Update, 3/13/20: The museum’s reopening has been postponed during the coronavirus pandemic.
Original:
After more than three months of renovations to its colossal Great Hall, the National Building Museum in Penn Quarter will reopen on March 13, museum officials said Wednesday.
The construction work, led by the U.S. General Services Administration, required replacing the Great Hall’s concrete floor with a modern foundation. The museum closed to the public in December to accommodate the project.
In a statement, the museum’s director Chase Rynd explained that the museum will reopen with layout changes, including a new visitors center and moving most exhibitions to the second floor. “We think visitors will have an easier time orienting themselves—and understanding our mission,” he said.
2020 marks the 40th anniversary of the National Building Museum, which was established by an act of Congress in 1980 (the Renaissance Revival building that houses the museum was constructed in the 1880s). Against the backdrop of broader financial challenges for the museum, the closure this winter caused a revenue loss that the museum’s leadership says led to recent layoffs of roughly 8 percent of the staff.
The museum will reopen with a new exhibit on D.C.-based architectural photographer Alan Karchmer, who has photographed well-known structures around the world, including the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. The exhibit, which will run for about a year, will take place in former classroom space on the museum’s second level, with Karchmer set to donate his collected work to the museum.
From March 26 to 29, the National Building Museum will host its third annual architecture and design film festival. A Shakespearean playhouse installation is planned for the summer.
Ticket prices will remain the same as before the closure. For non-member adults, general admission is $10.
More:
National Building Museum Cuts Staff Amid Financial Challenges
With The Building Museum Closed This Winter, What The Hell Do We Do With Our Kids?
The National Building Museum’s Next Big Summer Exhibition Is A Shakespearean Playhouse
