The first thing that grabs your attention at the renovated Hirshhorn Museum Sculpture Garden is a swimming pool standing on end.
It’s called 8, by the artist duo Elmgreen & Dragset. Positioned at the National Mall’s ground level, it catches your eye and encourages you to venture down into the sunken garden.
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It certainly worked on me. Though I’m still not sure how they’re going to keep the water in it.
That’s a promising start for a sculpture garden: something that makes you stop, look twice, and ask a slightly ridiculous question.
Familiar Faces and Some Unusual New Neighbors
For me, Auguste Rodin’s The Burghers of Calais remains the star of the garden. There’s something about these figures—their faces, their posture, the weight they seem to carry—that rewards spending a few quiet minutes with them. Walk around them. Look at each person. This is a group worth getting to know.
Another returning favorite is Yoko Ono’s Wish Tree for Washington, DC. At certain times of the year, visitors can write wishes on tags and attach them to its branches. In a city filled with monuments to what people have done, there’s something appealing about a tree devoted to what people hope for.
Then there’s Gaston Lachaise’s formidable Standing Woman. She has a presence that makes the word “standing” seem like a considerable understatement.
The new neighbors include Huma Bhabha’s We Come in Peace. Looking at it, I’m not entirely reassured. But perhaps that’s a useful response to art: a little curiosity, a little uncertainty, and the feeling that you should keep an eye on something.
You may also recognize KAWS’s recurring character, Companion, in a work called Shelter. Even if the artist’s name is unfamiliar, the character might ring a bell.
You don’t need to recognize any of these names to enjoy the garden. Start with what catches your attention. You’re allowed to find something moving, funny, puzzling—or wonder why it’s there at all.
My Favorite Addition Is a Tunnel
The redesigned garden is the vision of Japanese architect and artist Hiroshi Sugimoto. My favorite part of his work here is the reopened underground passage connecting the garden to the museum.
Called Passage of Reflectance, it has stainless steel walls that turn the walk into a shifting display of reflections. There’s a bit of the funhouse mirror about it, which I mean as a compliment.
A museum passageway can simply get you from one place to another. This one gives you a reason to enjoy the trip.
During my visit, there was also someone writing haiku for visitors while they waited. Sculpture, reflections, and a poem to take away. A rather good outing.
The Immigrant Behind the Museum
It’s worth pausing amid all this art to remember the person whose name is on the building.
Joseph Hirshhorn was born in Latvia, one of thirteen children, and came to the United States with his widowed mother as a young boy. He began working on Wall Street as a teenager, built a fortune, and became an enthusiastic art collector.
His business career had its controversies, including trouble with Canadian securities authorities. Like many of the people whose names appear around Washington, his story has more than one side.
Hirshhorn ultimately gave his collection and money for a museum to the Smithsonian. He described the gift as a small repayment to the country that had given him opportunities as an immigrant.
That adds another layer to a visit here. Behind the sculptures is a story about immigration, ambition, wealth, collecting, and what someone chooses to give back.
Make Time to Wander
I thoroughly enjoyed the renovated garden. It gives you reasons to slow down, follow your curiosity, and have a conversation about what you’re seeing. Agreement is optional.
On a National Mall visit packed with museums and memorials, that makes a welcome change of pace.
Want to include the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden in your visit to Washington? My private See It All tour is customized around your interests. We can explore the garden, visit the monuments, and discover the people and stories behind the places you’ve come to see.