The Big Build

Saturday, October 14, 2023, 10 am to 4 pm

Children and adults will learn side-by-side with roofers, plumbers, designers, artisans, and more in this FREE, hands-on festival celebrating the world we design and build. Kids of all ages will explore a wide variety of unique, interactive activities from professions including plumbing, home remodeling, construction, woodworking, and many more.   

From 10 am to 4 pm, the Museum’s Great Hall will be filled with dozens of booths with activities such as wiring a light, pouring concrete, and hammering nails. Everyone will have the opportunity to use real tools and even climb inside construction equipment like a crane at the outdoor Truck Petting Zoo! 

Brownie and Junior Girl Scouts can earn their STEM Career Exploration badges by discovering the many trade career possibilities and speaking with professionals in STEM positions. The Tech Room will have augmented reality demonstrations, virtual reality experiences, and other immersive digital activities to engage older children and teens. Storytimes throughout the day will inspire younger visitors to explore the world and find their place within it.

Excited to attend The Big Build? Click here to sign up for a reminder email before the program.
2023 Big Build Exhibitors
Associated General Contractors of America (AGC)
Clark Construction
DC Public Library
Dewberry Engineers Inc.
DPR Construction
Electrical Alliance
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Gilbane Building Company
Hensel Phelps
HITT Contracting Inc.
Home Builders Institute
International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT)
Miller & Long
National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)
Oatey
Offsite Construction with Momentum Innovation Group and Friends
Plasterers' & Cement Masons' International Association, Local 891
Professional Remodeling Organization (PRO) Mid Atlantic 
Procore Technologies
Shapiro & Duncan
Walter P Moore
Washington Parent
Washington Woodworkers Guild
WETA
The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company
Zenith Community Arts Foundation

The Big Build is generously supported by