National Building Museum

The National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. is one of the leading museums in the United States dedicated to built environment, architecture, engineering, and design.

Founded in 1980, the museum is housed in an imposing late-19th century building designed by U.S. Army Quartermaster General Montgomery C. Meigs; the museum’s Great Hall with its grandiose Corinthian-style columns, is among the most impressive architectural spaces in Washington.

The permanent collection of the National Building Museum – which covers various subjects related to architecture, engineering, and design – comprises over 150,000 pieces, including drawings, photographs, prints, documents, toys, material samples, architectural elements and models.
The museum organizes temporary exhibitions, and  to commission site-specific temporary installations to acclaimed American and international architects and designers, such as the famous maze by BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group exposed in 2014.

The museum activities include guided tours, festivals, special events, conferences, educational programs for teens, families, schools and educators, and a summer camp.

The museum building, fully accessible to impaired people , includes a cafe, and a shop.

Photos: cover © Maxwell MacKenzie; 2 by Kevin Allen; 3 © Anne McDonough; 4 by F. Harlan Hambright; all images courtesy of the National Building Museum