Project Description
Designed by Walker Cain of McKim, Mead & White (later Steinmann, Cain and White) and opened in 1964, the National Museum of American History welcomes more than 3.8 million visitors a year in the 750,000sf building and 12 acre site on the National Mall. ABA’s Master Plan for the renewal and renovation of the building and landscape provides a long-term, phased plan to enhance visitor engagement and access to the museum’s collections, while addressing security, accessibility, sustainability, and resiliency. The Master Plan integrates a thematically rich landscape with the museum to extend the visitor experience to the entire site. ABA’s Plan also transforms the workplace environment for over 500 staff, creating a collaborative and vibrant setting for scholarship, conservation, and research. The Plan renews the museum’s modernist building and site, strengthens connections to the City and the National Mall, and creates a setting for celebrating national treasures and making connections to American history.