Updated: 6/11/2012 
National Building Museum
Washington, District of Columbia
Description

As America's premier cultural institution dedicated to exploring and celebrating architecture, design, engineering, construction, and urban planning, the National Building Museum offers insight into the history and future of the world we build ourselves. Exhibition subjects range from the poetic use of concrete to visions for affordable housing, as well as exploring possibilities of rebuilding New Orleans, and contemporary ideas for building sustainable residences.

History

Created by an act of Congress in 1980, the National Building Museum is a private, nonprofit institution. The Museum occupies the Pension Building, one of Washington D.C.'s most spectacular structures. The building, built from 1881 to 1887, was designed by civil engineer and U.S. Army General Montgomery C. Meigs and is widely recognized as a marvel of engineering.

Artifact Collections

The purpose of the National Building Museum's permanent collection is to illuminate the building process and document changing architectural styles and construction techniques. The current collections contain approximately 40,000 photographic images, 68,000 architectural prints and drawings, 100 linear feet of documents and 2,100 objects, including material samples and architectural fragments. Highlights include the Kress Collection, Wurts Brothers Photography collection, and the Northwestern Terra Cotta collection.

Research Collections

The National Building Museum does not maintain a reference collection or general reference materials. Some collections may be available for study by researchers through appointment only. Response to all research inquiries is governed by staff availability; every effort will be made to respond in a timely manner.

Programs

The National Building Museum offers a variety of education programs from lectures with award-winning architects to festivals that introduce a younger audience to the built environment. Visit www.nbm.org for an up-to-date listing of offerings.

Hours of Operation

Monday - Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Admission

Adults: $8
Seniors (age 65 and over) $5
Memorial Day through Labor Day, active-duty military and their families (with ID): Free
Members: free
Students (with ID): $5
Youth (3-17): $5
Children aged 2 and under: Free

Museum Type(s)
DISCLAIMER
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MUSEUM CONFERENCES

Ohio Museum Asociation 2025 Annual Conference - Athens

March 29 - 31, 2025

Athens, Ohio

North Carolina Museums Council 2025 Annual Conference

March 30 - 31, 2025

Raleigh, North Carolina

Arkansas Museums Association 2025 Conference

March 31 - April 3, 2025

Washington, Arkansas

New York Museum Association 2025 Conference in Ithaca, NY

April 5 - 8, 2025

Ithaca, New York

Nebraska Museum Association 2025 Conference

April 6 - 8, 2025

United States

RECENT UPDATES

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03/27 Florida Association of Museums

Tallahassee, Florida