Review: National Building Museum

Zoom out. What’s this place all about? It's fitting that a museum dedicated to architecture, engineering, and design is housed in one of Washington, D.C.'s most beautiful historic buildings. In 1985, the National Building Museum opened inside the U.S. Pension Bureau, a post-Civil War-era Montgomery C. Meigs-designed building inspired by Roman palaces. The Grand Hall is dominated by incredible Corinthian columns, which the museum says are among the tallest of their kind in the world. The museum recently underwent a renovation, closing in December 2019 to repair and upgrade the building's foundation and add amenities like a new visitor's center. In light of the pandemic, the National Building Museum reopened in April 2021.

The permanent collection: How was it? The National Building Museum investigates the past, present, and future of our built environment. That could be through galleries of architectural photography or exhibits delving into low-income renter eviction, displaying collections of decorative architectural objects shaped like animals, or viewing the U.S.-Mexico border wall through the lens of architecture and design. It's an essential visit for design fans and something unique for Washington tourists as well.

How were the exhibits? Usually, the National Building Museum puts on a gigantic, social-media friendly installation each summer. Past Summer Block Party exhibits have transformed the Great Hall into a huge life-size maze, a "beach" with an ocean of plastic balls, or an indoor "lawn" with suspended hammocks and a soundtrack of crickets chirping. As for the space and exhibits themselves, it all looks attractive, as one would expect for a museum devoted to design.

What did you make of the crowd? The soaring Great Hall has long been a favorite spot for kids to toddle around (especially during inclement weather when you can't play outside). An exhibit for children called "Play Work Build" is also popular, where you'll find so many different kinds of blocks for tower building. (That exhibit is currently timed to limit crowding). The museum also usually draws young professionals for after-hour events like the Summer Block Party.

How's the accessibility? Find wheelchair and stroller access to this historic building at the G Street NW entrance.

Gift shop: obligatory, inspiring—or skip it? The National Building Museum's gift shop frequently lands on best-of lists, carrying hard-to-find, design-focused items for all ages. Think Frank Lloyd Wright-themed ties, fancy Lego sets, books about brutalist architecture, and quirky jewelry.

Is the café worth a stop, or should we just plan on going elsewhere? Before the pandemic, the museum was home to local bakery chain Firehook. For food and drink currently, you can easily walk to restaurant-dense Penn Quarter.

Any advice for the time- or attention-challenged? It's even worth just visiting the Grand Hall for a few minutes to take in the grandeur of it all. The rotating exhibit halls themselves are manageable and easy to dip in and out of for those of us who aren't engineers. Don't miss the ongoing exhibit "House & Home," which charts the history of American home ownership: both in terms of architectural design and the objects inside our houses that are part of our everyday lives.