On December 12, 1980, President Jimmy Carter signed an act of Congress that established a museum with a still-unique purpose: to inspire curiosity and knowledge about the world we design and build.
Since then, the National Building Museum has welcomed millions of visitors and earned a well-deserved international reputation as an essential cultural institution.
Our dedicated team creates exhibitions and programs for visitors of all ages that call attention to contemporary issues such as climate change, social justice, public health and housing. Our goal is ambitious but never more relevant: to educate, entertain and engage audiences about the built environment and to challenge them to advocate for a sustainable and equitable future.
The week of December 7-12, the Museum invites everyone to a pre-holiday feast of FREE virtual programs and events:
- December 7, 6:30-8 p.m. / Program: Documenting Crossroads
Urban documentarian Camilo José Vergara and Yale architecture professor Elihu Rubin discuss capturing the impact of the coronavirus in poor and minority urban communities.
- December 8, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. / Spotlight on Design: The Netherlands Carillon
Learn about this iconic bell tower in Arlington, Virginia, that was a gift from The Netherlands to the U.S. after World War II. Spotlight on Design is generously supported by the Revada Foundation of the Logan Family. Additional funding for this program is provided by the Embassy of the Kingdom of The Netherlands.
- December 8, 7-8:30 p.m. / Trivia Night
Test your knowledge on architecture, history, and more. There will be prizes!
- December 10, 6:30-8 p.m. / Program: Historic Preservation of the Museum’s Home
A fascinating panel discussion on the evolution of the Pension Building — our home, built in 1887 — and how the structure has been preserved over time, including the recent renovation of the Great Hall floor.
- December 11, 12-12:30 p.m. / Exhibition Tour with Alan Karchmer
The renowned architectural photographer walks us through his upcoming Museum exhibition, which will be available to visit when we reopen in 2021.
- December 12, 10 a.m. / Museum Collections Tour Video Release
- December 12, 12 p.m. / Virtual Museum Tour Release
- December 12, 4 p.m. / National Building Museum Birthday Video Release
To register for these events, head to go.nbm.org/calendar.
This celebration is made possible by:
and other generous donors.
