Chinese American Museum DC, Washington: Photos, Reviews & Location

At a glance

#110 of 260 Tourist attractions in Washington #29 of 62 Museums in Washington

LocalGuideWorld score: 4.70

1.4 km from the center of Washington

Rating breakdown

5 ★79%
4 ★15%
3 ★3%
2 ★3%
1 ★0%

1218 16th St NW, Washington, DC 20036

chineseamericanmuseum.org

(202) 838-3180

Photos of Chinese American Museum DC (63)

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Chinese American Museum DC, Washington – photo 1

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Quick facts

What is the rating of Chinese American Museum DC?: Chinese American Museum DC is rated 4.7 out of 5 based on 68 reviews.
How does Chinese American Museum DC rank in Washington?: Chinese American Museum DC is #110 of 260 Tourist attractions in Washington by LocalGuideWorld score (rating weighted by number of reviews).
Where is Chinese American Museum DC located?: 1218 16th St NW, Washington, DC 20036 — 1.4 km from the center of Washington.
How can I contact Chinese American Museum DC?: Phone: (202) 838-3180 · Website: chineseamericanmuseum.org

Reviews (8)

Christopher Lew 2023 Oct 01

A really small niche museum that I think exemplifies the educational spirit of DC. They space itself is very small, but they have rotating exhibits throughout the year so there's always something new to see here. Currently there is an exhibit on Bruce Lee, the traditional garment called a Qipao, and legendary Chinese American photographer, Corky Lee.

This place also seems to serve as a community center as they hold events here, and during this visit had a Mid-Autumn festival celebration.

I highly recommend if your interested in the smaller museums that provide a very focused conversation. It's also free - which is GREAT.

Sam Lee 2023 Sep 29

Beautiful interior, and greeter was friendly and helpful! They're still in progress but have cool exhibits. I really enjoyed the Bruce Lee exhibit about his life. He was an amazing person to achieve what he did at the time. Brings back so many childhood memories.

Alexander Mets 2023 Sep 24

Cool museum, the most interesting is the display with the animation of history of Chinese people

Captain National Express 2023 Jun 20

Brilliant selection for a historic international tour and visit for global events. It’s one of the best place to participate but the main issue is sometimes they must let people know if events are available to enter or not. Recently not one is there. Due to the inconvenient private event. Others times it’ll would be obvious.

Annie Jernigan Goldberg 2023 May 19

It’s a beautiful museum that’s located in a nice place in DC. It has a few exhibits without being overwhelming to go through everything. It has wonderful artwork and great displays of Asian art. It has a nice screening room that plays a documentary and has a place to write words on a tag to hang up. The people are super friendly as well.

Nadine Olney 2023 Mar 11

It's a very small museum with very little to see. They claim to be free but registration ask for a "donation. " I'm part of NARM reciprocal museum program which should give me free admission, but the registration pressures you to give. There is a decent interactive time-line on the first floor. There is a small TV playing a very old video of Chao talking about the transcontinental railroad. The art is all recent and mostly just a couple of people. There is a room of Tao robes, that are pretty. Right now there is an exhibit of school students art, which is nice. Overall it took about 20 minutes to see what is there. Very few historical items. Overall very little to see. I understand if they were knew but they've been open over a year now. It is a pretty building but overall I would say not worth the extra trip. There just isn't enough to see.

Dawn Li 2023 Jan 10

What an inspirational space for Chinese Americans in the US! (Photos taken from exhibits: calligraphy; Daoist robe)

Austin Graff 2020 Feb 07

Before you visit the Chinese American Museum, it's important to know they are still raising funds to fully open. That means what you see when you visit isn't the final product. With that in mind, a visit to this museum in a 1904 house in Dupont Circle is worth the time. Here's why:

1) Exhibits: The permanent exhibit is on the first floor. There's a wall with digital art telling the stories of Chinese Americans across the country. Next to that is a touch screen that walks you through the history of Chinese Americans starting with the first documents Chinese immigrant in the US in 1785 to today. In just twenty minutes, I learned so much about the plight for equality in the USA. Still on the first floor, the back has a small room with goldfish wallpaper, a TV screen, and an area where you can write answers to several questions written on a paper on a table. The next three floors have rotating exhibits. Currently, there's an exhibit about Chinese American woman pioneers and Jewish refugees in Shanghai during World War II. There aren't any artifacts, so be prepared to read a lot. Despite all the reading, each panel is easy to consume.

2) Space: The home is gorgeous. Built in 1904, it once was an embassy, a residence, and offices. The second level floors and the spiraling staircase are originals.

3) Accessibility: The museum is open Thursday-Saturday from 10am-5pm and free for all. The staff are very friendly and knowledgeable in an inviting way. It's in Dupont Circle and close to public transportation.

If you have a free 45-60 minutes, visit the Chinese American Museum.