About the National Building Museum

The National Building Museum advances the quality of the built environment by educating people about its impact on their lives.

View of the Great Hall

© Hoachlander Davis Photography

When most people think of a museum, they are likely to think of the things exhibited there—paintings, Moon rocks, totem poles, or other objects of artistic, scientific, or cultural value. Of course, the National Building Museum has always offered visitors the chance to see many interesting objects, from drawings by famous architects to a full-scale, sustainable house built in our own galleries. Indeed, the care, interpretation, and thoughtful display of such artifacts are central to our mission.

The Museum is, however, much more than a repository of things, beautiful and intriguing though they may be. It is above all a forum for the development, exploration, and exchange of ideas. Created by an act of Congress in 1980, the National Building Museum has become one of the world’s most prominent and vital venues for informed, reasoned debate about the built environment and its impact on people’s lives. Our exhibitions, educational programs, and publications are well regarded not only for their capacity to enlighten and entertain, but also as vehicles for fostering lively discussion about a wide range of topics related to development, architecture, construction and engineering, interior design, landscape architecture, and urban planning.

The award ceremony for the Museum’s fifth Vincent Scully Prize, awarded to His Highness The Aga Khan.

© Vivian Ronay

The National Building Museum's impact is evidenced by the broad smiles of children taking part in our innovative, hands-on youth programs, to the rave reviews our exhibitions routinely receive from our peers, to the comment from Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, who was moved to write an unsolicited letter congratulating us on our ability “to capture the essence of our nation’s rich history as well as the promise of its bright future.”

The members, trustees, and staff of the National Building Museum share a belief that the world we build is a reflection of the aspirations, achievements, and conflicts that shape our society. Furthermore, because we believe that every American can play a part in the continual improvement of our built environment, we strive not just to illuminate the past and present, but to give professionals and laypeople alike the intellectual raw materials with which to construct the best possible future. We invite you to join us in that ongoing and rewarding endeavor.

Celebrating the World We Build for Ourselves 

A young girl receives instruction on hammering at the Miller & Long nail driving competition held during the Festival of the Building Arts.

© Peter Cutts

The National Building Museum welcomes visitors from around the world to enjoy its exhibitions, public programs, festivals, and more which offer insight into the history and future of the world we create for ourselves. Exhibition subjects range from the art of drawing architecture and visions for affordable housing to contemporary ideas for building sustainable residences. The Museum's acclaimed lecture series such as For the Greener Good and Spotlight on Design welcomes the best architects and designers from around the world to discuss their work. Award-winning youth education programs such as CityVision and Design Apprenticeship Program, annual family festivals such as Festival of the Building Arts and Discover Engineering Family Day, and a variety of school programs that introduce children and teachers to design education as a hands-on way of enhancing math, science, and art skills simultaneously.

The National Building Museum Shop has been recognized in local and national media as the “best museum shop.”

Photo by Paul Morigi

By offering compelling books about the built environment and a wide array of well designed housewares, toys, and other items, the Museum Shop spreads the message that good design matters. The National Building Museum Shop was honored in 2007 as the “Best Museum Store” in the country by Niche magazine, "Best All-Around Museum Shop" in the region by the The Washington Post, a “Top Shop” by the Washingtonian, and named best museum shop in DC by National Geographic Traveler's blog, Intelligent Travel in July 2009. 

The Museum awards three internationally-recognized prizes annually for achievements in the building arts and sciences. The Vincent Scully Prize is awarded to an individual for exemplary practice, scholarship, or criticism in architecture, landscape architecture, historic preservation, or urban design. Winners include Richard Moe, Jane Jacobs, Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown, His Highness the Aga Khan, and Phyllis Lambert. The Henry C. Turner prize recognizes an invention, an innovative methodology, and/or exceptional leadership by an individual or team of individuals in construction technology. Frank Gehry, I.M. Pei, Leslie E. Robertson, and the U.S. Green Building Council are among the recipients of the Turner Prize. The Honor Award recognizes outstanding individuals and companies who have made significant contributions in the fields of architecture, planning, construction, and building. Past recipients have included Cindy and Jay Pritzker, Michael D. Eisner and The Walt Disney Company, Clark Construction Group, LLC, and Related.