Dumbarton Oaks

Virtual Tour of the Garden

Discover more about the Dumbarton Oaks Garden, including details on trees and plants, inscriptions, furniture, and ornaments

Highlights from the Collections

Discover our collections in a selection of curated online exhibits

Margaret Mee: Portraits of Plants

Centered on the paintings of botanical artist Margaret Mee, this exhibit explores the traditions of women botanical artists and illustrators primarily using materials from the Rare Book Collection.

Catalogue of the Textiles in the Dumbarton Oaks Byzantine Collection

The textiles in the Byzantine Collection, which have never been systematically published, are now available online, along with 10 essays exploring furnishing textiles in the late antique, Byzantine, and early Islamic periods.

Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection supports research and learning internationally in Byzantine, Garden and Landscape, and Pre-Columbian studies through fellowships and internships, meetings, and exhibitions. Located in residential Georgetown, Dumbarton Oaks welcomes researchers at all career stages who come to study its books, objects, images, and documents. It opens its doors to the public to visit its historic garden, designed by Beatrix Farrand; its museum, with world-class collections of art; and its Music Room, for lectures and concerts. The institute disseminates knowledge through its publications and online resources. Innovative programming has introduced students of all ages to the museum, garden, and collections.

Learn MorePlan Your Visit

Dumbarton Oaks Response to COVID-19

Out of an abundance of caution, the Museum and Garden will be closed temporarily beginning Saturday, March 14. In addition, Dumbarton Oaks will cancel all public events through the end of May.

We are closely monitoring developments regarding the COVID-19 outbreak and will update our website to reflect any changes to our operations and programming.

Upcoming Events

View All

Mar 28, 2020 - Mar 28, 2020

Imagining the Afterlife in Byzantium

CANCELLED | The 2020 Teaching Day combines papers from leading scholars, gallery tours, and object-handling sessions to explore how the Byzantines presented and constructed a view of the afterlife in art and the written word.

Apr 03, 2020 - Apr 03, 2020

Heritage and Its Missions

CANCELLED | Speakers at this annual day-long colloquium explore the relationship between heritage meanings and pre-Republican Catholic missions.

Apr 05, 2020 - Apr 06, 2020

Ensemble Caprice

CANCELLED | Canada’s lively period-instrument orchestra performs the best of the recently unearthed opera Motezuma, by Antonio Vivaldi.

Research

Dumbarton Oaks supports and publishes scholarship in the three areas of study supported by Robert Woods Bliss and Mildred Barnes Bliss: Byzantine Studies, including related aspects of late Roman, early Christian, western Medieval, Slavic, and Near Eastern Studies; Pre-Columbian Studies of Mexico, Central America, and Andean South America; and Garden and Landscape Studies, including garden history, landscape architecture, and related disciplines.

Studies Programs Fellowships & Awards Library & Archives Publications