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The National Archives will open a new, interactive museum on October 23, 2025, and members of the media got a “sneak peek” of what visitors can expect during a hard-hat tour.
The 10,000-square-foot space is undergoing a $40 million renovation—its first in 20 years—and will feature original artifacts, documents, and films, including George Washington’s original copy of the Constitution, annotated in his own handwriting, which has never been publicly displayed at the National Archives.
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Franck Cordes, Capital Campaign Project Director at the National Archives Foundation, leads the media on a hard hat tour of The American Story gallery space, June 4, 2025. NARA Photo by Susana Raab
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The new museum comprises both the exhibition galleries—entitled The American Story—and the interactive Discovery Center for elementary-aged visitors to learn about American civics.
Jim Byron, Senior Advisor to the Acting Archivist of the United States, told those gathered, “This will be the first museum on the National Mall in which visitors can use AI to get a personalized museum experience. This museum is technologically innovative and cutting edge. Two million records will be pre-loaded into digital kiosks and available to visitors throughout the museum."
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Senior Advisor Jim Byron gives remarks in the Rotunda of the National Archives Building in Washington, DC, June 4, 2025. NARA Photo by Susana Raab
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Franck Cordes, Capital Campaign Project Director at the National Archives Foundation, led the group and described how visitors can check in to kiosks as they enter, beginning their AI-assisted journey through the millions of records held in the National Archives. Visitors will then be able to share their collected documents online after they leave the museum.
"We are a nation of many stories, and we're excited to bring these stories of our history to life in the new exhibition," said Cordes. "With state-of-the-art technology, the exhibition provides a personalized experience where each visitor will find their own meaningful connection to our past through National Archives records."
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Members of the media photograph historical documents and artifacts that will be on display in “The American Story.” In the foreground (from left to right) are gifts given to President Richard Nixon Reagan, President Bill Clinton, and President Ronald Reagan, June 4, 2025. NARA Photo by Susana Raab.
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