Group Visits

The Corcoran invites visitors to engage with the Collection and special exhibitions through group tours.

Groups requesting a docent-led tour may select from the following options: 

Modern and Contemporary Art

From its inception, the Corcoran has placed contemporary art at the core of its mission and identity. The museum collects the art of the present for display and interpretation alongside the Gallery’s ever-expanding historical collections. The Corcoran’s pursuit of the new has ensured that the museum and its collections remain vibrant, constantly looking to the future while evaluating its past. The post-1945 collection includes paintings, sculptures, and works on paper, new media, and installation art. The collection features works from post-war artists such as Willem de Kooning, Ellsworth Kelly, Cy Twombly, Richard Diebenkorn, Joan Mitchell, Bruce Nauman, Martin Puryear, Jessica Stockholder, Anne Truitt, Robert Colescott, and others.

The Story of American Art 

The Corcoran’s signature and world-renowned collection of American art dating from 1718 to 1945 began as the private holdings of William Wilson Corcoran. His initial collection of landscape paintings, genre scenes, portraits, and sculptures has grown to encompass over 500 paintings, 200 sculptures, and 2,400 works on paper. Key 20th-century acquisitions were made beginning in 1907, with the advent of the Corcoran’s Biennial. The collection’s particular strengths include Hudson River School painting, American Impressionism, and early 20th-century realism.

Highlights of the Collection

From its foundation in 1869 as the private holdings of William Wilson Corcoran, the Corcoran’s collection now encompasses over 16,000 works of art and continues to grow. The Corcoran is recognized internationally for a distinguished collection of historic and modern American art as well as contemporary art, photography, European painting, sculpture, and decorative arts.

For additional information regarding group visits, please call (202) 639-1730 or e-mail tours@corcoran.org.

Discounted pricing is offered for groups of 20 or more.

To qualify for discounted pricing and to request docent-led tours, groups must reserve a minimum of four weeks in advance. The minimum for group tours is 8 people; maximum 75 people.

Group Tour and Visit Request Form

Please complete all fields and submit this form. You may also fax to (202) 639-1729 or mail to:

Attn: Group Tours
500 Seventeenth Street NW
Washington, DC 20006

All tours must be booked four weeks in advance and are booked based on availability. All payments are non-refundable. Payment no later than two weeks in advance in one transaction is required for all groups and is non-refundable in case of cancellation. Your tour is not reserved until you receive written confirmation.