Visit/Tours Bring a shopping bag. Everything is for sale.

ultimate privacy, decadent food
our chef will create a special cullinary experience just for you — based on your dietary requirements. this once-in-a-lifetime event includes a self-guided tour of our themed rooms, secret doors, and unique collections.

book wine cellar:

wine cellar, 3 course meal: $95/person
book now

wine cellar, 4 course meal: $120/person
book now

wine cellar, 5 course + apps $130/person
book now

beverages additional

room rental (3.5 hrs)
wine cellar: ($500 required) max. 12 guests for a sit-down
secret garden: ($500 required) max. 19 guests for chef's table sit-down
tiffany or candllelit dining room: ($500 required) max. 19 guests for sit-down

housekeeping/sanitization
groups under 10 people: $75
groups of 10 - 19 people: $100

please note:20% set-up / strike fee, 10% tax, and gratuity are additional. your non-refundable, non-transferable deposit will be applied to your event costs

The Coolest Place in DC! — Booking.com

Groups of 15 or more will nosh on exotic cheese & crackers while they engage in a short discussion to learn the history and philosophy of O Street Museum in The Mansion. Afterwards you'll put your super sleuth skills to the test as you search the main floor for designated items found only at O Museum in The Mansion. Prizes additional.

Includes
- Exotic cheese & crackers
- Treasure hunt
- Explore our themed rooms
- Search for secret doors
______________________________________________________

Bring your own shopping bags. 30,000 square foot gift shop! 

MUSEUM CLOSES AT 9pm for Speakeasy Hunts
ON-LINE RESERVATIONS REQUIRED 

Top 5 historic venues to explore - in the world! -Smithsonian.com

Groups of 10 or more will enjoy a Secret Door Tour and a delicious continental breakfast and engage in a short discussion to learn the history and philosophy of The Mansion. Afterwards explore our immersive themed rooms and unique exhibits to experience the creative process.

INCLUDES
- Private room (one hour)
- Continental breakfast
(sweet breads, yogurt parfait, fresh fruit, hot coffee, hot tea, hot chocolate)
- Short discussion
(on our history & philosophy)
- Explore our themed rooms
- Search for secret doors

Bring your own shopping bags. 30,000 square foot gift shop! 

Children under 17 must be accompanied by an adult at all times. (1 adult to every 4 kids)
ON-LINE RESERVATIONS REQUIRED

Must be booked on-line at least one week in advance.

Top 5 historic venues to explore - in the world! -Smithsonian.com

whether your group works for a different department or on different projects we all have the same goal -- success. this facilitator led experience will encourage teamwork, inspire creative thinking, foster communication, build leadership skills, reinforce and teach new skills.

your team will think with their hearts, and feel with their minds as they search through themed rooms and behind secret doors looking for designated items. this facilitator led experience will help generate understanding and communication as your team embarks on a hunt around the mansion - then each team will come together to present their lessons learned and discuss the similarities and differences of their experience.

Prizes additional.

We have over 100 rooms and 70 secret doors (yes 70!). We guarantee you can see at least 60 of our legendary rooms -- but be warned secret doors are tricky to find -- if you find 2 or 3 you are an above average sleuth.

$65 per person
$250 facilitator fee

INCLUDES:
- Private room for up to two hours
- Hunt Facilitator
- Treasure hunt
- Explore our themed rooms
- Search for secret doors

Offered 9am - 4pm based on availability

Bring your own shopping bags. 30,000 square foot gift shop! 

MUSEUM CLOSES AT 6pm
ON-LINE RESERVATIONS REQUIRED

Top 5 historic venues to explore - in the world! -Smithsonian.com

"Each person must live their life as a model for others."~Mrs. Rosa Parks

view Rosa Parks video >

Learn how you can be a hero from the lessons Mrs. Rosa Parks -- Mother of the Civil Rights Movement and Grandmother of the Women's Movement --taught.

During this fun interactive experience, you will explore, touch and feel the halls and rooms Mrs. Parks lived and worked in during her last decade, which are some of the most powerful years of her life.

Mrs. Rosa Parks stayed with us on and off from 1994 to 2003 as part of our Heroes Program.

She is as important today as she was in 1955. Her lessons in leadership are timeless.

You can become a hero too. Believe.

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

“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.

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."

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.

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.  

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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

Click To Play

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.

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.

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.

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)

In our Collection: Roger Maris

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 a collection of rare sports memorabilia that includes Roger Maris' travel suitcase.

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.

Become a pioneer as you immerse yourself in the great Amercian 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 Pattersons book "Four Blind Mice".  

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.

"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.

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)

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".

Did you know our secret gardens are home to one of the few rare adult chestnut trees in the U.S. Nearly extinct in the 1950's, our 60ft. - and growing - American Chestnut Tree has stood the test of time, withstanding an outbreak of blight that eradicated the majority of the chestnut tree population. 

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.

After you visit the trunk show
you'll take a journey around our 100 room mansion to search for secret doors, immersive rooms and unique exhibits.

We have over 100 rooms and 70 secret doors (yes 70!). We guarantee you can see at least 60 of our legendary rooms — but be warned secret doors are tricky to find —if you find 2 or 3 you are an above average sleuth.

We will never ruin the surprise of finding a secret door by giving you a map - or showing you where they are. So be sure to keep your eyes open! If you find two secret doors you are an above average sleuth!

Bring your own shopping bags. Everything is for sale!

This is a self-guided tourMuseum Closes
— Sunday - Wednesday at 6pm
— Thursday, Friday, Saturday nights promptly at 9 p.m.

Children under 17 must be accompanied by an adult at all times.