Media Hard Hat Tour to Preview New National Archives Museum
Media Alert · Wednesday, May 14, 2025

Washington, DC

What: A “first look” at the new National Archives Museum permanent galleries, now under renovation for the first time in 20 years. This behind-the-scenes tour is available exclusively to members of the press. RSVP to public.affairs@nara.gov by Monday, June 2.

As the nation approaches its 250th birthday, the National Archives will reopen two permanent museum galleries after the first redesign in 20 years. The new Museum space will be known as The American Story and will feature an adjoining, hands-on civics education space where families can learn together through interactive games. 

In The American Story, visitors will encounter amazing artifacts from the National Archives and use artificial intelligence (AI) to engage with American history. 

The new Museum spaces open to the public on October 23, 2025. 

• Original artifacts displayed: William Stone’s 1823 Declaration of Independence engraving; the Louisiana Purchase; various Presidential state gifts; patents including those for the light bulb, the airplane, and the Barbie doll.
• Interacting with AI: Visitors to the National Archives Museum will encounter interactive, digital stations. At these stations, they can use AI to explore millions of records within the National Archives, fully customized to their interests to personalize their visit.
• Immersive Media: The exhibits will feature immersive mediascapes created with original photographs, videos, oral histories, and musical scores. 
• Presidential Gifts Case: Visitors will see gifts from Presidential Libraries across the country. Exchanging gifts between foreign leaders and the President is a time-honored tradition. Gifts on display will include a set of horseshoes given to President George H. W. Bush by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1992 and a red necktie given to President Donald Trump by Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni in 2017.
• Picturing a Nation: This art gallery–style space will feature rotations of original photographs from the National Archives. The first rotation will feature the iconic work of Ansel Adams, with photographs of the National Parks and the American West.

When: Wednesday, June 4, 2025, at 9 a.m. ET

Where: National Archives Building, 701 Constitution Avenue, Washington, DC

Enter via the Special Events entrance as indicated on this map. 

Who: This renovation is the result of the close public-private partnership of the National Archives and the National Archives Foundation. The tour will be given by a National Archives curator and National Archives Foundation project manager.

The National Archives Museum renovation is made possible by the U.S. Congress, National Archives Foundation, and generous donors.