As the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., is in the spotlight for America’s 250th birthday celebrations in 2026. To coincide with the big anniversary, the city is rolling out a number of blockbuster openings and renovations that expand or enhance the capital’s already rich panoply of museums and cultural institutions.
From a new Lincoln Memorial museum to an expanded National Air and Space Museum to an overhaul of George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate, here’s what to expect in 2026.
Lincoln Memorial Undercroft
One of the capital’s most iconic structures, the Lincoln Memorial will unveil a new 15,000-square-foot, $69 million visitor center, the Lincoln Memorial Undercroft, to tell the story of the memorial itself. Set to open in July 2026 in time for the 250th anniversary, the space is located beneath the building in the previously off-limits “undercroft,” or foundation chambers. In this cavernous expanse, 122 tall concrete columns help support the memorial’s weight.
And now the space will feature immersive exhibits about the memorial's history and construction, including graffiti left by original workers and info on the site's role as the nation’s foremost backdrop for civil rights demonstrations on the National Mall. The project includes a new theater that will project images of historic events onto the foundation, a revamped bookstore, and floor-to-ceiling glass walls.
The memorial will remain open to the public during the construction.
National Geographic Museum of Exploration
Unleash your inner explorer at the National Geographic Museum of Exploration, a new state-of-the-art, sustainably built attraction that illuminates the wonders of the world in the heart of the city. Leave it to National Geographic to use cutting-edge technology, signature photography, and immersive displays to bring this 100,000-square-foot facility to life.
Opening in summer 2026, the museum will feature the Jean and Steve Case Magazine Gallery, an interactive, large-scale digital installation of National Geographic magazine covers from the first in 1888 to the latest issue. The Rolex Explorers Landing celebrates the stories and impact of the National Geographic Society’s famed explorers. And The Archives showcase that legacy of exploration and storytelling via artifacts, images, and immersive experiences.
Also on tap are a theater, a restaurant, a retail store, and, in a high-tech courtyard, an outdoor nighttime experience involving images, sound, and interactive media.
National Air and Space Museum
Calling all aviation geeks. This year the hugely popular National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall will finish its monumental renovation begun in 2018. This Smithsonian Institution museum houses the largest collection of historic aircraft and spacecraft on Earth.
Awaiting visitors on July 1—the museum’s 50th anniversary—will be five new galleries focused on discovering the universe, the relationship between flight and the arts, an examination of how things fly, living in the space age, and WWII in the air. By the project’s completion in the fall, it will have redesigned all 20 exhibition spaces to enhance immersive learning as well as improved the sound and picture quality in the Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater.
Among the 1,400 new artifacts on display: a Sopwith F.1 Camel (a British WWI biplane fighter aircraft), Virgin Galactic’s RocketMotorTwo (the most powerful hybrid rocket engine used in crewed flight), a Blue Origin New Shepard crew capsule mockup, and a Goddard 1935 A-series rocket.
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Performance art, sonic art, evening video projections, and 50% more masterworks by sculpture heavyweights such as Auguste Rodin and Henry Moore are some of the exciting new features of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden’s revitalized outdoor space. The most sweeping update of the sculpture garden in its 52-year history will debut in the late fall of 2026. Part of the Smithsonian Institution, the Hirshhorn has one of the most comprehensive collections of modern sculpture in the world.
Designed by renowned Japanese artist and architect Hiroshi Sugimoto, the 3-year-long project will make the 1.5-acre art park more accessible and welcoming by tripling the width of its front door onto the National Mall. The redesign will allow for flexible venues for large-scale sculpture, time-based artwork, and performances, as well as a bigger water feature, 150% more shade and seating, and 70% more native plantings. Additionally, Sugimoto is reconnecting the garden to the museum itself via an underground passageway-cum-artwork that was part of the original design.
The garden will remain open to the public during the renovation.
Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream
How do you define the American Dream? That question is at the core of the provocative new Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream, which debuted in September 2025. Founded by financier Michael Milken, the interactive multimedia facility opened in five restored historic buildings just steps from the White House. The complex’s 70,000 square feet of exhibition space focus on four pillars: health, entrepreneurship, education, and finance.
The museum invites visitors to experience the American Dream through their own and others’ eyes. Thousands of powerful stories from visionaries, entrepreneurs, and changemakers demonstrate how they overcame obstacles to turn dreams into reality.
Guests can converse with lifelike holograms of leaders like Serena Williams and Sanjay Gupta. A Tree of Generations is adorned with paper “leaves” bearing visitors’ handwritten definitions of the American Dream. And a 270-degree theater and holodeck experience immerse guests fully in the museum’s inspiring theme.
George Washington’s Mount Vernon
As a 250th birthday gift to the nation, George Washington’s landmark Mount Vernon mansion (located about 15 miles south of D.C.) rolled out a $40 million revitalization in December 2025. The most ambitious preservation effort in its history stabilized and restored the first president’s home to ensure greater accuracy and authenticity than ever before.
The 3-year-long initiative preserves the mansion’s original 18th-century character, fortifies its structure, and revitalizes the space. Visitors to Washington’s bedchamber will see reproductions of 1790s wallpaper, newly replastered walls and ceilings, and reinstalled original family furnishings. In addition, sections of the building’s frame and masonry were repaired, a new HVAC system was installed, and the cellar’s drainage was improved—all of which should have the estate in its best shape in years.
National Archives Museum
A peanut given to former President Jimmy Carter during a foreign dignitary visit and a crystal drinking boot gifted to President Ronald Reagan are among the historical artifacts now on display in a flagship new exhibition at the National Archives Museum that opened last November. Called “The American Story,” the $40 million, 10,000-square-foot space is the museum’s first major renovation in more than two decades. The exhibit uses artificial intelligence to create personalized experiences for each visitor.
Despite housing 700,000 artifacts, this museum on the National Mall is better known for its 13.5 billion paper records, from the U.S. Constitution to the Declaration of Independence. Newly presented in nine galleries off the rotunda are documents such as the Louisiana Purchase treaty and George Washington’s original annotated copy of the Constitution, which has never been publicly displayed before.
Other objects you can now see include declassified records and groundbreaking patents, such as those for Thomas Edison’s light bulb and the Wright brothers’ “Flying Machine.”
Finally, the museum’s new Discovery Center features interactive games designed to teach civics to younger visitors.
African American Civil War Memorial Museum
Dedicated to the heroic role of more than 209,000 Black troops in the Civil War, the little-known African American Civil War Memorial Museum in the Shaw neighborhood will reveal a major renovation by July 4, when the facility will hold an anniversary event. The museum’s transformation will expand exhibit space, introduce state-of-the-art interactive displays, improve accessibility, and enhance visitor amenities for those who come to learn about the United States Colored Troops (USCT) and their journey from the Civil War to civil rights.
The museum remains closed during the renovation.
Dulles International Airport
Travelers flying into Dulles International Airport (IAD) this year can expect a new 435,000-square-foot Concourse E, opening in the fall to serve United Airlines exclusively. Located in a Northern Virginia suburb of Washington, Dulles is the primary international gateway among the three airports serving the D.C. metro region.
The $769 million project adds 14 gates for domestic and international flights, featuring direct underground AeroTrain access, new concessions, and enhanced facilities to accommodate record-breaking passenger growth. The 46,000 square feet of food, beverage, and retail space will showcase brands representing the regional D.C. experience, such as a local chef-driven restaurant and a family-owned brewery.
Veronica Stoddart is a multiple-award-winning travel writer and editor specializing in culinary and cultural travel. Her work has appeared in Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, National Geographic Travel, Food & Wine, AARP The Magazine, USA Today, and many others. She’s visited more than 110 countries on all seven continents, reporting from many of them. She considers travel a force for good in the world. Follow her adventures on Instagram @vjstoddart.
Frommer's Washington D.C.
Washington, D.C. can be an overwhelming destination for visitors. With so many museums, so many historic sights, so many working government buildings to see?not to mention its scintillating foodie and nightlife scenes?just coming up with a plan can be stressful.That’s where Frommer’s comes in. We’ve...
Get the bookFrommer's Washington D.C.
Washington, D.C. can be an overwhelming destination for visitors. With so many museums, so many historic sights, so many working government buildings to see?not to mention its scintillating foodie and nightlife scenes?just coming up with a plan can be stressful.That’s where Frommer’s comes in. We’ve...