Washington D.C. The Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Sculpture Gardens display more than 60 works of art on the 4.5 acres around the museum grounds. There are two Hirshhorn gardens to explore: The Plaza (the landscape directly around the museum) and the Sunken Sculpture Garden across Jefferson Drive on the National Mall.
The landscape style here has a more restrained palette than other Smithsonian gardens. Simplicity is key. Plants accentuate and provide a backdrop for the Hirshhorn sculptures.
Whether you are planning a trip to the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden or just interested in seeing it from afar, explore the intersection of beauty and nature through this post. To assist in planning a trip, A Garden Travel Guide to the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden is located at the end of the post
Hirshhorn Plaza Sculpture Garden
On the Plaza, clipped allées of crabapple trees divide the garden into rooms creating a beautiful place for visitors during all four seasons. Sculptures sit atop carpet-like-lawns. Visitors can relax and slowly take in the art and nature.
Hirshhorn Sunken Sculpture Garden
The sunken sculpture garden resides 14 feet below the surface of the National Mall in an open-air museum. Here, a more comprehensive range of plants protects the sculptures and a respite from the heat on the National Mall above.
A calming rectangular reflecting pool is surrounded by terraces, weeping beech, pines, and crape myrtles.
Yoko Ono’s Wish Tree
Tucked along the garden’s northern wall is a gift from artist Yoko Ono. As part of her Imagine Peace project, a Kousa Dogwood (Cornus kousa) was installed in the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Gardens as one of ten in the city.
The tree is considered a public artwork and part of the museum’s permanent collection. The wish tree blooms with flowers and hope in June and early July. In the summer, visitors write their wishes on tags and hang them on the tree.
Throughout the summer, museum staff remove the wishes and send them to be buried under Ono’s “Imagine Peace Tower” in Reykjavik, Iceland. During the off-season, visitors are encouraged to whisper their wishes to the tree to avoid damaging it.
Photo: Iceland Peace Tower 19 by McKay Savage from London, UK
The Imagine Peace Tower is a memorial to John Lennon. It is a tall light tower projected from a white stone monument with the words “Imagine Peace” carved into it in 24 languages.
Buried underneath the light tower are over 1 million wishes from the Hirshhorn Sculpture museum and other Wish Trees gathered over the years.
Take a Break: Dolcezza Coffee & Gelato
Grab a coffee at the dramatic 20-foot metal coffee bar in the Hirshhorn museum lobby. Enjoy locally sourced and handcrafted gelato, specialty espresso drinks, and gourmet pastries.
Admire the stunning contemporary setting designed by world-renowned artist Hiroshi Sugimoto. He used a 700-year-old Japanese nutmeg tree and its chaotic roots tree as the basis for the lobby’s central group tables.
“I became fascinated by the roots of an enormous tree, which fanned out to form a large circle, and I decided that this was the circle I would install in the Hirshhorn lobby—a symbol of life. All art takes its inspiration from the power inherent in nature, and my hope is that as visitors enter the museum, they will experience the balance of the man-made and natural circles.”
Hiroshi Sugimoto
Who was Mr. Hirshhorn?
Joseph Herman Hirshhorn (1899 – 1981) was an entrepreneur and art collector. Hirshhorn made his fortune in the mining and oil business.
He originally owned and displayed the garden sculptures on his 22-acre Connecticut estate.
Hirshhorn gave his extensive art collection to the Smithsonian in 1966 and later contributed $1 million to the Smithsonian Institution’s construction of the Hirshhorn building.
More Resources for the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Gardens
Visit the Hirshhorn Museum Website.
To learn more about the Hirshhorn Museum Gardens, visit the Smithsonian Gardens Website – Hirshhorn.
The video below, by the Hirshhorn Museum, takes you inside the museum to experience the art and highlights some cool tech outside at night.
Read about the magnificent Hirshhorn Museum lobby and furnishings inspired by the chaotic roots of a medieval Japanese nutmeg tree. Lobby by Hiroshi Sugimoto.
In the Hirshhorn Sculpture Museum and Gardens, Nature and Art reside beautifully together, doubling the pleasure.
Visitors Guide to the Smithsonian Hirshhorn Sculpture Gardens
Address: Jefferson Drive and 7th Street SW, Washington, DC 20591, USA. Located on the National Mall in front of the Hirshhorn Museum.
Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden Admission
Admission to the gardens is FREE.
Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden Hours
Open daily, 10 am to 5:30 pm. As of this visit in 2022, the Plaza Garden was closed for renovation.
Admission to Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden
Admission to the Hirshhorn is FREE. Just walk up – passes are not required.
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Parking
There is very limited on-street parking near the gardens, including reserved spaces for visitors with disabilities.
You can book guaranteed parking in nearby garages in advance with ParkWhiz. Public transportation is encouraged.
The gardens are a 5-minute walk from the L’Enfant Plaza stop and a 5-minute walk from the Smithsonian stop.
Accessibility for the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
The Hirshhorn offers manual wheelchairs for use in the building, and folding gallery stools are also available.
The accessible entrance is located around the corner from the main entrance on the Plaza. Service dogs are welcome.
There are scheduled American Sign Language (ASL) tours. Check the museum website for information.
Museum Shop at the Hirshhorn Museum
Raise your hand if you love museum shops! Especially artsy museum shops. The Hirshhorn Museum Store features one-of-a-kind art supplies, housewares, accessories, and books, all with a modern flair. Bonus: You can shop the Hirshhorn Museum Shop online.
Where to Eat at the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden
Dolcezza Coffee & Gelato
Inside the Hirshhorn Museum lobby at Independence Ave SW & 7th St SW, Washington, DC 20560. Free to enter the museum and lobby. Open daily 10 am – 5 pm. Read what makes this space so unique: Take a Break: Dolcezza Coffee & Gelato.
Hotels are near the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden
Hilton Washington DC National Mall
Hilton Washington DC National Mall The Wharf features a rooftop terrace and puts you just a 5-minute drive from National Mall.
480 L’Enfant Plaza SW, Washington, DC 20024. 0.34 (8-minute walk) from the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden.
Holiday Inn Washington Capitol – National Mall, an IHG Hotel
Popular in this area is the Holiday Inn Washington Capitol. Bonus: It is pet friendly.
550 C St SW, Washington, DC, 20024. 0.3 (7-minute walk) from the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden.
Author’s Note: My recommendations are not sponsored but are my personal experience or researched suggestions.
Other Gardens Near the Hirshhorn Sculpture Gardens
Ready for more? The next garden I suggest you visit is the colorful Mary Ripley Livingston Garden or the formal Enid A. Haupt Garden, both are within a 1 -2 minute walk of the Hirshhorn Sculpture Gardens.
Or continue east on the National Mall to the immersive Native Landscape at the National Museum of the American Indian. For a complete list of Smithsonian Garden locations on the National Mall, see thirteen Smithsonian Gardens You Can Enjoy for Free.
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