The Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building opened in October 1881 as the National Museum and established itself as a first-of-its-kind palace of wonders, wowing global audiences for nearly a century and a half. It’s where Thomas Edison first showcased his lightbulb, people first gazed upon the telephone and saw the first cast of a blue whale.

And now, after being closed for nearly two decades, the Smithsonian is reopening the building this fall with a forward-facing exhibit.

Called “FUTURES,” the 32,000-square-foot exhibit will offer guests the chance to see themselves as an emoji, meditate with an AI robot, and watch water being harvested from thin air. Or, visitors can try on a spacesuit that fits like a second skin, play a video game with their eyes, or (how appropriate?) meet a COVID-friendly support robot that helps you handle loneliness. The exhibit even explores futures of the past — that is, early robot models, art from groundbreaking artists throughout history, and a prototype for an Alexander Graham Bell telephone.

Architect David Rockwell’s award-winning firm designed the four exhibit halls, while a team of scientists, historians, and art experts curated the 150 items on display.

The point, it seems, is to make a case for focusing on emerging trends, human connection, and pushing the boundaries of imagination. (Think flying cars, new ways of structuring cities, and befriending intelligent technology.)

“In a world that feels perpetually tumultuous, there is power in imagining the future we want, not the future we fear,” said AIB director Rachel Goslins, in a press release. “With FUTURES, we want to invite all visitors to discover, debate, and delight in the many possibilities for our shared future. There’s no place better to do this than in the Arts + Industries Building, the nation’s original home for big ideas.”

*tap tap* 🎤

Hellooooo @Twitter!🎉 We've been closed for two decades and skipped social media, “America’s Palace of Wonders” felt a little too formal for a handle 🤔 pic.twitter.com/yx0aAcS3iQ

— Smithsonian Arts + Industries Building (@SmithsonianAIB) February 22, 2021

The museum underwent a ten-year, $55 million renovation and was slated to reopen to the public in 2014, but the institution called off those plans due to financial restrictions. It has since been host to a number of special events, like the By the People festival and Lonnie Bunch’s induction as Smithsonian secretary, but has generally been closed to the public since 2004.

The exhibit this fall is part of a long-term plan to fully renovate the building and the adjacent Smithsonian Castle (the Smithsonian Institution Building) to ensure they remain open permanently, according to a release.

The Smithsonian Institution itself is turning 175 this year, and curators say this is the perfect moment to celebrate the institution’s history while looking ahead to what’s possible.

“We have plenty of models that help us imagine what could go wrong. We don’t have a model to help us imagine what could go right,” Goslins told The Washington Post in an interview about the reopening. “The future isn’t a fact. It’s a dream. We will help you understand and think and experience the future that you want to live. It’s hopeful without being naive.”

The “FUTURES” exhibit runs from November through July 2022 and is free to everyone, though further details about whether visitors will need timed passes hasn’t been announced on its website just yet.

All Smithsonian museums remain closed until COVID restrictions lift, and a spokesperson told the Post that the Smithsonian has backup plans in case the pandemic makes reopening impossible this year. The Smithsonian said it will launch a virtual version of the exhibit for smartphones in the summer, ahead of the grand opening, with dates to be announced.

This story was updated to clarify information about the reopening.