National Building Museum: Celebrating the nation's architectural genius
Founded by Congress in 1980, the National Building Museum is a private, non-profit entity located in the northwest/downtown quadrant of the District of Columbia, just up the escalator from Metrorail’s Judiciary Square station.
The museum's vast open spaces are used to host a wide variety of temporary exhibits, from the current “House of Cards,” which runs through mid-2010, to permanent collections such as S.H. Kress & Company. The museum previously housed the Pension Bureau, a brick structure completed in 1887 that was designed by former U.S. Army quartermaster Gen. Montgomery Meigs. Inauguration balls are often held in the main hall. The museum's 75-foot-tall Corinthian columns are some of the largest in the world.
The original design included a frieze sculpted by Caspar Buberl, which still exists today. It features 28 scenes totaling 69 feet in length, modified over the years to create a continuous parade of more than 1,300 figures – from infantry to medical units.
The building was used to house federal employees until it was scheduled for demolition in the late 1960s. But lobbying by history conservationists prompted a review of the structure and recommendation that it being listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1969. After its resurrection by Congressional act, the building renamed the National Building Museum 17 years later, in 1997.
The National Building Museum is open daily to the public although winter hours are somewhat shorter. On rare occasions, the Museum may close for a special event. Public tours of the Museum’s historic home are offered daily by Museum docents. Tours last 45 minutes and are offered daily at 11:30 am, 12:30 pm, and 1:30 pm.
Entrance is free although a $5 donation is suggested. Check the museum’s web site before visiting to read up on current exhibitions you’re likely to encounter. Note: although photographs are allowed within the Great Hall, they are prohibited within most of the interior exhibits.
Posted by Jim Brown
