New National Geographic museum is set to open in 2026

National Geographic plans to open a 100,000-square-foot museum in downtown D.C. by mid-2026, the organization announced Monday.

The reconceived Museum of Exploration will serve as an expansion of the permanent exhibits already at its headquarters, and will also feature immersive exhibits containing artifacts and work from explorers, a 400-seat theater that will showcase NatGeo films, an education center, a restaurant and a “nighttime courtyard experience” with audio and visual media.

Visitors will enter the building through an 11-foot yellow rectangle, as a nod to the magazine’s classic yellow border.

“For 136 years the National Geographic Society and its iconic yellow border have served as a global beacon for exploration, curiosity, innovation and wonder,” Jean Case, chairman of the board of trustees of the National Geographic Society, said in a news release.

“This new Museum of Exploration will build on that legacy, bringing all who visit the museum exciting opportunities to virtually travel to the front lines of the unknown with our Explorers, and help to inspire the next generation of changemakers.”

NatGeo’s headquarters, affectionately nicknamed “Base Camp,” already occupies an entire city block on 17th St. NW, but the revamped museum will allow more access to the building as a whole and will be the largest expansion in the organization’s 136-year history.

“We are committed to making a positive impact at every level, inspiring the Explorer in all visitors and uniting the public on a common mission to become global stewards of our extraordinary planet,” Emily Dunham, chief campus and experiences officer at the National Geographic Society, said in the news release.