Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

The Smithsonian's museum of modern and contemporary art occupies a striking open cylinder raised on piers beside the National Mall. Opened in 1974 around the collection of financier Joseph Hirshhorn, it presents painting, sculpture, and large-scale installations with a strong emphasis on postwar and living artists. The circular galleries loop around a courtyard fountain, while a sunken sculpture garden across Jefferson Drive displays works by Rodin, Moore, and others. Video art often fills the outer ring.