
National Geographic Museum Opens This Summer in D.C.
After nearly 130 years of exploring our planet, National Geographic is opening a museum where visitors can experience the wonder of discovery firsthand. The Museum of Exploration opens June 26 in Washington D.C., bringing archives and cutting-edge technology together to inspire the next generation.
Imagine flipping through every National Geographic cover since 1888 or stepping into a photographer's darkroom to develop your own images.
Starting June 26, you can do exactly that at the new National Geographic Museum of Exploration in Washington D.C. The revamped museum transforms the nonprofit's historic campus into an immersive celebration of curiosity and discovery.
The museum tackles something many adults lose over time: that childlike sense of wonder about our world. Through hands-on exhibits and modern technology, visitors can follow explorers into the field and see how iconic magazine stories come to life.
The Archives exhibition offers a behind-the-scenes look at how National Geographic stories go from initial field assignment to final publication. At the researcher's table, more than 300 photos, film clips, artifacts and sound recordings tell the story of exploration over the decades.

Want to try photography yourself? The museum includes a working darkroom where visitors can experience the photographic process firsthand.
The Jean and Steve Case Magazine Gallery showcases every single magazine cover since that first issue in 1888. It's a visual timeline of how we've documented and understood our changing planet.
Why This Inspires
National Geographic Society CEO Jill Tiefenthaler says the museum brings together legacy storytelling with today's experiential technology. Every inch is designed to immerse visitors in explorers' journeys and the tools that move discovery forward.
Guided tours offer access to rare archival materials the society has collected and preserved throughout its history. These special displays reveal treasures normally kept in storage, giving deeper insight into groundbreaking expeditions and research.
The museum aims to do more than entertain. It seeks to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world by inspiring the next generation of explorers, scientists and storytellers.
After nearly 130 years of bringing the world to readers, National Geographic is now inviting everyone to step directly into that world of discovery.
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Based on reporting by Euronews
This story was written by BrightWire based on verified news reports.
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