Check The Phillips Collection off the bucket list! On past visits to DC, with and without kids, we always focused on the National Mall and the Smithsonian museums. It's only been in the past few years that I've come to know about some of the hidden gems in and around our nation's capitol. The Phillips is one of them!! Duncan Phillips and his mother Eliza and then his wife Marjorie put together a fabulous art collection, housed in their home as a way to honor his father Duncan Sr. and his brother Jim. This is one fabulous house art museum (with a couple of additions through the years). For me, Renoir's The Luncheon of the Boating Party is the piece de resistance!! Add in works by Georgia O'Keeffe, Jacob Lawrence, Degas, Van Gogh, Braques, and so many other "modern" artists of the day. It is quite a collection that is a pleasure to see displayed throughout the 1897 house and the 1907 Music Room. When we visited, they were hosting the Picasso: Painting the Blue Period exhibition, which garnered much interest. Not a huge Picasso fan, but I still found the exhibition interesting and extensive. To gain entry, we had to reserve our timed tickets; special exhibits included in the ticket price. If you drive to the museum, be forewarned that parking on the street can be difficult to find, and meters are generally for only two hours.