2 Great Museums off of The Mall in DC: The National Building Museum, and the Smithsonian American Museum of Art

 The Smithsonian Museum of American Art

Although a Smithsonian Museum, the Smithsonian Museum of American art Lies between F, G, 7th, and 9th Streets. Part of the building is also the National Portrait Gallery. Both museums have free admission and are open from 11:30am to 7:00pm.

The original section of the building was completed in 1842 (In Brown Above) and was designed by Robert Mills. The Structure itself was one of the first major public buildings in DC and was originally the Patent Office. 3 more wings were latter added, The east in 1855, the west in 1857, and the north in 1868.

The Building is considered one  of the best examples of Greek Revival Architecture in the US, and was called the "noblest building in Washington" by Walt Whitman. The Stone comes from Virginia, Maryland, Maine, Connecticut, and Massachusetts The Main entrance has a 2 column deep, and 8 column wide portico, and is surrounded by columns (similar to most Greek Revival Buildings).

The Building's upper floors later caught fire in 1877, and the interior was rebuilt by the Architect Adolf Cluss. The New Victorian interior was well ornamented, and very brightly painted.

The Patent office stayed in the building until 1932, and the building became home to Civil service offices. In the 1950s, the building was planned for demolition, but thankfully, preservationists were able to convince President Eisenhower to save it in 1955. Congress allowed the Smithsonian to take over the building and use it For the National Portrait gallery. The Building was designated a national Historic landmark in 1965, and the National portrait gallery was opened in 1968.

 

In 2000 the courtyard in the center of the building was dismantled, and a New renovation (named the Kogod courtyard) was completed in its place in 2006. The courtyard was designed by Gustafson Guthrie Nichol. The new award winning wavy canopy over the building was designed by the firm Foster + Partners. The roof is made of Aluminum, and 864 custom panes of glass. The renovation shows a stunning contrast between the old and the new. 

The courtyard has a black Granite floor, and rectangular planters, but one interesting aspect is the trio of water scrims which fountain out a thin stream of water across the granite. One can walk across the granite and not worry about getting their shoes wet. 

Overall, the museum provides a great examples of Revival, Victorian, and modern Architecture, as well as housing some fabulous exhibits.

The National Building Museum

The National Building Museum Lies between F, G, 4th, and 5th streets on Judiciary square. The Building is open 10:00 to 5:00 every day except Sundays when it opens late at 11:00. Entry to the exhibits is $8 dollars (for all exhibits, not for each exhibit), but you can enter the great hall for free.

Besides Just Having great Exhibits on Architecture and design, the Building Itself is considered one of the greatest public buildings of the 19th century. Designed by the US Army Quartermaster Montgomery C Meigs, the building was completed in 1887 and the exterior was modeled after the Palazzo Farnese in Rome. The walls are constructed out of brick, and has decorative details made out of terra cotta.

While the exterior maybe beautiful, the interior is much more breath taking. A Great hall in the center forms a gigantic public space. It was modeled after the Church of Santa Maria Delgi Angeli which was designed by Michael Angelo in Rome. The Great hall is 316 feet long and 116 feet wide, as well as 159 feet tall at its highest section. Two Sets of  four gigantic Corinthian columns (some of the largest in the world) divide the Great hall, and 2 column lined balconies surround the center. The Massive carpet floor contains a fountain in the very center which has a diameter of 28 feet. The Exhibits are all located in rooms just off of the Great hall.

The Building was home the The US Pension Bureau, and served as a home for great public events. It continued to be offices until the 1960s. At this time the building was threatened by demolition because it was in a serious state of disrepair. The building was instead spared and put on the national register of historic places in 1969 due to preservationist's efforts. The Architect Choethiel Woodward Smith was hired to restore the building, and also came up with the idea to turn it into an a museum for architecture. Congress later allowed the use of funds to restore the building in 1978, and the National Building Museum finally opened many years later in 1997.

Today, this is probably one of the greatest overlooked structures in DC, and in my opinion deserves more attention than many Museums on the Mall.