Several DC museums and monuments have been undergoing much-anticipated renovations that are now heading to completion. Here’s a preview.
National Air and Space Museum
The museum will debut the last phase of its major renovation this year, with five of the seven remaining exhibit halls reopening in conjunction with the America 250 celebration—and the museum’s 50th birthday—in July. You’ll be able to explore the mechanics of space flight, check out a P-51D Mustang and other WWII-era airplanes, and, in the RTX Living in the Space Age Hall, learn about how spaceflight technology has affected life on Earth. When the last two exhibits arrive later in the year, this long-term overhaul of the beloved museum will at last be complete.
National Geographic Museum of Exploration
As part of a broader renovation of National Geographic’s headquarters, the museum is being significantly expanded and rethought. You can check out the new space June 26, when it opens with exhibits about exploration and conservation. The museum will also feature a 400-seat theater, a nighttime courtyard, and a new explorer’s eatery offering cuisines from across the globe. Visitors can interact with a tall, yellow rectangle that will be instantly recognizable to fans of National Geographic magazine.
Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden
If you’ve spotted a bronze-toned toe sticking up behind the construction scaffolding, that’s just a peek into the museum’s upcoming sculpture area, which has been undergoing an extensive revamp since 2023. The revitalization is slated to be completed in late fall and will include things like increased seating, a cistern for improved drainage, additional trees for shade, and a total of five entrances to the garden, up from three. Stacked-stone walls will be built throughout the garden’s East, Central and West galleries, and there will be space for performances and rotating exhibitions.
Lincoln Memorial Undercroft
Since 2023, the memorial’s undercroft—the foundation that was built to bear the weight of the structure—has been getting a major transformation. The project will create 15,000 square feet of exhibit space that’s dedicated to the 16th President. Additional planned renovations include an immersive theater equipped with historic images; a new elevator and restrooms; and a larger gift shop. The new space is likely to open by July 4.
A version of this article appears in the April 2026 issue of Washingtonian.
Jenae Barnes previously reported and fact-checked for Capital B Gary in Indiana, 5280 Magazine in Denver, Forbes in New York and ABC News in Washington, D.C. She is a 2024 Pulitzer Center Reporting Fellow. As a DC-area native, she received her Bachelor’s from George Mason University and Master’s degree from Columbia Journalism School.
