Via Glenstone

Although the many museums in the District of Columbia offer residents and visitors plenty of opportunities to view some of the world’s finest art collections, one of the most impressive displays is 15 miles away in Potomac, Md. It’s also closed half the week and when it is open, it’s by appointment only. But that’s the exclusivity with which Glenstone, built on a 200-acre property decorated with sculptures by Richard Serra and Jeff Koons, operates.

Glenstone is owned by Mitchell Rales, one of the founders of the science and technology firm Danaher Corporation, and maybe the D.C. area’s best private art collector. Rales, though, is also something of a recluse. But he and his wife own Glenstone, a Charles Gwathmey-designed museum that shows off their impressive acquisitions. Since its 2006 opening, though, the collection has only been open between Wednesdays and Saturdays for docent-led tours, and reservations are required. At least it’s free.

But, The New York Times reported yesterday, the Raleses are planning a big expansion. In 2016, Glenstone will add a second building that will be roughly the size of the National Gallery of Art’s East Building. And when finished, it should be quite the spot to visit:

Designed by Tom Phifer, another New York architect, it will feature a series of interconnecting pavilions for permanent installations, each devoted to a single artist, as well as a large gallery for special exhibitions. (The original museum building will also hold rotating shows.)

Plans also call for a new entrance similar to that of a national park, with a Japanese cedar entrance pavilion. Peter Walker, a Berkeley-based landscape architect, is planting more than 5,000 trees from 40 native species and creating a sustainable meadow along with a flowering water garden. “We’re out to create something different,” Mr. Rales said.

The original museum, however, is currently closed, pending the installation of a new exhibit featuring the Swiss duo of Peter Fischli and David Weiss, which opens May 9. But Rales, who is worth $3.9 billion according to Forbes’ most recent listing of the world’s billionaires, plans to open Glenstone to the public a bit more once the new building is complete. Tours will expand to five days a week, the Times reported. However, don’t plan on being able to simply hop in the car and drop by Glenstone on a whim. Reservations will still be required at the new building.