Glenstone Museum Expands Visitor Capacity with Guaranteed Admission for Students, Active Military Personnel, Museum Professionals, and Ride On Bus Passengers, and Extends Summer Hours

August 2, 2021
A gravel path cuts through an expanse of meadow. A number of visitors are moving toward the grey concrete buildings in the distance. Trees amass further in the landscape.

Visiting Hours to the Faith Ringgold Exhibition, Glenstone Walking Trails and Patio Extended Until 7 p.m., August 5 to September 5

POTOMAC, MD – Glenstone Museum today announced measures to expand admission capacity while maintaining the uncrowded and unhurried visitor experience that has become its hallmark.

“Our visitors have told us they would like more opportunities to enjoy Glenstone, so we want to do everything we can to accommodate them while adhering to public health and safety guidelines, especially now, when we’re about to present new installations and exhibitions in late summer and fall,” said Emily Wei Rales, director and co-founder of Glenstone Museum. “We hope these changes will make it easier for more people to join us and enjoy the art, architecture and nature in a serene atmosphere.”

As always, admission to Glenstone is free.

Effective August 5:

Guaranteed Admission

Students 12 and older, active-duty military personnel, and staff from other museums will now enjoy guaranteed admission to Glenstone Museum for themselves and one guest. Members of these groups must present their valid identification cards at the Arrival Hall to be eligible for guaranteed admission during regular museum operating hours. [Note: As of September 15, 2022, guaranteed admission categories have been expanded and now include veterans and educators. See our Guaranteed Entry page for full details.]

Ride On Bus Passengers

The museum will resume its program with the Montgomery County Department of Transportation that guarantees entry to passengers of the Ride On bus. Originally initiated in January 2019 and later paused during the COVID-19 pandemic, the program brings riders to Glenstone via route 301 at least 10 times each visitor day. A full schedule is available here.

Effective August 5 – September 5:

Glenstone is offering extended summer hours from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., subject to parking availability. These extended hours will offer visitors greater opportunities to enjoy the Faith Ringgold exhibition at the Gallery (on view until October 24), the outdoor sculptures, walking trails, and dining at the Patio. The Pavilions will continue to close at 5 p.m., and the Café will continue to close at 4 p.m.

As with normal hours, visitors register through the “Schedule a Visit” page of the website, www.glenstone.org, to enjoy extended summer hours. Only visitors traveling to Glenstone on the Route 301 Montgomery County Ride On bus and students, active-duty military personnel, and museum professionals with valid ID’s will be admitted without advance registration. All other visitors must arrive with a registration confirmation for a specified time slot. Please note that we will accommodate as many visitors as we can, but parking is limited. We strongly encourage carpooling and use of the Ride On bus (route 301).

Effective September 2:

Glenstone will resume group visits of up to 40 people on September 2. Groups visits are self-guided and may be requested at any time through the website.

Coming Up at Glenstone

New offerings at the Pavilions will include works by Isa Genzken and Rachel Harrison in July and August; the first solo presentation in the Washington, DC area of the work of Arthur Jafa beginning in September; a major monographic exhibition of the work of Jeff Wall, opening on October 21; and the third in a series of rotating exhibitions of sculptures by Charles Ray, opening in December. At the Gallery in November, Glenstone will mount an exhibition of the work of Vija Celmins, her first solo presentation in the Washington area since 1979. 

About Glenstone

Glenstone, a museum of modern and contemporary art, is integrated into nearly 300 acres of gently rolling pasture and unspoiled woodland in Montgomery County, Maryland, less than 15 miles from the heart of Washington, DC. Established by the not-for-profit Glenstone Foundation, the museum opened in 2006 and provides a contemplative, intimate setting for experiencing iconic works of art and architecture within a natural environment. The museum includes its original building, the Gallery, as well as additional structures opened in its 2018 expansion: the Arrival Hall (LEED platinum), the Pavilions, and the Café (both LEED gold).

Glenstone is open Thursdays through Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., extended until 7 p.m. from August 5 to September 5. Visitors are also invited to explore the grounds or participate in self-guided sculpture tours. Admission to Glenstone is free and visits can be scheduled online at: www.glenstone.org. Same-day visits can be scheduled online.

Contacts

Media inquiries: press@glenstone.org

General inquiries: info@glenstone.org

Please note that this page was updated on August 10 to reflect updates to our extended summer hours.

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