, Smithsonian Gardens currently manages 180 acres of gardens on the National Mall, 64,000 square feet of greenhouse production space, and the Archives of American Gardens, a research collection of over 60,000 photographs and archival records covering American landscape history from the 1870s to the present.
- Type
- Garden
- Established
- 1972
- Wikipedia readers
- 1.1K a year
Overnight near Smithsonian Gardens
The closest towns with hotels, motels or campgrounds are Washington (247) and Arlington (58).
- 1White House
- 2Washington Monument
- 3Smithsonian Institution
- 4United States Triumphal Arch
- 5Arlington National Cemetery
- 6Lincoln Memorial
- 7Ford's Theatre
- 8National Mall
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Smithsonian Gardens | 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 | 4 mi west | 5 min | 58 54 hotels · 1 motel · 1 inn or B&B · 2 lodges & cabins | 236,254 | $895K | — |
| Alexandria | 6 mi southwest | 10 min | 44 41 hotels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins | 160,662 | $735K | C |
| Bethesda | 8 mi northwest | 10 min | 26 23 hotels · 1 inn or B&B · 2 lodges & cabins | 69,397 | $1,170K | — |
| Tysons | 11 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 | — |
| National Harbor | 8 mi south | 10 min | 10 9 hotels · 1 inn or B&B | 4,454 | $473K | — |
| Lake Arbor | 11 mi east | 15 min | 13 13 hotels | 14,335 | $461K | — |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Beyond Smithsonian Gardens
These well-known sights sit within 3 miles.
Big draw1in town National park siteWhite House311K visitors a year
Big draw2in town National MemorialWashington Monument204K visitors a year
Big draw3in town MuseumSmithsonian Institution30.0M visitors a year
Big draw42 mi LandmarkUnited States Triumphal Arch
Big draw52 mi LandmarkArlington National Cemetery
Big draw6in town National MemorialLincoln Memorial7.7M visitors a year
Big draw7in town National Historic SiteFord's Theatre National Historic Site394K visitors a year
Big draw8in town National park siteNational MallPhoto 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 · Smithsonian Institution: Highsmith, Carol M., 1946-, photographer, Public domain · United States Triumphal Arch: Hstoops, CC0 · Arlington National Cemetery: Protoant, 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 · National Mall: Raul654 at en.wikipedia. Later version(s) were uploaded by Michael Shields at e, CC BY-SA 3.0
Smithsonian Gardens in questions
Is Smithsonian Gardens in Washington?
Yes. It’s inside Washington, DC.
When is the best time to visit Smithsonian Gardens?
April, May, September and October, with highs of 67–80°.
How far is Smithsonian Gardens from Baltimore?
About 36 miles northeast of Baltimore, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Smithsonian Gardens?
Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA), about 3 miles away.
Where should I stay near Smithsonian Gardens?
Washington (in town, 247 places to stay), Arlington (4 mi, 58 places to stay) and Alexandria (6 mi, 44 places to stay).
Washington has the answers
No one has shared advice yet; Washington’s Town Square takes questions.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.