Glenstone

What a gem — Peter was a great guide and we really enjoyed the exhibits he saw. It’s an amazing building with great exhibits, and having a guide take us through made it really special. We plan to return during other seasons, since the grounds are so lovely
Go! Don’t wait for the right time — it’s a great outing

This place is absolutely fantastic. So here’s the deal — you make a «reservation» online through Glenstone’s website (Don’t let the word reservation scare you — Glenstone is COMPLETELY free, there’s not even one of those dreaded museum stores selling crap you don’t need). This system ensures that the museum never feels crowded. You arrive at your set time (no more than 15 minutes beforehand) and a docent meets you and the rest of your group and escorts you into the museum. The current exhibit — Fischli & Weiss — is absolutely worth seeing. It is at times funny, at times whimsical, at times conceptual, and always visually interesting. And the docents here are fantastic. They aren’t tour guides — so no one is talking at you while you try to enjoy art. Instead, they are present if you have comments or questions, and they share great little tidbits about the space, the collection, post 1945 art and so on.
Go check it out now– see it before it expands (I think it’s T-​3 years away from being a LARGE museum), see it while it’s still intimate and very, very quiet.
Also, word on the street is a landscape tour will be coming soon, which is very exciting.

Unilocalers, Glenstone is *definitely* one of the DMV’s hidden gems, and I cannot recommend it highly enough!
Herewith, top five reasons you should make a reservation to visit Glenstone before December:
1. The museum currently has an excellent exhibit by Swiss artists Fischli & Weiss that closes in December 2014. These artists cover A LOT of ground in their work. Even if you’re the type of person who claimes you don’t enjoy modern art, these guys have a sense of humor, and a unique way of viewing the world.
2. It’s free!
3. You’ll be part of a select few, as many people do not yet know of the existence of this museum. However, it and the collection’s owners, Mitch & Emily Rales, have been written about in the Post, NYTimes and other publications, as their art holdings are very impressive.
4. When Glenstone’s second larger building is finished, and more art is displayed, and as its significance on the cultural landscape increases, you’ll be able to say, «Oh well, I visited it when it was just the one small building — it was such an intimate experience then.»
5. When people ask what you did over the weekend, you can answer in a haughty voice, «I was at Glenstone…», making it sound like it’s an exclusive private club.
Indeed, you do feel you are visiting a private club. You’ll need to make a reservation for a time slot via their website,
. When you drive up to the gate, a guard will confirm youra reservation, and may ask you to wait if you are a bit too early, as parking is limited. He’ll show you a map of the enormous grounds, and explain where you’ll need to drive. You’ll drive up to the museum building, and will be directed where to park by the friendly female docents. The docents (three for each group of about 12 – 15 visitors) will be so welcoming and personable that you’ll feel that are a long-​awaited guest, and that they are inviting you into their home for a cup of tea. The docents will not lecture during the tour, just give a brief overview, then lead you from room to room, and interact and answer any questions you may have. The visit only lasts an hour, yet you’ll feel you’ve experienced something magical.
Super succinct summary — put a Glenstone visit on your to-​do list for the autumn! This is also a fantastic place to take visitors who claim they have seen everything! (Note: kids under 12 not allowed to visit.) (Note nr 2: definitely check out the restrooms!) (Note nr. 3: Expect to be asked to leave your purse or bag in the car, and do not expect to be able to bring your coffee in the museum!)

Three of us visited the museum today and were all really impressed with the grounds and the art exhibits. We’d never even heard of this museum before and feel we discovered a Washington gem. The three docents that took us on the tour were all awesome. We will be back!

We did eventually get to Glenstone. It is a great space with a vast collection of work. A docent led us on a private tour of the exhibit.
Regarding the issue I wrote about previously where someone called me 2 minutes before they thought my appointment was: I was wrong, they weren’t being fishy or trying to cover up the fact that they messed up the scheduling. Turns out they actually do call you right before your appointment, perhaps to get a more accurate sense of how far away you are/​whether you will make it in time.
I do think the staff need to make some adjustments to deal with the increased volume of interest in visiting the museum. Hopefully this will improve over time. Overall, worth the visit.