Host an Event
Host your corporate event at Washington, DC’s most elegant and enchanting venue. The National Portrait Gallery, as part of the Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture, is housed in a gloriously renovated National Historic Landmark building. Conveniently located in DC’s bustling Penn Quarter neighborhood, the National Portrait Gallery would be ideal for your special event.
The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery tells the history of America through the individuals who have shaped its culture. Through the visual arts, performing arts, and new media, the Portrait Gallery portrays poets and presidents, visionaries and villains, actors and activists whose lives tell the American story. The Portrait Gallery relies on the support of generous donors to accomplish this mission.
Available Spaces
To inquire about space availability, please complete an event inquiry form:
 Event inquiry form
For more information about entertaining at the National Portrait Gallery, please contact the Office of Special Events at:
(202) 633-6333 or e-mail reynoldscenterevents@si.edu
  The Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard, a signature element of the renovated Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture, is one of the largest and most magnificent event spaces in Washington. The enclosed courtyard, with its elegant glass canopy designed by world-renowned architects Foster + Partners, provides a distinctive, contemporary accent to the museums’ Greek revival building. The Courtyard can accommodate up to 850 guests for a seated dinner and 1,200 guests for a standing reception.
 The Great Hall, accentuated with late-nineteenth-century architectural highlights, was the reception area where President Lincoln and Mrs. Lincoln greeted guests attending the president’s second inaugural ball. The hand-laid encaustic tile floor, curving double staircase, and soaring vaulted ceilings are sure to captivate guests. The Great Hall can accommodate up to 300 guests for a seated dinner and 366 guests for a standing reception.
 The Luce Foundation Center features three levels of painting, sculpture, folk art, and craft collections on display in floor-to-ceiling glass cases. The Luce Center’s architectural elements such as the elaborate columns, bronze railings, multicolored marble floor, large windows, and a city-block-long skylight will make any gathering an event to remember. The Luce Center can accommodate up to 300 guests for a seated dinner and 800 guests for a standing reception.
 The Nan Tucker McEvoy Auditorium, a 346-seat facility located on the building’s lower level, is equipped with a state-of-the-art sound and video system, film projection capabilities, flexible lighting, a sprung stage, and a concert grand piano.
Click here to view a slideshow of these spaces
Policy
Special events of a personal nature (weddings, birthdays, bar mitzvahs, etc.), fund-raising events for non-Smithsonian organizations or groups, and events of a partisan, political, or religious nature are not permitted by the publicly funded Smithsonian Institution. Events or organizations that promote or advocate positions inconsistent with the Portrait Gallery’s mission are not permitted. In addition, admission fees, cash bars, ticket sales, raffles, and the promotion or display of commercial products is prohibited.
Upon request, the Portrait Gallery will provide a list of vendors whose insurance certificates are currently on file and who are familiar with the Portrait Gallery’s procedures and guidelines. The National Portrait Gallery has final approval in the selection of all vendors.
Once an event is approved, co-hosting organizations will receive a pledge letter and a letter of agreement outlining the basic parameters of the event and the associated fees including the tax-deductible contribution and direct costs (for overtime services that are provided by the Portrait Gallery). The event will be confirmed when the signed agreement form and full payment are received by the Portrait Gallery’s Special Events Office. Payment is required prior to the event.
Please contact the National Portrait Gallery for the complete policies and guidelines.
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For more information about entertaining at the National Portrait Gallery, please contact the Office of Special Events at:
 Phone: (202) 633-6333
 E-mail: reynoldscenterevents@si.edu
View a slideshow of available reception spaces.
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