At The Museum

Exploration and Discovery — Every Step Tells A Story

We weave storytelling, the arts, music, sports, science, and history into each program to guide our individual journey's toward understanding.

The only museum of its kind, the O Museum in The Mansion is dedicated to exploring the creative process. We inspire creativity, diversity and imagination through the fusion of the arts, music, science and sports. We empower people to dare to be different — and achieve things beyond what they know.

When you visit this unique attraction on your next Washington DC trip, you'll find your way through immersive themed exhibits, art galleries, secret doors (we have over 80 of them!), and covert passages to a world never experienced. You'll be walking in the footsteps of presidents and freedom fighters, historians and authors, artists and musicians, athletes, scholars and many more.

Named "The coolest place in DC" by Booking.com we are a fun museum with unique collections that promote and embrace life, from every culture, resulting in a wide-ranging collection of paintings, photographs, sculpture, books, artifacts, music, sports, science, and architecture from all over the globe. From the art, to the music, to the surroundings, no visit is ever the same.

Click on each of the images to watch a video


  • "Through the Looking Glass Exhibition" at O Museum with Robert James Studio

  • Sculptors of "Through The Looking Glass" Exhibit at The O Museum

  • The Pawn Stars Visit O Museum

  • Cicely Tyson and Miles Davis at The Mansion on O Street

  • Allyson Felix's Rio Olympics Running Spike - the Most Decorated U.S. Olympic Track Athlete Ever

  • Traveling Wilburys Promo Guitars

  • The Genesis of O Museum’s Secret Doors

  • The Fifth Dimension Room at O Museum in The Mansion

  • Newest Secret Door!

  • Have you seen the Halloween Room at The O?

  • Muppet shoes!

  • Britney Spears Guitar!

  • Explore The O with our intern Gus!

  • Every Step Tells a Story (Full Show)

  • The Log Cabin Room & James Patterson's Best Selling Book Four Blind Mice

  • New Immersive Experience, Chucky's Room

  • About O Museum in The Mansion

  • O Museum at a Pawn Stars Auction

  • Heroes & Artist-in-Residence Programs at O Museum

  • How O Museum Got It's Start

  • O Museum's Mission

  • The Billiards Room at O Museum in The Mansion

  • Sneek Peek of O Museum's New Exhibit - "Through The Looking Glass"

  • Bruce Springsteen Signed Guitar

  • Rare Wizard of Oz Books

  • Paul McCartney of The Beatles Signed Guitar

  • Traveling Wilburys Guitars

  • The Mother of The Civil Rights Movement Signed Statue

  • Miss USA Crown Up Close at O Museum in The Mansion

  • Mrs. Rosa Parks & O Museum in The Mansion

  • Bring on the music and dance with us!

  • Angels Exist - A True Story Of Angels at O Museum in The Mansion

  • We'll Be Dancing Together Again Soon!

  • Music & Magic at O Museum. Featuring Felix Cavaliere: Everytime She Tells Me That She's Mine

  • Artifact Stories: Room Magic

  • We celebrate the hero in each and everyone of us.

  • Artifact Story: Traveling Wilburys

  • Artifact Stories: Musical Bathroom!

  • Artifact Stories: Norman Rockwell

  • Artifact Stories: Vanilla Ice the Electrician

  • Artifact Story: John Lennon's Psychic

  • Artifact Stories: The John Lennon Bathroom

  • Artifact Stories: Puzzling!

  • The Mansion on O Street

  • Ted Talks Books at the Mansion on O Street

  • Stories From Within: Cordell

  • O Museum Artifact Story: Mrs. Rosa Park's Congressional Medal of Honor Maquette

  • O Museum Artifact Story: Russian Samovar

  • When H and Rosa Parks met the Pope

  • Tik Tok McCartney Fast Final

Here you will find original artwork by Mersad Berber, Frederick Hart, Gerald Johnson, Jimi Hendrix and others; artist's letters; sports, movie, and music from rare Beatles memorabilia, to Janis Joplin's guitars and Bob Dylan's guitar when he was inducted into the Rock-and-Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, Miss USA's crown, Prince's Purple Rain Jacket, the flag that flew over Merrill Lynch during 9-11, and an original letter written by John Lennon. Our galleries are not limited to one genre so you'll also find written manuscripts, rare photos, art; pop art, modern art, etchings, photography, pop-culture, and signed guitars (we have more than 60).

O Street Museum offers an immersive, tactile experience making it one of DC's most unique attractions. Guests will search for hidden doors, leaf through manuscripts, touch sculpture, hear rare studio cuts, and tour through an array of diverse achitectual styles, secret doors, and our legendary themed exhibits — like the Log Cabin, the John Lennon Suite, the Safari room, and Mrs. Rosa Parks' room (we were her home-away-from-home for nearly 10 years).

Secrets & Spies

From it's rich history, to it's secret doors and hidden alcoves, mystery and intrigue are part of O Street's DNA. In the 1930's the home was converted into three separate rooming houses for FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover's G-men. To combat the rise of organized crime, outlaws, and gangsters J. Edgar Hoover formed the Federal Bureau of Investigation. These new agents became known by the name G-men (short for "Government Man"). Their operations were covert and the agents were so little known that they were often confused with Secret Service or Prohibition Bureau agents.

Exhibits included in all tours

Agent X
Secrets, Spies, and Espionage
Agent X

Try to find our 82nd secret door and journey into the world of things you didn’t know about when it comes to the dark world of espionage and intrigue. This exhibit focuses on spies in the music world, NASA, Agent X (our Lego man) and how books were used to gather information. Want to go even deeper?  Add an espionage hunt to your secret door tour.

American Civics
Shepard Fairey & Jim Marshall
American Civics

The first-ever collaboration between acclaimed contemporary artist Shepard Fairey and the estate of legendary photographer Jim Marshall. In it, Fairey interprets Marshall's iconic photography from the 1960's, including images of Johnny Cash, Cesar Chavez, and Fannie Lee Chaney, with five new works, vividly depicting the humanity behind some of our country's enduring social justice issues: Voting Rights, Mass Incarceration, Workers' Rights, Gun Culture, and Two Americas. The art of American Civics gives a face to these issues to cultivate dialogue and encourage vigorous solutions to problems that have divided the country and eroded the core of the American ideals.
Learn more

Generously donated by Michael Jensen, President/Founder Jensen Communications Inc. Jensen Communications, Inc. is a media, marketing and management firm specializing in public relations serving a diverse range of clients in entertainment, business, cause-related politics and the arts.

American Roots
American Roots

Become a pioneer as you immerse yourself in the great American West in our custom built Log Cabin exhibit. Here you'll find original Remington bronze sculptures, a hand carved wooden bear, southwestern art and artifacts, textiles, and more. A fan favorite, this exhibit room was even featured in a chapter of James Patterson's book "Four Blind Mice". 

Artis Lane
Designer of Rosa Parks' Congressional Medal of Honor
Artis Lane

Artis hails from North Buxton, a small town in Canada near Ontario that is largely populated by the descendants of slaves who escaped using the Underground Railroad. In Artis' words "My Civil Rights images led me naturally to ideas about what and who we are outside of race. I went from there to the most important body of work, the metaphysical images of generic man and generic woman emerging out of the ignorance of material concepts and evolving into spiritual awareness."
Her family moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan when she was a toddler, and throughout her childhood she became interested in drawing and painting. She received a scholarship to the Ontario College of Art in Toronto. Upon graduation, she continued her education at the Cranbrook Academy of Art and moved back to Detroit with her new husband, Bill. She became a close personal friend of Mrs. Rosa Parks while there.
 
While in Detroit, she painted and sculpted portraits of many political and business leaders of the day, including members of the Ford Family, Governor George Romney and Mayor Coleman Young. From there she moved to New York, Texas, New Mexico and Mexico City before settling in Los Angeles.
 
Artis created the Congressional Medal of Honor that was presented to Ms. Parks in 1999. Lane has designed multiple sculptures of Mrs. Rosa Parks, which can be found in the collections of the Smithsonian Portrait Museum and The Mrs. Rosa Parks Museum located at Troy State.
 
The National Congress of Black Women commissioned her to create a bust of women's rights activist and abolitionist Sojourner Truth which was unveiled in 2009 by former First Lady Michelle Obama in the Emancipation Hall of the Capitol Visitor Centre. Truth was the first woman to be honored with a bust at the U.S. Capitol.
 
Artis’s impressive list of commissions also include sculptures of President George H. W. Bush, Walter Annenberg. President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, Gordon Getty, Nelson Mandela, Henry Kissinger, Oprah Winfrey, President Reagan, Jaqueline Kennedy and Michael Jordan.
 
Lane's sculpture was described as "primarily concerned with portraying what she sees as enduring spiritual truths. These truths are that the growth of spiritual awareness is continuous and that nobody ever arrives at perfection. In addition, spiritual awareness connects humans with a universal force." by the St. James Guide to Black Artists.
Artis has been an artist-in-residence many times at O Museum.

Character, Not Characters
CADE MARTIN: World's Top 200 Photographers
Character, Not Characters

A new photography exhibit from Cade Martin

Inspiration doesn't play by many rules. It rides in on the wind and shares your coffee break. Recently during a project, a client and I got to talking about tattoos. She mentioned a tattoo festival being held in the Washington DC area in the coming weeks. There it was, the spark of inspiration. I don't have any tattoos myself but the thought of all those people with their stories essentially written on their bodies was something I felt an immediate pull to photograph. I'm always seeking characters and these were characters I wanted to capture.

EXPERIENCE THE SHOOT >

These portraits are so alive with stories, the backgrounds amplifying the investment in expression. These people had amazingly detailed, as well as personal, tattoo work, it was such a clear commitment of time - and money - on their part. The whole experience turned out to be a blast - talking and working with people from all walks of life bonded by their ink. It's been amazing to spend a few minutes with these people and to make their portraits. I find the end product captivating, mysterious and revealing. But, I still don't have any tattoos.

ABOUT CADE MARTIN:
An artist-in-residence at O Museum many times Cade was named one of the 200 Best Advertising Photographers in the world -- his meticulous attention to detail helps shape an environment that echoes the real world. Filled with strength and clarity, perfectly composed and lit with a simple elegance, his photographs touch the deepest emotions.

Cade Martin has shot for some of the most iconic brands in the world including Capital One, Discovery Channel, Target, Marriott International, and Starbucks to name a few.

Chucky's Room
Chucky's Room

Face your fears or find a new friend when you enter one of our newest immersive exhibits. Chucky's Room celebrates America's love affair with Halloween and Scary Movies. Hidden behind a secret door you'll experience an adrenaline rush like never before — if you dare to enter.

Watch Video

Crown Jewels of Music
Nina Miller
Crown Jewels of Music

Nina Miller loves all animals, some people, music, books, sparkly things, and all things vintage. Perpetually getting lost, but with a strong inner-compass, she resides in Nashville with her little monster, Oliver. Nina has been an artist-in-residence many times at O Museum.

Founded in 2002, The Gibson Foundation is committed to making the world a better place for children by creating, developing and supporting programs and other non-profit organization in their efforts to advance education, music and the arts, the environment and health and welfare causes. Nina is the Executive Director of The Gibson Foundation.

East Meets West
Art of TU-2
East Meets West

Did you know Mrs. Parks intently studied many religions including Buddhism, Hindusim and others. She loved the painting below which hangs in her room. 

Tu Ying-Ming, (or English: Ying-Ming Tu) is a visual fine artist who focuses on painting, photography, and documentary films. Born a Gemini - hence his self-given nickname, “Tu-2” (pronounced “Tutu” or “too too”) - to a Hakka family in Taiwan.

After serving in the Taiwan military as a bodyguard to Chiang Kai-Shek, Tu-2 emigrated to America. He was sitting in a cafe with ex-patriots, and they asked him what he wanted to do now that he was in the U.S. His response was “I don’t know. All I do know is I don’t want to be involved in any more wars.” They told him he should become an artist then. So he said “Great idea. I used to draw when I was four and liked it!” When he graduated from UCLA in film and television, his first job was drawing animation for King of the Hill. His Mickey Mao series has shown in Taipei, Los Angeles and Belgium, and was well received by the public and critics alike.

O Street Museum Foundation was proud to have hosted Tu-2 as an artist-in-residence — a brilliant and gifted artist, whose work is an inspiration to all who view it.

Elie Abrahami
The Bridge From Persia to Paris
Elie Abrahami

Elie Abrahami has spent 1/3 of his life in Persia, Israel and France. He grew up in a strict orthodox Jewish family with 11 children in Persia, where it was against the rules to read or write. The family emigrated to Israel, where he was conscripted into the Army.

Even though Elie was 5'2" he continually got into fights and was thrown in Israel's military prison, where he was taught how to read and write. For a while he was in charge of burning the garbage at the prison, and he started to use the black soot from the flames to draw pictures of Warren Beaty and Marilyn Monroe for cigarettes.

An Israeli government official visiting the prison saw his drawings and asked to meet the artist. They immediately released him from prison and gave him a scholarship to the Avni School of Fine Arts, Tel Aviv, from 1964-1968. Later he attended the École des Beaux-Arts, Paris, from 1970-1972. He has been living and working in Paris since the late 1960s.

Abrahami has had numerous one-person exhibitions both in the United States and throughout the world. His works can be found in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and internationally in public and private collections, including the Tel Aviv Museum and the Rothschild Collection, Paris.

Today he speaks 15 languages and has been an artist-in-residence at The O Museum in the Mansion many times.

Faces of Hope
Chip Duncan
A Photo Exhibit of Afghanistan, Pakistan & Darfur
Faces of Hope

“The images in this collection speak volumes about the wisdom, joy, humor, love and sorrow found every day Afghanistan, Pakistan and Darfur. The people profiled in this exhibition overcome unimaginable crisis every day. Their spirit is my inspiration.” — Chip Duncan

Filmmaker, author, photographer and recipient of more than 100 national and international awards for his work, Chip Duncan has filmed in more than forty countries, including many areas impacted by natural and manmade disaster. He is also a board member for Relief International (RI.org) and has been an artist-in-residence many times at O Museum.

Duncan’s work is profiled in the book Enough To Go Around – Searching for Hope in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Darfur (Select Books, NYC, 2009).

This is the first exhibit of Duncan’s work in the Washington DC area. Chip Duncan’s Afghanistan photos were exhibited during August, 2011 as part of the World Peace Festival in Berlin.

Faith
Exploration of things greater than ourselves
Faith

Immerse yourself in life’s biggest questions, from hundreds of Bibles, Talmuds, the Koran …  to the legacies of artists, musicians, thinkers and heroes who are all creators, for good.  Enjoy art, fashion, music, movies, science, sports  and different cultures from around the world, all united in the common capacity and unquenchable desire — to dream. This faith based journey endeavors to dig deep into our conscious (and unconscious) to understand that it doesn’t matter what we believe — as long as we believe in something greater than ourselves.  

Discover the deep impact faith can have throughout our thrilling 30,000 square foot museum, and make sense out of the love you feel, exploring and experiencing the diversity of the O Museum.  Every step tells a story.

First Ladies of Rock
Gerald Johnson
First Ladies of Rock

Gerald Johnson's art can be found in the National Gallery of Art, The White House, and the Treasury Department, as well as over three hundred corporate collections in America, Europe and China.

He was born in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania and now lives in the DC area. He earned his fine arts degree and completed his graduate studies in printmaking and painting at Carnegie-Mellon University and the University of North Carolina. Gerald has been an artist-in-residence many times at O Museum.

"The O Museum has challenged my creativity and championed my art. Every artist's dream is to find a receptive audience for their work. Twenty-five years ago, carrying 10 tiny collages into this mysterious house on O Street I found that audience; always saying "Do what is in your heart."

From the Gardens of Babylon to Alice in Wonderland
From the Gardens of Babylon to Alice in Wonderland

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. They were described as a remarkable feat of engineering with an ascending series of tiered gardens containing a wide variety of trees, shrubs, and vines, resembling a large green mountain constructed of mud bricks.

The Hanging Gardens are the only one of the Seven Wonders for which the location has not been definitively established. Many scholars believe it's mythical.

Imagination and using creativity to help others has always been the most meaningful form of survival. Lewis Carroll is an example of this. He was deaf in one ear, had severe epilepsy, was a recluse, had attention deficit, and yet, he wrote 11 mathematics books and 12 literary books of fantasy — most notably “Alice in Wonderland” and its sequel, “Through The Looking Glass”. Follow us down the rabbit hole to a whole new wondrous world beginning in the front gardens, then wind through over 100 rooms and more than 80 secret doors, all leading you to the Secret Gardens, which will ignite your heart and imagination.

Gibson Guitars
Gibson Guitars

This guitar was a wedding gift to H & Ted from Les Paul. In keeping with The Mansion spirit he signed it upside down.

A history of innovation and quality has led Gibson guitars to become the premier supplier of guitars the world over.

Their rich sound, innovative design and legendary models have become classics, and are a testament to Gibson's wide appeal, spanning more than four decades of music styles.

Thanks to the generous donations of Gibson, the O Street Museum Foundation collection includes over 60 signed instruments, played by both famous and wanna-be musicians who love the best, Gibson.

Go Tell It On The Mountain
Go Tell It On The Mountain

"Just like my paintings, I am faceless. I aspire to create other people’s hope through my art. It’s not about me."

Kallé Siekkinen is a self-taught artist from New Orleans and he paints from the heart. He enjoys painting on recycled materials using house paint, wood stain and stucco and is influenced by his friend and mentor the late, internationally renowned folk artist, Bill Hemmerling.

Most of his subjects are children and many of his paintings in some way represent his own life experiences. His painting are frequently faceless and often times painted jet black, more like a silhouette. Kalle says, “the color black is a mixture of all the colors in the world and is meant to represent everyone. By not having facial details, it allows the viewer to complete the painting by seeing the figures as whomever they choose”.

In his new series, Kalle enjoys using a wide variety of colors in an effort to portray unity among all people and spreading a message of love, diversity, and inclusion and in his own words, “hopes to change the world”.

Kalle’s paintings have sold to collectors abroad and have become a favorite among educators and directors of diversity. Many of his paintings can be seen in t.v. shows and movies such as Queen Sugar, Girls Trip, and C.S.I New Orleans.

Many of his paintings were created at the O Museum in the Mansion in Washington, D.C.

Houdini's Mystery Clocks
Houdini's Mystery Clocks

In the early part of the 1800s, a remarkable Frenchman, Jean-Eugene Robert-Houdin combined the talents of a skilled clock and watchmaker with those of a master magician to produce a series of clocks that ranked then, and now, as among the most famous and fabled time pieces in history.

To understand and appreciate the clocks, it is good to know a bit about Monsieur Robert-Houdin himself. The son of a Parisian watchmaker, Robert-Houdin became adept at designing and constructing remarkable automata, which he featured in magic shows he presented in and around Paris in the early 1800s.

Robert-Houdin’s reputation as a conjuror gained him substantial notoriety and attracted the attention of the French government when, in 1856, an insurrection arose among tribes attempting to unseat the French colonial government in the Algiers. Believing that Robert-Houdin could command the attention and respect of the people with his magic, the French government appointed him an ambassador and sent him to attempt to quell the uprising. Shortly after his arrival, the new ambassador displayed his magic prowess by inviting a young girl to attempt to lift a small wooden chest that had been set on the ground before him. The child was able to lift the chest readily, which she then replaced on the ground. Robert-Houdin then invited one of the largest, strongest men in the group to join in to attempt to do the same thing, but he warned that he intended to cast a “spell” on the man to deprive him of all his powers. When the man attempted to lift the chest, he could not, try as he might. Yet, the child was able to return and once more list the chest without hesitation.

Robert-Houdin created his miracle with the aid of electromagnetism, a little known phenomenon at the time. Unbeknownst to the audience, he had planted a large electromagnet in the ground before the performance. A hidden assistant could activate the magnet at the appropriate time, and a thick steel plate inside the little chest made it impossible to lift the chest when the magnet was energized.

Robert-Houdin’s apparent miracle deeply impressed the citizenry. But, a peaceful resolution was reached not because of their having been awed by his magic, but because following the performance, Robert-Houdin took them into his confidence and explained the secret, thereby gaining their trust.

Robert-Houdin returned to France a hero and was summoned to Blois (the seat of the French monarchy before Versailles) to be thanked and honored. Today, a monument, museum, and performing center exists in Blois, dedicated to Jean-Eugene Robert-Houdin, who remains France’s most celebrated magician/ambassador.

(Temporarily on loan to the Dickens Theatre)

John Lennon
John Lennon

Legendary songwriter, musician, artist and pacifist John Lennon embodies the mission of the O Street Museum Foundation through his own personal journey of evolution and exploration.

Always growing Lennon continued to promote messages of peace and love though his lyrics, music and performance art.

The O Street Museum Foundation is proud to continue his efforts and pay tribute to this visionary with a collection that includes art, architecture, letters and rare studio performances that showcase his genius.

Our support of Jonhn Lennon's mission extends beyond the O Street Museum Foundation. When The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame needed help funding an exclusive exhibit focused on John Lennon, the O Street Museum Foundation's founder raised $1m in cash and another $500,000 in-kind networking equipment to help bring this exhibit to life.

Luangisa
African Art Show
Luangisa

LUANGISA African Gallery was founded in 1996 by the Luangisa family from Bukoba, Tanzania. They carry authentic, Fair Trade, modern African art, artifacts, fashion, home decor, jewelry and textiles. They work directly with artisans across the continent to share their rich African culture and heritage with the world.

Nomads
Indigenous Mexican Art & Culture
Nomads

This wonderous collection showcases Mexican contemporary indigenous arts & crafts, created by world renowned artists, and has exhibited in Montreal, Boston and New York. This D.C. exhibit is supported by the Mexican Cultural Institute of Washington DC.

From pottery to beadwork and beyond you'll find many colorful creative pieces that reflect Mexican culture exhibited throughout the museum.  

Ottoman Magic
Mersad Berber
Ottoman Magic

Hailed as one of the greatest and most distinctive painters and graphic artists in the world, Mersad Berber was born in Bosanski Petrovac in 1940. He studied art at the Academy of Fine Arts in Ljubljana, and later became a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Sarajevo. His works chronicled Bosnia, reflecting the multi-layered cultural history.

An honorary member of the Russian Academy of Arts, he has received approximately 50 awards and he has had exhibits in cities all over the world, from London and Madrid, New York to Moscow, Jakarta and New Delhi.

Experts consider him to be one of the greatest post-Classic artists in the world. His most significant projects were “Chronicles of Sarajevo”, “A Trip to Skender Vakuf”, “Srebrenica”, “A Homage to Vlaho Bukovac”, and “Ottoman Chronicles” among others.

One of our artists-in-residence, O Museum In The Mansion is proud to have curated his first exhibit in the U.S. at The World Bank in 1982.

Pop Culture
Pop Culture

The world is an ever changing place. And it can be a lonely place. Each one of us is completely different... and yet, in many ways... the same.

We celebrate that each one of us is a hero, an artist, a brain, an athlete... and above all a human being wanting to connect with others.

We erase all boundaries like race, religion and nationality which alienates us from our fellow humans and suppresses our true potential.

By searching for and developing our unique individual narrative we are better able to find our purpose in the world around us.

What is your story, your purpose, your essence? At O Museum in The Mansion we dare you to ask those questions.
Discover your internal super hero...you may be surprised with what you find.

Our new Pop-Culture Experience room celebrates our everyday journey exploring the culture that is all around us defining our times in each moment. It encompasses who we are and helps us to connect — whether it’s the music we listen to, the shows we watch, the art we see or the things we do — we all play a part in creating popular culture.

Rebirth. Transformation. Healing.
The Art of Thom Wheeler
Rebirth. Transformation. Healing.

Thom Wheeler is a Texas native who became one of Houston's foremost contemporary sculptors in the 1970's/80's, creating many large commissions for corporations and architects, commercial and public spaces such as hotel and bank lobbies. He worked in grand scale ranging from 54 feet for bas relief works to 60 feet tall three dimensional pieces. Major works were executed for Banco di Roma, Rome, Italy; The Grand Hotel, Houston; and Ole Miss University, Oxford, Mississippi among many others. Private collectors include Dr. Jonas Salk and country music star Randy Travis.

He's had one-man shows in several cities including San Francisco, Palm Springs, and New Orleans, and been feature or cover artist in several publications including "Southwest Art", "New Mexico Magazine", and "The Houston Chronicle".

His materials are highly polished and textured metals such as brass, copper, and aluminum plate set with ivory, wood, cast glass, stag horn, and stone such as turquoise, malachite and jasper. His tools include the band saw, lathe, drill press, shears, kilns, welding machines, buffers, and sanders.

Thom moved to Taos in 1985 where he began concentrating on smaller pieces with a feeling for the icons of the West and Southwest - gypsy women faces, crosses, bucking broncos, howling coyotes, cow skulls, and the saguaro cacti. As he said, "You could call this my interpretation of Indian jewelry." He actually calls these works "wall jewelry".

Rock Icons
Photography of Jim Marshall
Rock Icons

Jim Marshall was an American photographer and photojournalist who photographed musicians of the 1960s and 1970s. Earning their trust, he had extended access to his subjects both on and off-stage. Marshall was the official photographer for the Beatles' final concert in San Francisco's Candlestick Park, and he was head-photographer at Woodstock.  

Marshall said, “When I'm photographing people, I don't like to give any direction. There are no hair people fussing around, no make-up artists. I'm like a reporter, only with a camera; I react to my subject in their environment, and if it's going well, I get so immersed in it that I become one with the camera.”  His iconic photograph of Janis Joplin captures her inner soul, and tugs at your heart.  We are so honored that Jim donated many photographs to OM.

Rock The Runway
Rock The Runway

This fashion oasis lies behind a secret door. Here you’ll explore the art of fashion, style, and being unique, that personifies the lesson: if each and everyone of us Dares to be Different, Anything is Possible.

Fashion and style take many forms from; Audrey Hepburn’s My Fair Lady’s dress, Emmylou Harris red suede outfit worn when she was inducted into The Grand Ole’ Opry, Prince’s gold lame’ suit he wore to his wedding -- and his final Madison Square Garden concert February 11, 2011 (when he kicked Kim Kardashian off his stage when she wouldn’t dance with him), to tour jackets from icons like Joe Walsh of the Eagles, John Lennon of The Beatles, The Stones, Heart … the list goes on and on.

Featured in the exhibition is the crown for Miss USA, worn by Courtney Gibbs, 1988 (donated by Paula Shugart, of Miss Universe), as well as Louboutin shoes and felt hats worn by Janet Jackson in many of her music videos. 

An original oil painting by Craig Allen of Marilyn Monroe tops off this extraordinary exhibit.

Rythmic Rebels
Sandrine Lee
Rythmic Rebels

French born photographer Sandrine Lee has lived, studied and worked in NYC for over a decade. Via her husband, Will Lee, she has entered the music world and made it her main photographic playground. Sandrine has been an artist-in-residence many times at O Museum.

“I love working with musicians, they are creatively open, daring & most don't take themselves too seriously! It's refreshing in these serious times. I think that in order to take a good portrait, I have to fall in love with my subject a little. For some it's pure admiration of their talent, others their heart and soul and some the whole package. And so, more often then not they become friends and no matter what, they are all dear to me. I feel so lucky to have gotten close to them and hope that their beautiful essence shows through to all, as it does for me.”
— Sandrine Lee

Swingers
PGA's Greatest Golfers
Swingers

Some say baseball is America's favorite pastime, but if you ask anyone that’s ever held a golf club they'll disagree. Golf challenges both your mind and body, it invites you to look inward and work towards improvement. Whether you have a love for the game, relish the business done on the golf course, or simply enjoy swinging a club you will feel connected when you find The St.Andrews Suite, where over 30 pro golfers have stayed. 

Golf is about heart, soul, and perserverance; did you know that even a horrific car accident did not stop Ben Hogan from becoming the “hardest working” golfer?  In 1953, the “Hogan Slam” was where he won all 3 majors in a single calendar year -- after his near-death injuries. 

From the seventeenth-century landscapes of golf to today, artists have approached golf from a diverse range of perspectives. In Scotland—the birthplace of the modern game — Charles Lees presented his heroic masterpiece The Golfers, while in the US, impressionistic landscapes by Childe Hassam and James McNeill Whistler underscored the relationship between golf, modern ideas about recreation, and genteel manners. 

Swingers brings together eclectic and unusual whimsical works of art and memorabilia, to celebrate the words of Bobby Jones (one of the games most beloved players) said: "In golf, the most important distance is the five inches between the ears. No putt, or detail, is too small to be despised.  The secret to golf, and business, is to turn three shots into two. I never learned anything from a match I won." Explore the hidden stories of Golf’s most prolific athletes when you visit.

Take Me Out To The Ballgame
Take Me Out To The Ballgame

In our Collection: Roger Maris Rookie Travel Suitcase

Best known as the man who broke Babe Ruth's single-season home run record - Maris set the new record after a spirited season-long duel with fellow New York Yankee Mickey Mantle.

Like all artists, athletes require talent, determination and vision to become champions. It is their belief in themselves to be the best that we honor through our collection of rare sports memorabilia that includes: a unique collection donated by The Cincinnati Reds — as well as Beatles baseballs and items donated by The Grateful Dead commemorating America's favorite pastime.

The Art of The Game
Athletes & The Creative Process
The Art of The Game

NEW EXHIBIT COMING SOON!

The Cathedral
Art of Frederick Hart
The Cathedral

American master sculptor Frederick Hart is recognized for creating a body of work — at once traditional in its adherence to the human figure, radical in its sensuality, and innovative in its materials. 

Hart gained international stature for his The Creation Sculptures on the west facade of Washington National Cathedral, which include three tympana Ex Nihilo (Out of Nothing), Creation of Day and Creation of Night, and three trumeau figures, Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Adam carved in Indiana limestone. The cathedral, located in Washington, D.C. is the sixth largest Gothic cathedral in the world. The works were commissioned in 1974, and dedicated between 1978-84. Author Tom Wolfe commented in The New York Times in January 2000, "(Hart) won what would turn out to be the biggest and most prestigious commission for religious sculpture in America in the twentieth century."

One of the most visited monuments in Washington, D.C. is Hart’s heroic bronze statue Three Soldiers, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, dedicated by President Ronald Reagan in 1984. 

Hart pioneered the use of clear acrylic resin to create cast figurative sculptures. He patented the process by which one clear acrylic sculpture was embedded within another. In 1997, Hart presented a unique casting of The Cross of the Millennium to Pope John Paul II in a private ceremony at the Vatican in Rome. When it was unveiled Pope John Paul II called this sculpture “a profound theological statement for our day.”

Frederick Hart was articulate in describing the passion and vision that drove him to create such works of beauty. He said, “I believe that art has a moral responsibility, that it must pursue something higher than itself. Art must be a part of life. It must exist in the domain of the common man. It must be an enriching, ennobling, and vital partner in the public pursuit of civilization. It should be a majestic presence in everyday life just as it was in the past.”

Mr. Hart was an artist-in-residence at The O. In addition to some of our plaster ceilings and angels, you can find many of the pieces that he donated to us including a moquette of Three Soldiers before he passed away in 1999.

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The Fab Four
The Fab Four

Hailed as the architects of the musical revolution of the Sixties, The Beatles are still considered one of the most prolific bands, ever.

Their success was driven by a combination of factors, including songwriting genius and solid group harmonies that were a hallmark of their recordings.

What set them apart was their steadfast belief that they were the best in the world. Their focus, ambition and hard work were devoted to that belief.

The O Street Museum Foundation shares the creative process of this chart topping band through rare recordings, photos and memorabilia.

The Jazz Box
The Jazz Box

O Museum's collection of guitars includes a rare Gittler, primitave string guitars, and over 70 signed guitars by music greats including Bruce Springsteen, Bono, Bob Dylan, and Paul McCartney to name a few. 

Our collection also includes one-of-a-kind Les Paul Guitars and artifacts. A legendary guitarist, recording artist, scientist and inventor, Les Paul left trademark innovations on everything he touched.

Though he is famous for being a jazz-pop icon, it is his inventions that changed the face of music today. One of pioneers of sound recording, his genius developed revolutionary engineering techniques such as close miking, echo delay, overdubbing and multitracking and the first 8-track tape recorder.

Yet his crowning achievement was driven by his desire to create a stringed instrument that could make electronic sound without distortion. It took almost a decade of work to create his solid bodied instrument - the Gibson Les Paul. Gibson's Les Paul Standard went on to become the most popular of all models of electric guitar. It is Les Paul's pursuit of engineering excellence in the science of sound, as well as his musical genius, that we honor at the O Street Museum Foundation.

You can see a one-of-a-kind, hand painted, personally signed Les Paul guitar when you visit the museuem. In keeping with the whimsy and humor of the OSMF, Les signed his guitar, upside down.

Photo: Thomas Faivre-Duboz Paris, France (Les Paul Live @ Iridium Jazz Club / NYC)

The Silk Road
The Silk Road

Did you know the Silk Road is neither an actual road nor a single route? The term instead refers to a network of routes used by traders for more than 1,500 years, spreading over 4,200 miles of treacherous mountains and deserts in Asia. 

The Silk Road mirrors our quest for magic and discovery of the unknown.  It is a journey, much like life, with danger at every turn, filled with hope.  It’s about the unexpected, and when you fall down, you get up, over and over again.  

Look for the Asian room, filled with things from Tibet, China, Mt. Everest, Japan.  Every room -- even the Pop Culture Room and Graceland --  holds a piece of this road, a piece of memory, of times gone by, and hope for the future.

The Urban Safari
The Urban Safari

Expecting wild animals?  Not at this safari.  This euphoric exhibition will be both surprising and joyous, two emotions that you do get when you go on a safari in the wild bush country of Africa.  Here you’ll find authentic, fair trade modern African art, artifacts, fashion, home decor jewelry, photographs, books and textiles from all countries on the African continent, sharing their rich culture and heritage.  You will be able to touch -- and thus feel -- an authentic leopard warriors outfit from Guyana, with brandished sword and shield, and other handcrafted unique antiques, from the 19th century on.  To get to the safari, you will have to find a secret door that takes you past Chucky’s room (enter if you dare) and the St.Andrews room, filled with golf memorabilia.

Through The Looking Glass
Included in Secret Door Tour
Through The Looking Glass

Step into a whimsical world of Lewis Carroll and other cherished children's book characters to see Alice, The Queen of Hearts, Winnie the Pooh, Piglet, Peter Rabbit, and many more iconic creations come to life through a mesmerizing ensemble of meticulously crafted bronze sculptures.

The genesis of this one-in-the-world exhibition traces back to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in London, where Leonards, who created The Mansion and the O Museum in 1980, was captivated by a remarkable collection of handmade bronze sculptures. 

The Robert James Studio, which created the exhibit, is a three-time, five-star winner at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, considered the pinnacle of horticultural excellence in the UK.

ABOUT THE ARTIST
James Coplestone has been making art works of various kinds for nearly 30 years.

Living in the rolling hills of West Dorset, England, his sculptures — based upon his love of literature are taking shape. Classic illustrations modeled in clay and then turned into bronze.

He uses old tools and finger prints to press, move and model clay into position to capture the breath of the character... as if they have momentarily stepped out of the book into the three dimensional world.

Traveling Wilburys
Traveling Wilburys

Artifacts from the supergroup that featured Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty, George Harrison, and Roy Orbison

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Mrs. Rosa Parks, The Mother of The Civil Rights Movement & The O

Mrs. Parks' story, legacy, and connection to African American history in Washington, D.C. is little known - and yet, critical to the work she did. From 1994 to 2004 The Mansion on O and the O Street Museum was the place Mrs. Rosa Parks called her home-away-from-home.

Click on each of the images to watch a video


  • Did You Know Things You Don't Know Or Remember About Mrs Rosa Parks With The Edlin School, VA

  • Mrs. Rosa Parks' History at O Museum In The Mansion, Washington, DC

  • OFFICIAL "Thank You Sister Rosa" Featuring Cyril Neville & Mark Bryan

  • Congressman John Lewis' Inspiration — Mrs. Rosa Parks

  • Happy Birthday Mrs. Rosa Parks!

  • Rosa Parks: Douglas Brinkley at The Library of Congress

  • Mrs. Rosa Parks, Beyond The Bus Author on C-SPAN American History TV

  • NBC Washington Visited O Museum To Celebrate Rosa Parks Day

  • H speaks to Womens National Democratic Club

  • H.H. Leonards Author of “Rosa Parks Beyond the Bus” at the Carroll Arts Center

  • WUSA 9- Rosa Parks' Time Living in DC

  • C Span Interview - Love is all that Matters

  • H's New Book!

  • Rosa Parks Beyond The Bus - Enough Featuring Ranky Tanky

  • ROSA PARKS BEYOND THE BUS: Life, Lessons, and Leadership

  • ROSA PARKS BEYOND THE BUS: Life, Lessons, and Leadership

  • C Span Interview - The Real Mrs Rosa Parks

  • WJLA Interview with H

  • Aretha Franklin & Rev. Jesse Jackson - "I'll Fly Away"

  • Susan Reyburn, Author of Rosa Parks: In Her Own Words Discussing the Book at O Museum in The Mansion

  • Smokey Robinson — You Are Forever

  • Jesse Colin Young : For My Sisters

  • Mrs. Rosa Parks & O Museum in The Mansion

  • C Span Interview - Leading by Example

  • Unveiling of Rosa Parks Plaque, 5/31/19

  • Making The Music: "Mrs. Rosa Parks" Featuring Cyril Neville & Mark Bryan of Hootie and The Blowfish

  • Spreading Mrs. Rosa Parks Messages of Unity & Love #HoldMyHandChallenge #RosaParks

  • C Span Interview - Truth Behind the Title

  • Take a Mrs. Rosa Parks Tour

  • Did You Know These Things About Mrs. Rosa Parks? #HoldMyHandChallenge

  • FOX 5: Rosa Parks and The Mansion on O Street

  • Rosa Parks: Douglas Brinkley at The Library of Congress

  • Living My Own Religion

  • That All Might Know Love — From Our Album "Love Is All That Matters"

  • OFFICIAL "Thank You Sister Rosa" Featuring Cyril Neville & Mark Bryan

  • C Span Interview - Defining Moments with my Mentor

  • The Power of Love (My Wish) — Performed by Felix Cavaliere, Written by Gordon Titcomb

  • Smokey Robinson — You Are Forever

  • Jesse Colin Young : For My Sisters

  • "Band Together For America" Featuring Lee Roy Parnell, Felix Cavaliere, Joe Bonamassa (CC)

  • Love Is Love (Official Video) - Jeff Plankenhorn

  • "Band Together For America" Featuring Lee Roy Parnell, Felix Cavaliere, Joe Bonamassa

  • Making The Music: "Mrs. Rosa Parks" Featuring Cyril Neville & Mark Bryan of Hootie and The Blowfish

  • On My Way

  • Aretha Franklin & Rev. Jesse Jackson - "I'll Fly Away"

  • When H and Rosa Parks met the Pope

  • H shares Rosa Parks: Beyond the Bus with Caplin News

  • WMNF Community Speaks Podcast feat. H. H. Leonards

  • A Girl Scout's Rosa Parks Reflection

On December 1, 1955, with one simple act, Mrs. Parks changed the world. She helped spark the civil rights movement by refusing to give up her seat to a white man on a segregated Montgomery, Alabama bus. That simple act of courage made her one of the most important women in American history. A woman of few words, her action forever – and positively – impacted the lives of people all over the globe.

While Mrs. Rosa Parks was with us she met with dignitaries, heads-of-state, and leaders, including President Clinton, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Benjamin Hooks, and Dorothy Height here. Close friends of Mrs. Parks stayed with her while she was living with us, including Cicely Tyson, Mamie Till, Miles Davis, Angela Bassett, Artis Lane and her closest friend Mrs. Elaine Steele, Executive Director of The Rosa and Raymond Parks Pathways to Freedom, in Detroit, Michigan.

Mrs. Parks passed away on the 24th of October 2005 in her Detroit apartment. Her body laid in state at the Capitol Rotunda, the first woman to have ever been given this honour. She became the first African American woman to be honored with a life-size statue in the Capitol.

O Museum In The Mansion is a historic site on The African American Heritage Trail which identifies sites that are important in local and national history and culture. It recognizes the people and places that have shaped Washington, DC. A plaque commemorating Mrs. Parks was recently installed and can be seen when you visit.