Vote for Us in Best of DC 2025!

In just two minutes, you can help build our community by voting for bonsai.

Please vote for us and the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum in the Washington City Paper's Best of DC 2025.

Help more people discover the beauty and serenity of the art of bonsai. Voting is open until June 12 at 5 PM (ET). For more than five years, you've kept us among the top spots in several categories. With your vote this year, we can stay there!

Will you take a moment to vote for us in the following categories?

Write in “National Bonsai & Penjing Museum”:

Best Museum (Non-Smithsonian)

and then…

Write in “National Bonsai Foundation”:

Best Arts & Culture Nonprofit

and then…

Write in “Potomac Bonsai Association Festival”

Best Arts & Culture Festival

We need everyone to vote for bonsai, so please share this with your friends and family too. Simply send them this link: bonsai-nbf.org/blog-archive/bestofdc25

The National Bonsai Foundation helps protect and share the Museum’s trees and viewing stones and promotes the art of bonsai across America – so more people can experience the resilience and tranquility found among bonsai and penjing.

Voting closes on June 12! Thank you for taking the time to honor and promote the National Bonsai Foundation the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum, an ever-evolving emblem of intercultural understanding and friendship.

Vote for Us in Best of DC 2024!

In two minutes, you can help build our community.

Please vote for us and the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum in the Washington City Paper's Best of DC 2024!

Help more people discover the beauty and serenity of the art of bonsai. Voting is open until June 10 at midnight (ET). For more than five years, you've kept us among the top spots in the categories below. With your vote this year, we can stay there.

Will you take a moment to vote for us in the following categories?

Best Place to Take an Out-of-Towner
Vote for the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum

Best Place to Meditate
Vote for the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum

Best Museum Off the Mall
Vote for the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum

Best Arts & Culture Nonprofit
Vote for the National Bonsai Foundation

(Note that you will need to write in the nomination for each ballot.)

Please share this with your friends and family, too. We need everyone to vote for bonsai! Simply share this link:

bonsai-nbf.org/bestofdc24

NBF strives each day to uphold and promote the beauty of the Museum’s trees and viewing stones, and to promote the art of bonsai across the nation – so more people can experience the resilience and tranquility found among bonsai and penjing.

Voting closes on June 10! Thank you for taking the time to honor and promote the Museum and the National Bonsai Foundation, an ever-evolving emblem of intercultural understanding and friendship.

Thanks for Voting Us The Best (Again)!

We are so grateful to all of you who voted for the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum in this year's Washington City Paper Best of DC Reader's Poll! Thanks to you, we are proud to announce that the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum placed in 4 categories.

Best Place to Meditate
WINNER

Best Place to Take an Out of Towner
WINNER

Best Tour for Out of Towners
FINALIST

Best City Escape in the City
FINALIST

Thank you for helping us be recognized as “The Best of DC” since 2018! Because of these public honors, more people discover the beauty and serenity of the art of bonsai.

And, a big congrats to The U.S. National Arboretum who placed in 3 categories as well!

Vote for Us in Best of DC 2023!

In two minutes, you can help build our community.

Please vote for us and the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum in the Washington City Paper's Best of DC 2023!

Help more people discover the beauty and serenity of the art of bonsai. Voting is open until midnight ET on July 10. For more than five years, you've kept us among the top spots in the categories below. With your vote this year, we can stay there.

Will you take a moment to vote for us in the following categories?

Best Place to Take an Out-of-Towner
Vote for the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum

Best Place to Meditate
Vote for the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum

Best Museum Off the Mall
Vote for the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum

Best Arts & Culture Nonprofit
Vote for the National Bonsai Foundation

(Note that you will need to write in the nomination for each ballot.)

Please share this with your friends and family, too! Simply share this link: www.bonsai-nbf.org/wcp2023. We need everyone to vote for bonsai!

NBF strives each day to uphold and promote the beauty of the Museum’s trees and viewing stones – so more people can experience the resilience and tranquility found among bonsai and penjing.

Voting closes at midnight ET on July 10! Thank you for taking the time to honor and promote the Museum and the National Bonsai Foundation, an ever-evolving emblem of intercultural understanding and friendship.

Bonsai is Best of D.C. 2022

You voted, and the results are in! Washington City Paper has published this year’s Best of D.C. with promising results. We sincerely appreciate all of our supporters who worked to recognize the National Bonsai Foundation, the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum and the U.S. National Arboretum in so many categories. 

The results show that the Museum, the Foundation, and the Arboretum were recognized in a total of four categories! Thank you for demonstrating the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum and the National Bonsai Foundation’s value in the D.C. community for yet another year.

The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum has now been recognized as one of the best places to take an out-of-towner for five years in a row! Take a look at the total awards and honorable mentions below.

Best Place to Take an Out-of-Towner

Winner:  The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum  (selected for fifth year in a row)

Finalist:  U.S. National Arboretum

Best Tour for Out-of-Towners

Finalist:  The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum

Best Place to Meditate

Winner:  The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum

Runner-Up:  U.S. National Arboretum

Best Place to Day Trip

Finalist:  U.S. National Arboretum

Bonsai is Best of D.C. 2021

You voted, and the results are in! Washington City Paper has published this year’s Best of D.C. with promising results. We sincerely appreciate all of our supporters who worked to recognize the National Bonsai Foundation, the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum and the U.S. National Arboretum in so many categories. 

The results show that the Museum, the Foundation, and the Arboretum were recognized in a total of ten categories! Thank you for demonstrating the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum and the National Bonsai Foundation’s value in the D.C. community for yet another year. The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum has now been recognized as one of the best places to take an out-of-towner for four years in a row! Take a look at the total awards and honorable mentions below.

The National Bonsai Foundation:

• Best Arts & Culture Nonprofit — Finalist

The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum:

• Best Place to Meditate — Second Place

• Best Tour for Out-of-Towner — Second Place

• Best First Date Activity — Finalist

• Best Museum Tour — Finalist

• Best Outdoor Venue — Finalist

• Best Place to Day Trip — Finalist

• Best Place to Take an Out-of-Towner — Finalist

The U.S. National Arboretum:

• Best First Date Activity — Winner

• Best COVID-19 Silver Lining — Second Place

Vote for the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum in Washington City Paper’s Best of D.C.

You got us on the ballot – now help us secure the titles!

The Washington City Paper’s annual Best of D.C. contest recognizes the best local icons, groups and locations in the D.C. area. The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum has earned the Best Place to Take an Out-of-Towner title in this competition the last three years, as well as the runner-up spot for Best Place to Meditate in 2020! 

This year, we had to secure nominations to even get on the ballot. But you all showed so much support for bonsai – the Museum and National Bonsai Foundation garnered nominations in multiple sections!!

Now we need your help to secure the titles. All you have to do is push the green VOTE button next to the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum or National Bonsai Foundation. 

Will you take a moment to vote for us in the THREE following categories?

• PEOPLE & PLACES – Best Place to Take an Out-of-Towner: please choose the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum

• PEOPLE & PLACES – Best Place to Meditate: please choose the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum 

• ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT – Best Arts & Culture Nonprofit: please choose the National Bonsai Foundation

Please share this information with your friends and family! NBF strives each day to uphold and promote the beauty of the Museum’s trees and historic objects – so more people can experience the resilience and tranquility the bonsai and penjing produce.

VOTING CLOSES SEPTEMBER 19 at 11:59pm! Thank you for taking the time to honor and spread the word about the Museum, an ever-evolving emblem of intercultural understanding and friendship. 

P.S. The Museum and NBF are up for a combined (heartwarming) nine categories! That’s all thanks to YOU for helping us get nominated. We are simply aiming to keep the Museum’s status as Best Place to Take an Out-of-Towner and move up in the Best Place to Meditate ranks, plus grab some acclaim for NBF as the Best Arts & Culture Nonprofit. Any moments you have to vote for us in those three categories and spread the word with your loved ones is very much appreciated!

Please Vote for Us for "Best Place to Take an Out-of-Towner" in Washington City Paper's Best Of DC Contest!

For the last two years we have been named one of the THE BEST PLACES TO TAKE AN OUT-OF-TOWNER from Washington City Paper’s Best of DC Readers Poll. With your help we can do it again!

Please write in “The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum” into the THE BEST PLACE TO TAKE AN OUT-OF-TOWNER category, in the PEOPLE & PLACES section.

Polls close March 1st.

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

We Won Washington City Paper’s “Best Place to Take An Out-Of-Towner” Best of DC Award For Second Year in a Row

We are thrilled to announce that The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum has clinched the “Best Place to Take An Out-of-Towner” award in the 2019 Washington City Paper BEST OF DC Readers’ Poll.

We would like to thank all of the visitors and followers who voted for us in the poll. We are grateful for all of your support throughout the year, and we hope you continue to enjoy our collections, exhibits and events.