Hours & Admission
The Museum remains open during the government shutdown. Free exhibition admission for government employees with ID. Special family programming will be offered through the shutdown.
- Open seven days a week
- The Museum and Museum Shop are open Monday through Saturday, 10 am—5 pm, and Sunday, 11 am—5 pm
- Building Zone hours: Monday through Saturday, 10 am—4 pm, and Sunday, 11 am—4 pm
- Café hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 am—4:30 pm; Saturday, 10 am—4:30 pm; Sunday, 11 am—4:30 pm
- The Museum is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and occasional special events
Admission
The Museum is a private, non-profit institution. Your admission fee helps the Museum deliver world-class exhibitions and programming. We welcome visitors to enjoy the Great Hall, Museum Shop, café, or a docent-led tour of our historic landmark building free of charge.
The prices below include access to all galleries, including the Building Zone, and docent-led exhibition tours where available:
| Free | Museum members; children aged 2 and under |
| $8 | Adults |
| $5 | Youth (ages 3—17); students with ID; seniors (age 60 and over) |
| $3 | Ages 3 and up, entrance to the Building Zone* only (appropriate for ages 2—6) Includes 45 minutes of play time; tickets are available every hour, starting at 15 minutes after the hour and are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Last entry is at 3:15 pm. |
Tickets are also sold at the Admissions Desk Monday - Saturday, 10 am—5 pm; and Sunday 11 am—5 pm. Note: Building Zone time selection is not available for online tickets, only in person.
Free at Four - Late Day Reduced Admission
Weekdays (except federal holidays) 4—5 pm, admission to the exhibition House & Home and Palaces for the People: Guastavino and America's Great Public Spaces is free thanks to support from the National Endowment for the Humanities. During Free at Four, we offer reduced admission to the Museum’s other exhibitions: FREE for members, $5 for adults, $3 for youth.
Blue Star Museums
The National Building Museum participates in Blue Star Museums, a program that offers free admission to museums for all active duty military personnel and their families from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Information
Subscribe to our e-news for updates, interviews, games, and online extras.
Please visit the Information Desk in the Great Hall for information about the Museum, our exhibitions, and the neighborhood. Self-guided building tours, youth-oriented activity guides, and monthly calendars of events are available.
Learn how to bring a student group (school, summer camp, scout, or other youth group) to the Museum.
Check out our group tour opportunities.
Questions? Contact us.
