Tours | Arts of China
Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics.
Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, June 22, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, June 22, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, June 22, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Tours | Arts of Japan
As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, June 23, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, June 23, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, June 23, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, June 24, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, June 24, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean
Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, June 24, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.
Tours | Arts of Japan
As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, June 25, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, June 25, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tours | Arts Across Asia
Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan.
Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, June 25, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, June 25, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean
Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, June 25, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.
Tour | Art & Architecture
Explore the architecture of the National Mall’s first art museum on this tour of the National Museum of Asian Art's Freer Gallery. Look closely at the West Building’s plaza, lobby, and inner courtyard while discovering the Italian architectural influences and design details of this US National Historic Landmark designed by the famed turn-of-the-century architect Charles Platt.
Please meet at the West Building plaza for the tour. During rainy weather, meet at the West Building information desk. Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Plaza. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, June 26, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Tours | Arts of China
Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics.
Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, June 26, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, June 26, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tours | Arts Across Asia
Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan.
Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, June 26, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, June 26, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Conservation Cart Talk | Technology of Mina'i Ceramics
Learn how complex designs were made in Islamic Mina'i ceramics, a colorful style of pottery developed in Iran in the late 12th–early 13th centuries. In this talk, Andrew W. Mellon Senior Scientist Blythe McCarthy shares what scientific analysis reveals about the multistep glazing and firing processes behind these artworks. After the talk, visit our galleries to view more of these ceramics and see how this research deepens your understanding. Image: Bowl; Iran, Kashan, early 13th century; stone-paste painted over glaze with enamel (mina'i); National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1943.3.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Gallery 3. Cost: Free. Registration optional. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1989860133224?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Lectures & Discussions. Related Exhibition: Engaging the Senses: Arts of the Islamic World. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices.
Friday, June 26, 2026, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean
Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, June 26, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.
Tours | Arts of China
Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics.
Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, June 27, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, June 27, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tours | Arts Across Asia
Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan.
Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, June 27, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, June 27, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean
Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, June 27, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.
Tours | Arts of Japan
As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, June 28, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, June 28, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tours | Arts Across Asia
Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan.
Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, June 28, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, June 28, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean
Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, June 28, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.
Tours | Arts of China
Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics.
Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, June 29, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, June 29, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, June 29, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Tours | Arts of Japan
As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, June 30, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, June 30, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, June 30, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, July 1, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, July 1, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean
Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, July 1, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.
Tours | Arts of Japan
As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, July 2, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, July 2, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tours | Arts Across Asia
Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan.
Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, July 2, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, July 2, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
CANCELLED - Hands-On Conservation
Explore conservation for yourself at our pop-up cart! Touch and see the tools and materials we use to preserve art, manuscripts, and other historic objects. Check out fluorescent glue samples, paper and brushes used for scroll mounting, and more. This is your chance to get a peek at what our conservators and scientists are up to behind the scenes. Department of Conservation and Scientific Research, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: West Building (Mall Entrance). Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices.
Thursday, July 2, 2026, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean
Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, July 2, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.
Tour | Art & Architecture
Explore the architecture of the National Mall’s first art museum on this tour of the National Museum of Asian Art's Freer Gallery. Look closely at the West Building’s plaza, lobby, and inner courtyard while discovering the Italian architectural influences and design details of this US National Historic Landmark designed by the famed turn-of-the-century architect Charles Platt.
Please meet at the West Building plaza for the tour. During rainy weather, meet at the West Building information desk. Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Plaza. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, July 3, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Tours | Arts of China
Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics.
Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, July 3, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, July 3, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tours | Arts Across Asia
Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan.
Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, July 3, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, July 3, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean
Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, July 3, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.
Highlights Tour in Mandarin 館藏精華導覽
Join free walk-in tours in Mandarin. These one-hour, docent-led tours feature highlights from the museum’s collections, including the famous Peacock Room and select masterpieces of Chinese art. Each tour is unique, so you can learn something new every time. No registration is needed.
國立亞洲藝術博物館邀請您參加免費普通話導覽（無需預約）
在一小時的導覽中，我們的講解員將帶您聚焦博物館中的精華，包括舉世聞名的孔雀廳和精選的中國藝術品。每場導覽都是獨一無二的，讓您每次對藝術品都能有不同的了解。 Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1915.103a-b.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: West Building (Freer Gallery of Art) information desk 西樓（佛利爾美術館）咨詢臺. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Saturday, July 4, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Tours | Arts of China
Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics.
Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, July 4, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, July 4, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tours | Arts Across Asia
Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan.
Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, July 4, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, July 4, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean
Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, July 4, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.
Sketch & Discover Tour
Join docent Sushmita Mazumdar every first Sunday of the month as she guides you to use pencil and paper to consider the unique ideas and expressions of Asian artists from various traditions spanning the continent across centuries. All materials will be provided. No reservation needed.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, July 5, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tour | Art & Architecture
Explore the architecture of the National Mall’s first art museum on this tour of the National Museum of Asian Art's Freer Gallery. Look closely at the West Building’s plaza, lobby, and inner courtyard while discovering the Italian architectural influences and design details of this US National Historic Landmark designed by the famed turn-of-the-century architect Charles Platt.
Please meet at the West Building plaza for the tour. During rainy weather, meet at the West Building information desk. Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Plaza. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, July 5, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Tours | Arts of Japan
As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, July 5, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, July 5, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tours | Arts Across Asia
Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan.
Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, July 5, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, July 5, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean
Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, July 5, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.
Tours | Arts of China
Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics.
Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, July 6, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, July 6, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, July 6, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Tours | Arts of Japan
As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, July 7, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, July 7, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, July 7, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Curator Tour | Of the Hills
In this tour exploring Of the Hills: Pahari Paintings from India’s Himalayan Kingdoms, curator Debra Diamond focuses on the paintings' representations of men and women. Get exclusive insights into the abstractions and identities expressed in these artworks.
Please meet at gallery 23 for the tour. We recommend you register in advance. Image: Kaccheli Ragini, from a Ragamala; India, Himachal Pradesh state, Bahu or Jammu, ca. 1710; opaque watercolor and gold on paper; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Purchase and partial gift from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection—funds provided by the Friends of the National Museum of Asian Art, S2018.1.11.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 23 & 24. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1984086858203?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, July 8, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, July 8, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, July 8, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean
Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, July 8, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.
Tours | Arts of Japan
As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, July 9, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, July 9, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tours | Arts Across Asia
Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan.
Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, July 9, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, July 9, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean
Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, July 9, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.
Tour | Art & Architecture
Explore the architecture of the National Mall’s first art museum on this tour of the National Museum of Asian Art's Freer Gallery. Look closely at the West Building’s plaza, lobby, and inner courtyard while discovering the Italian architectural influences and design details of this US National Historic Landmark designed by the famed turn-of-the-century architect Charles Platt.
Please meet at the West Building plaza for the tour. During rainy weather, meet at the West Building information desk. Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Plaza. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, July 10, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Tours | Arts of China
Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics.
Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, July 10, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, July 10, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tours | Arts Across Asia
Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan.
Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, July 10, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, July 10, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Hands-On Conservation
Explore conservation for yourself at our pop-up cart! Touch and see the tools and materials we use to preserve art, manuscripts, and other historic objects. Check out fluorescent glue samples, paper and brushes used for scroll mounting, and more. This is your chance to get a peek at what our conservators and scientists are up to behind the scenes. Department of Conservation and Scientific Research, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: West Building (Mall Entrance). Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices.
Friday, July 10, 2026, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean
Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, July 10, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.
Tour | Art & Architecture
Explore the architecture of the National Mall’s first art museum on this tour of the National Museum of Asian Art's Freer Gallery. Look closely at the West Building’s plaza, lobby, and inner courtyard while discovering the Italian architectural influences and design details of this US National Historic Landmark designed by the famed turn-of-the-century architect Charles Platt.
Please meet at the West Building plaza for the tour. During rainy weather, meet at the West Building information desk. Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Plaza. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, July 11, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Tours | Arts of China
Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics.
Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, July 11, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, July 11, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tours | Arts Across Asia
Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan.
Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, July 11, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, July 11, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean
Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, July 11, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.
Tours | Arts of Japan
As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, July 12, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, July 12, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tours | Arts Across Asia
Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan.
Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, July 12, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, July 12, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean
Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, July 12, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.
Tours | Arts of China
Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics.
Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, July 13, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, July 13, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, July 13, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Tours | Arts of Japan
As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, July 14, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, July 14, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, July 14, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Curator Tour | Of the Hills
Join curator Debra Diamond and discover how Pahari painters portrayed the Hindu god Krishna in this tour exploring Of the Hills: Pahari Paintings from India’s Himalayan Kingdoms. These masters of romance depicted Krishna as not only transcendent and heroic but also beloved and playful.
Please meet at gallery 23 for the tour. We recommend you register in advance. Image: Attributed to the Master of the Court of Mankot; Krishna Fluting, folio from a Dasavatar series; India, Uttarakhand state, Mankot, ca. 1730; opaque watercolor and gold on paper; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Purchase and partial gift from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection—funds provided by the Friends of the National Museum of Asian Art, S20a18.1.60.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 23 & 24. Cost: Free. Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1984087744855?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, July 15, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, July 15, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, July 15, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean
Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, July 15, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.
Tours | Arts of Japan
As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, July 16, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, July 16, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tours | Arts Across Asia
Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan.
Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, July 16, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, July 16, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean
Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, July 16, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.
Tour | Art & Architecture
Explore the architecture of the National Mall’s first art museum on this tour of the National Museum of Asian Art's Freer Gallery. Look closely at the West Building’s plaza, lobby, and inner courtyard while discovering the Italian architectural influences and design details of this US National Historic Landmark designed by the famed turn-of-the-century architect Charles Platt.
Please meet at the West Building plaza for the tour. During rainy weather, meet at the West Building information desk. Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Plaza. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, July 17, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Tours | Arts of China
Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics.
Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, July 17, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, July 17, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tours | Arts Across Asia
Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan.
Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, July 17, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, July 17, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Conservation Cart Talk | From Panel to Hanging Scroll
Join Japanese painting conservators to explore the process of converting panel-mounted paintings back into hanging scrolls. Handle a former mounting panel, still layered with fabric, to better understand its structure. Then watch a live demonstration of how the first layer of backing paper is carefully applied to a painting—an essential step in creating a hanging scroll. Learn more by speaking with conservators about their ongoing treatment of paintings by Hishikawa Moroyasu and Katsushika Hokusai.
On our blog, you can learn more about how we mount Japanese paintings. National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Photo by Department of Conservation and Scientific Research.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: North Corridor near Gallery 5. Cost: Free. Register in advance (optional). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1991072447288?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Lectures & Discussions. Demonstrations. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, July 17, 2026, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean
Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, July 17, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.
Tour | Art & Architecture
Explore the architecture of the National Mall’s first art museum on this tour of the National Museum of Asian Art's Freer Gallery. Look closely at the West Building’s plaza, lobby, and inner courtyard while discovering the Italian architectural influences and design details of this US National Historic Landmark designed by the famed turn-of-the-century architect Charles Platt.
Please meet at the West Building plaza for the tour. During rainy weather, meet at the West Building information desk. Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Plaza. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, July 18, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Tours | Arts of China
Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics.
Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, July 18, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, July 18, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tours | Arts Across Asia
Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan.
Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, July 18, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, July 18, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean
Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, July 18, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.
Highlights Tour in Mandarin 館藏精華導覽
Join free walk-in tours in Mandarin. These one-hour, docent-led tours feature highlights from the museum’s collections, including the famous Peacock Room and select masterpieces of Chinese art. Each docent chooses an artwork to present in their own way, so you can learn something new every time. No registration is needed.
國立亞洲藝術博物館邀請您參加免費普通話導覽（無需預約）
在一小時的導覽中，我們的講解員將帶您聚焦博物館中的精華，包括舉世聞名的孔雀廳和精選的中國藝術品。每場導覽都是獨一無二的，讓您每次對藝術品都能有不同的了解。 Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1915.103a-b.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: West Building (Freer Gallery of Art) information desk 西樓（佛利爾美術館）咨詢臺. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Sunday, July 19, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Tours | Arts of Japan
As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, July 19, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, July 19, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tours | Arts Across Asia
Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan.
Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, July 19, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, July 19, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean
Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, July 19, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.
Tours | Arts of China
Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics.
Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, July 20, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, July 20, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, July 20, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Tours | Arts of Japan
As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, July 21, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, July 21, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, July 21, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Curator Tour | Of the Hills
Join curator Debra Diamond and explore Of the Hills: Pahari Paintings from India’s Himalayan Kingdoms as she discusses the role of improvisation and the expressive moods of Indian classical music in Pahari painting.
Please meet at gallery 23 for the tour. We recommend you register in advance. Image: Hemla Ragaputra, folio from a Ragamala series; India, Himachal Pradesh state, Chamba or Bilaspur, ca. 1700; painting; opaque watercolor and gold on paper; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Purchase and partial gift from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection—funds provided by the Friends of the National Museum of Asian Art, S2018.1.67.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 23 & 24. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1984088581357?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, July 22, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, July 22, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, July 22, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean
Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, July 22, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.
Tours | Arts of Japan
As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, July 23, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, July 23, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tours | Arts Across Asia
Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan.
Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, July 23, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, July 23, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean
Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, July 23, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.
Tour | Art & Architecture
Explore the architecture of the National Mall’s first art museum on this tour of the National Museum of Asian Art's Freer Gallery. Look closely at the West Building’s plaza, lobby, and inner courtyard while discovering the Italian architectural influences and design details of this US National Historic Landmark designed by the famed turn-of-the-century architect Charles Platt.
Please meet at the West Building plaza for the tour. During rainy weather, meet at the West Building information desk. Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Plaza. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, July 24, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Tours | Arts of China
Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics.
Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, July 24, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, July 24, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tours | Arts Across Asia
Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan.
Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, July 24, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, July 24, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Hands-On Conservation
Explore conservation for yourself at our pop-up cart! Touch and see the tools and materials we use to preserve art, manuscripts, and other historic objects. Check out fluorescent glue samples, paper and brushes used for scroll mounting, and more. This is your chance to get a peek at what our conservators and scientists are up to behind the scenes. Department of Conservation and Scientific Research, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: West Building (Mall Entrance). Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices.
Friday, July 24, 2026, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean
Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, July 24, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.
Curator Tour | Of the Hills
In this tour exploring Of the Hills: Pahari Paintings from India’s Himalayan Kingdoms, curator Debra Diamond highlights standout favorites from the exhibition and shares new insights into Pahari paintings from India’s Himalayan kingdoms.
Please meet at gallery 23 for the tour. We recommend you register in advance. Image: Attributed to an artist from the generation (ca. 1725–ca. 1785) after Nainsukh and Manaku; Krishna and His Family Admire a Solar Eclipse, from a Bhagavata Purana (Ancient Tales of the Lord), canto 10.82; India, Himachal Pradesh state, Kangra, 1775–80; opaque watercolor on paper; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F2017.13.5.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 23 & 24. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1984088736822?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, July 25, 2026, 10:15 AM – 11:15 AM.
Tours | Arts of China
Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics.
Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, July 25, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, July 25, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tours | Arts Across Asia
Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan.
Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, July 25, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, July 25, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean
Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, July 25, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.
Tour | Art & Architecture
Explore the architecture of the National Mall’s first art museum on this tour of the National Museum of Asian Art's Freer Gallery. Look closely at the West Building’s plaza, lobby, and inner courtyard while discovering the Italian architectural influences and design details of this US National Historic Landmark designed by the famed turn-of-the-century architect Charles Platt.
Please meet at the West Building plaza for the tour. During rainy weather, meet at the West Building information desk. Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Plaza. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, July 26, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Tours | Arts of Japan
As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, July 26, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, July 26, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tours | Arts Across Asia
Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan.
Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, July 26, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, July 26, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean
Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, July 26, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.
Tours | Arts of China
Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics.
Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, July 27, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, July 27, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, July 27, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Tours | Arts of Japan
As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, July 28, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, July 28, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Tuesday, July 28, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Curator Tour | A Museum in the Making
Join curator Diana Greenwold for unique insight into our new exhibition A Museum in the Making, which tells the story of a bold experiment in art and design that still shapes our galleries today. Artists, architects, and designers transformed museum founder Charles Lang Freer’s Detroit home to display art in new ways. Learn how Freer’s collaborators harmonized frames, lighting, walls, windows, and even furniture to showcase masterpieces of American and Asian art.
Please meet at gallery 8 for the tour. We recommend you register in advance. Image: Dwight William Tryon (1849–1925); Winter; United States, 1893; oil on canvas; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1893.17a-b.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Gallery 8. Cost: Free. Register in advance (recommended). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1988565844973?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, July 29, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, July 29, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, July 29, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean
Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Wednesday, July 29, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.
Tours | Arts of Japan
As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, July 30, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, July 30, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tours | Arts Across Asia
Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan.
Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, July 30, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, July 30, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean
Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, July 30, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.
Tour | Art & Architecture
Explore the architecture of the National Mall’s first art museum on this tour of the National Museum of Asian Art's Freer Gallery. Look closely at the West Building’s plaza, lobby, and inner courtyard while discovering the Italian architectural influences and design details of this US National Historic Landmark designed by the famed turn-of-the-century architect Charles Platt.
Please meet at the West Building plaza for the tour. During rainy weather, meet at the West Building information desk. Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Plaza. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, July 31, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Tours | Arts of China
Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics.
Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, July 31, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, July 31, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tours | Arts Across Asia
Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan.
Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, July 31, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Tour | The Peacock Room at 150
Learn how a dining room built in London 150 years ago has become one of the most famous artworks in the United States today. This free guided tour closely examines American artist James McNeill Whistler’s famed Peacock Room, inspired by Asian art and decorated with Chinese blue and white porcelain. James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903); Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room (detail); United Kingdom, 1876–77; room installation, oil paint and gold leaf on canvas, leather, mosaic tile, glass, and wood; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1904.61.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, July 31, 2026, 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM.
Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean
Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, July 31, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.
Highlights Tour in Mandarin 館藏精華導覽
Join free walk-in tours in Mandarin. These one-hour, docent-led tours feature highlights from the museum’s collections, including the famous Peacock Room and select masterpieces of Chinese art. Each tour is unique, so you can learn something new every time. No registration is needed.
國立亞洲藝術博物館邀請您參加免費普通話導覽（無需預約）
在一小時的導覽中，我們的講解員將帶您聚焦博物館中的精華，包括舉世聞名的孔雀廳和精選的中國藝術品。每場導覽都是獨一無二的，讓您每次對藝術品都能有不同的了解。 Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1915.103a-b.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: West Building (Freer Gallery of Art) information desk 西樓（佛利爾美術館）咨詢臺. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours.
Saturday, August 1, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Tours | Arts of China
Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics.
Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, August 1, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, August 1, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tours | Arts Across Asia
Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan.
Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, August 1, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean
Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, August 1, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.
Sketch & Discover Tour
Join docent Sushmita Mazumdar every first Sunday of the month as she guides you to use pencil and paper to consider the unique ideas and expressions of Asian artists from various traditions spanning the continent across centuries. All materials will be provided. No reservation needed.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, August 2, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tours | Arts of Japan
As the seasons change, enjoy a free, hour-long guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of Japanese art. Experience a variety of artworks, including paintings, prints, screens, ceramics, metalwork, and more. Trees, Master of I-nen Seal (1600–1630), Japan, mid-17th century, ink, color, and gold on paper, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1962.30.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: Japanese Art from the Collection , Knotted Clay: Raku Ceramics and Tea , The Print Generation , The Peacock Room , Striking Objects: Contemporary Japanese Metalwork. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, August 2, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, August 2, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu. Tours | Arts Across Asia
Enjoy a guided tour of our East Building and its range of exhibitions. These tours can feature art from any of the exhibitions currently on view, with works from cultures as diverse as ancient Iran to contemporary Japan.
Please meet at the East Building, B1 Lobby for the tour. Image: Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Arthur M. Sackler Collection, The Alice S. Kandell Collection, Photo by John Bigelow Taylor.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Meet at B1 Lobby. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, August 2, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Spotlight Talk: Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean
Catch a twenty-minute gallery talk about the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia in Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean. At nearly twenty feet, this newly conserved sculpture depicts Vishnu dreaming the universe into existence. Delve into its original context in ancient Angkor and the present-day Cambodian community. Composite image: (top) Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Ananta (Endless One); Cambodia, Siem Reap province, second half of 11th century; bronze, mercury gilding; National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh; Photograph by Mario Ciampi, ©️ Guicciardini & Magni Architetti / (bottom) Still from the short film Awkun; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Film by praCh Ly.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 22c. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, August 2, 2026, 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM.
Tours | Arts of China
Examine the diverse artistic and cultural traditions of one of the world’s oldest civilizations in this in-person, docent-led tour. Learn about Chinese artworks such as ritual bronze vessels, calligraphy, brush paintings in ink and color, and exquisite ceramics.
Please meet at the West Building Information Desk for the tour. Dish with foliate flaring rim; Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1426–35; Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with cobalt pigment under colorless glaze; H x Diam: 4.8 × 21.3 cm; National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment, F1951.13a-b.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, August 3, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Permanent Collection Tour
The National Museum of Asian Art has over 46,000 artworks from across Asia. Enjoy some of the finest on a docent-led tour and learn about commonalities and differences in cultures, aesthetics, and ideas.
Venue: Asian Art Museum. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meet at Information Desk. Cost: Free. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Monday, August 3, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit asia.si.edu.