Ringgold - Marshall Museum



The Ringgold-Marshall Museum is open to the public for docent tours: 


Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 2:30 4:30 pm
(The Ringgold-Marshall Museum is closed on all Federal Holidays, for the last two weeks of August and December 24 - January 2.)

While much of the land around the DACOR Bacon House was sold to the federal government for construction of the White House grounds and the National Mall, the parcel that includes the House remained in private hands. U.S. Marshal Tench Ringgold was the first owner to build on the site. In 1824-25, he constructed an almost square, two-and-one-half story structure on a full, above-ground English-style basement. Since then, the House has been significantly enlarged and thoroughly renovated several times. Yet, for all the changes, the house still retains much of its original scale, design, craftsmanship, and appeal. Today, the House is a stately red-brick Federal mansion that extends to four-stories and twenty-four rooms and includes the original carriage house, a half-acre garden and bricked rear courtyard. 

Inside, the mansions spacious ceremonial and entertainment rooms are graced with fireplaces, 1840s candlelight chandeliers, and a bounty of antique American, European and Asian furnishings and decorative arts. The House maintains a number of collections including: the Virginia Murray Bacon Collection (ancestor portraits and European decorative arts); the Robert Low Bacon Collection (Americana); the Willard Straight Collection (Chinese art); the Kyoko Schmidt Collection (Japanese art), and the Members Collection (diplomatic memorabilia and cultural artifacts from the world over).

In 2009, DACOR opened the Ringgold-Marshall Museum, which includes the first two floors of the mansion and a gallery housed in what was the original carriage house, to the public.



Take a Tour of the DACOR Bacon House


Individuals and small groups are welcome to walk in during tour hours (reservations not required). If you would like to arrange a group tour during museum hours, please contact Alya Gunawan at agunawan@dacorbacon.org. In some cases, we are able to arrange tours outside of the standard hours of the museum but these must be pre-scheduled and confirmed - contact Alya Gunawan to make a request.





Support the Museum


There are several ways to support the Ringgold-Marshall Museum.

Donate your time and expertise by becoming a docent:
Tours are led by DACOR members who have studied the House history and collections. We are always looking to grow our docent ranks. If you are a member and are interested in being a docent, please contact Alya Gunawan at agunawan@dacorbacon.org. Docents are provided training and background materials.

Provide monetary support to the Museum:
If you are particularly interest in a collection or item amongst the Ringgold-Marshall Museum holdings, we welcome donations to restore and maintain designated pieces. General donations may also be made to support the Ringgold-Marshall Museum or the DACOR Bacon House Preservation Fund. Please visit Support Our Mission for more information about donation types. Please contact Jared Hughes at jhughes@dacorbacon.org if you are interested in donating towards a designated item/collection or a museum-related cause. 

Add to the Collections:
DACOR accepts in-kind donations of furnishings, rugs, memorabilia, art and artifacts that are appropriate for the DACOR Bacon House. Please contact John Bradshaw at jbradshaw@dacorbacon.org if you are interested in donating an item or collection to the Ringgold-Marshall Museum.