S. Dillon Ripley Center

Very nice side attraction when visiting the capital! Really enjoyed the exhibits. Everyone goes to DC for the show stopper attractions but really there is so much hidden within the cuty to enjoy. Strongly recommend a stop to take in as much of our nations history as possible.

It's worth passing through the Ripley Center if you're visiting the Museum of African Art and/or the Freer/Sackler. Graphic Eloquence is always on display and worth seeing. The current temporary exhibit, Artists at Work, is an impressive array of works by Smithsonian staff. There are a couple of vending machines for reasonably priced drinks and snacks.

Beautiful gardens and architecture. Small museum inside too with information on all the other museums in the Mall.

The S. Dillion Ripley Centre free entry is one of many museum and exhibition venues located along the south side of The Mall in D.C. Opening hours are 10am to 5.30pm daily. This is a small, circularly shaped kiosk style building with a copper dome, situated between the Smithsonian Castle and the Freer Gallery. Upon entry, you descend several floors where you find exhibitions which change throughout the year. The underground exhibition area is directly linked to the Freer Gallery, Arthur M. Sackler Gallery and National Museum of African Art. As such, you can actually use the entry for any of these four venues and each any of the others including the Ripley Centre exhibition space. Note: The Smithsonian Ripley Centre webpage has information on current and upcoming exhibitions. This is worth a quick review if you are considering making a stop here during upcoming visits to D.C.

I loved this free museum more than any other. Impeccably clean, organized with lots of security taking care of the art exhibits. They had the Asian culture art and photography

The Smithsonian’s Ripley Center is where the majority of the administration’s offices are. It is also connected And Accessible by way of the African American Art Building found in the garden of the Smithsonian Castle. The Ripley center Smithsonian Associates hosts community art classes on a quarterly basis Typically each class is 3-8 sessions on the same day/time slot. These classes are taught by incredible professionals and typically don’t hold more than 15 students. The pricing and upcoming quarters schedule can be found online or by picking up a Smithsonian Associates Magazine inside the Ripley Center. Bathrooms are on the bottom/basement floor wheelchair accessible either down the hall to the right of where the elevator opens or on the opposite end of the hall after the first room of the African American Art History museum.

The Ripley Center is, in fact, under the roof garden and has a changing exhibit area. Plus some exhibits on artwork. Kind of hidden and never crowded. You can also access it from the Asian Art Museum or the African Art Museum. Restrooms available.

Enter here to subterranean maze of Freer and Sackler Museum and Museum of African Arts. Wonderfully thought provoking contemporary art and cultural exhibits.

The "little secret" entrance is what I call it - the hidden gateway to a TON of cool and interesting things. The building looks, to me like a tiny enclosed gazebo, others describe it as a tiny mushroom shaped structure just on the outside near the 'Castle'. Whatever or however you describe it - its an entrance way into an underground area of knowledge. I haven't scoped all of it out, as I'm mostly attending a talk, lecture, or presentation offered by the Smithsonian, and these are usually after work hours. Easy access, with Handicap parking just out front, escalators and elevators for anyone who needs them [or the exercise buff that looks for the challenge, take the stairs!] Come early and sit outside a bit and enjoy the flowers of the nearby garden, or people watch as others walk the perimeter of the mall - lovely place.

It was very interesting to learn about jewelry and distinctive status symbolism.