Washington, DC—Our popular National Gallery Nights after-hours program returns to the East Building this fall. Visitors are invited to join us on the second Thursday of September, October, and November from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. 

The season will kick off September 12 with “A Night in Paris,” offering the only opportunity to enjoy the exhibition Paris 1874: The Impressionist Moment after hours. On October 10 we will celebrate Día de los Muertos, and our November 14 program will be a love letter to the city our museum calls home.

Our September and October programs will also feature activities on our 4th Street Plaza, open to all without registration. See below for more program details, and don’t miss our tips for making the most of National Gallery Nights. 

As with all National Gallery programs, National Gallery Nights are free. Due to the event’s popularity, and to give everyone an equal chance of attending, we will once again offer registration through a lottery system. The lottery will take place the week before each event. It will open on Monday at 10:00 a.m. and close on Thursday at noon. We will notify all lottery entrants of whether or not they were selected to register on the Friday before each program. Additionally, limited walk-up passes will be available at the East Building entrance on the afternoon of each event. They will be given out first come, first served starting at 5:30 p.m. 

Light fare, gelato, and beverages—including beer, wine, and specialty cocktails—will be sold throughout the East Building, in the Terrace Café, and at the Espresso & Gelato Bar.  

To get email notifications for National Gallery Nights lotteries, sign up at nga.gov/nights or on each event page. Updates are also shared via the National Gallery’s weekly newsletter. 

Program Descriptions
A Night in Paris
Thursday, September 12, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Activities on the 4th Street Plaza will be open to all, but registration will be required to enter the East Building. Lottery for registration opens on Monday, September 2, at 10:00 a.m. and closes on Thursday, September 5, at noon. 

Go back in time and travel to the City of Light with a unique after-hours visit to the exhibition Paris 1874: The Impressionist Moment. See paintings by Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, and their fellow impressionist artists. Embrace your inner Francophile with French music, film, art, and food. Enjoy cabaret performances, make your own impressionist-inspired art, and more!

Día de los Muertos Celebration
Thursday, October 10, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Activities on the 4th Street Plaza will be open to all, but registration will be required to enter the East Building. Lottery for registration opens on Monday, September 30, at 10:00 a.m. and closes on Thursday, October 3, at noon. 

Experience the cultural fusion of Mexican and Indigenous traditions in this celebration of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). Our 4th Street Plaza hosts a performance by East Los Angeles’s Las Cafeteras. Through their Afro-Mexican rhythms, this group creates musical and magical celebrations of life and death. In the East Building, dance to the sounds of DJ Pedro Night and explore folk arts and craft techniques. Plus, discover works by Latinx artists in the galleries as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage month. 

We encourage you to wear costumes or festive dress to celebrate the spooky spirit of Halloween and/or the color of Día de los Muertos. Please avoid accessories larger than 17" × 26" and full-cover face masks; these are not allowed inside our buildings.

To the District, with Love
Thursday, November 14, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Lottery for registration opens on Monday, November 4, at 10:00 a.m. and closes on Thursday, November 7, at noon.  

Celebrate Washington, DC, with an evening of performances and art activities that honor the district’s people and culture. Tap into the pulse of the city with DJ Little Bacon Bear as she pays tribute to her local roots. Enjoy pop-up curator talks highlighting artwork with DC connections. Test your knowledge of DC art and music at trivia, and experiment with making alongside local artists.

Programming is subject to change.