Custom Tours at the National Building Museum

Private Group Tours for 10 or More

Come take a custom tour of the best-kept secret in Washington!

Visit the National Building Museum, America's premier museum dedicated to the celebration and exploration of the built environment. Through our exhibitions, education programs, and publications, the Museum explores the world we build for ourselves. We also examine the history and trends in construction, architecture, urban planning, engineering, landscape architecture, and historic preservation.

The National Building Museum's extraordinary historic home is the former Pension Building, located just off the National Mall in Washington, DC's new cultural downtown. Our breathtaking Great Hall features 75-foot Corinthian Columns and has hosted Presidential inaugural balls. Click here to fill out a Custom Tour Request form.

Building Tours

Custom building tours are for groups of 10 or more. Fees apply. Tours last approximately 45 minutes and are suggested for high school aged visitors and above.

The Great Hall measures 316 feet by 116 feet, and is 159 feet at its highest point. The fountain is 28 feet across and still has its original terra cotta trim.		Historic Building Tours Join Museum docents for a private custom tour of the Museum's historic home! An in-depth presentation of the structure's architectural elements and historical significance as well as a chronicle of the building's construction will be presented. Constructed of more than 15 million bricks, the Museum houses some of the largest Corinthian columns in the world and has been the site of sixteen Presidential Inaugural Balls, from Grover Cleveland's in 1885 to George W. Bush's in 2004. The tour includes a visit to the Museum's fourth floor, where you will find yourself face to face with the colossal capitals of our Corinthian columns! Tours are available Monday through Saturday from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm and Sunday from 11:00 am - 4:00 pm. After-hours tours are available with limited dates and times.
An exterior frieze measuring 1,200 feet long and 3 feet high wraps the building. The frieze depicts a parade of Civil War military units and was designed by Bohemian-born sculptor Caspar Buberl (1834-1889).		Memorial Day Weekend Special Tours This Memorial Day weekend, bring your group for a special tour of the Museum's historic home. Originally built in the 1880s as an office for the U.S. Pension Bureau, architect Montgomery C. Meigs designed this spectacular building with the soldiers in mind. Visitors will learn about the history of the building as well as architectural features designed not only to honor the brave fighters of the Civil War, but accomodate the wounded veterans as they navigated the building to collect their pensions. Tours will be offered May 23, 2008 to May 26, 2008.

Exhibition Tours

Custom exhibition tours are for groups of 10 or more. Fees apply. Tours last approximately 45 minutes and are suggested for high school aged visitors and above.

The Washington Monument, Signal Corps., US Army, ca. 1931. Courtesy the Archives and Record Adminstration		Washington: Symbol & City First-time visitor or long-time resident? Discover the city created by the government and for the government through this groundbreaking exhibition. Over the course of two centuries, the nation's capital has grown to fulfill many of their hopes. Today, the revered Capitol and White House, the stately offices of government, the iconic monuments and museums, and the sweep of the Mall and the city's many public parks all evoke the ideals of democracy in the 21st century. This exhibition explores how residents experience the city and how Washington itself expresses the tension between the demands of a working seat of government and the desire for a national symbol, and the hopes and needs of an evolving city. Tours are available Monday through Saturday from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm and Sunday from 11:00 am - 4:00 pm. After-hours tours are available with limited dates and times.
United States Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, St. Louis, Missouri, under construction, 1965. Courtesy Arteaga Photos Ltd.		NEW! Eero Saarinen: Shaping the Future Eero Saarinen was one of the most prolific, fascinating and unorthodox masters of 20th century architecture. Famous for his simple, sweeping and arching shapes, Saarinen changed the face of domestic and industrial design in the United States. From the 630-foot-tall St. Louis Gateway Arch to the swooping concrete vaults at the TWA Terminal at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport, Saarinen helped build an international image of the United States at the height of the Cold War. This exhibition will be the first public unveiling of the architect's complete archives, which were donated to Yale University in 2002. Tours will be offered May 10, 2008 to August 23, 2008.

Discovery Carts

Discover your inner engineer with private, hands-on Discovery Carts. Perfect for youth groups, elementary school classes, and scouts! Most appropriate for ages 5 and up. Fees apply.

The Museum's "Bridging the Gap" Discovery Cart. Photo by F.T. Eyre.		Bridging the Gap During this interactive demonstration, participants learn about five basic bridge types before solving a transportation problem by choosing which type of bridge to build. Custom discovery carts are available Monday through Saturday from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm and Sunday from 11:00 am - 4:00 pm. After-hours carts are available with limited dates and times.
The Museum's "Arches and Trusses: The Tension Builds" Discovery Cart. Photo by F.T. Eyre.		Arches and Trusses Discover how building forces, materials, and structures affect strength and longevity. Participants test different building materials and work together to build an arch. Custom discovery carts are available Monday through Saturday from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm and Sunday from 11:00 am - 4:00 pm. After-hours carts are available with limited dates and times.

Custom Tour Scheduling and Payment Information

To schedule a custom tour, please click on the form link below or contact the Tour and Volunteer Office at 202.272.2448. Custom tours/discovery carts must be scheduled at least three weeks in advance in order to secure a docent/cart facilitator.

Rates

Rates are based on the number of tour participants in a group:

*One docent/cart facilitator will be scheduled per 25 visitors. Due to the complexity of scheduling, please have accurate numbers when you book your tour/cart.

Payment

Payment is due at time of booking. A confirmation email with a link to make the payment will be sent to the group facilitator shortly after booking. We accept Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. If you must send a check, please make it out to the National Building Museum and plan for its arrival at least one week before your scheduled tour.

Cancellations and Refunds

If you must cancel your custom tour or realize you will arrive early or late, please contact the Tour and Volunteer Office at 202.272.2448 immediately. If your tour is scheduled for a Saturday or Sunday and you must cancel on that day, please speak to the receptionist so that your docent/cart facilitator may be notified, as special arrangements will have been made to provide you with a docent/cart facilitator at a specific time.

Please allow up to three weeks to process a refund. Any cancellation received less than two (2) weeks prior to the scheduled tour date will result in a forfeiture of the tour fee.

Please visit the Hours and Amenities page for information on our cafe, shop, and more. For parking and directions, please visit the Accessibility and Directions page.

The National Building Museum is a member of

The American Bus Association	DC Guild	DC Heritage Tourism Coalition

Questions? Contact the Tour and Volunteer Office at 202.272.2448 or email grouptours@nbm.org.