Spring 2008
Newseum:  Coming to 6th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW on April 11, 2008, the Newseum is a six-level, high-tech and interactive museum that traces the history of news reporting, dating from smoke signals to blogs.  Inside the museum’s soaring 90-foot atrium, there’s a jumbo LED screen, or “Window on the World,” broadcasting breaking news from around the globe.  Would-be reporters can try their hand at broadcast journalism, while amateur photographers can snap photos of news scenes for a computer-generated critique by professional photojournalists. There’s also a Journalists Memorial, a news helicopter, one of two surviving “Checkpoint Charlies” and the largest section of the Berlin Wall outside of Germany. 

Library of Congress New Visitor Experience: There’s a new experience in store for visitors to the Library of Congress this spring, including a suite of high-tech, interactive kiosks and immersive experiences. The beautiful building’s front doors will once again be open to the public, and, true to its legacy, the Library will once again display an installation of actual books taken from Thomas Jefferson’s library, the seed of its expansive collection.  The Library is also opening two new long-term exhibitions, focusing on “The Early Americas” and “Creating the United States.” The Library’s new experience opens to visitors in April.

Summer 2008
National Museum of Crime & Punishment: Coming to 575 7th St. NW in downtown, DC, the new, interactive museum will open in May 2008 to explore the history of crime, crime fighting, and the consequences of committing a crime in the U.S.  Co-owned and operated by host of America’s Most Wanted, John Walsh, the museum will span three floors, covering more than 28,000 square feet.  Visitors can dive into the world of law enforcement and investigation with a realistic forensics lab, a simulated FBI shooting range, high-speed police chase training equipment, an electric chair, DNA analysis, a lie detector test. 

Fall/Winter 2008
National Museum of American History: “America’s Attic” will unveil the results of its major renovation in fall 2008. The redesigned museum will feature a new gallery for the “Star-Spangled Banner,” a sky-lit central atrium, a grand staircase connecting the first and second floor and other enhancements.
 
2009 & Beyond 
U.S. Capitol Visitors Center: The largest project in the Capitol’s 212-year history, the underground facility will include an exhibition gallery, orientation theatres, a 550-seat cafeteria, gift shops and restrooms, allowing greater access to public tours of the Capitol and shorter waits for tours. 

City Center: The 10-acre site of the old Washington Convention Center in downtown DC is one of the most coveted parcels of real estate in the country, located between 9th and 11th Streets and H Street and New York Avenue. Redevelopment is expected to begin in fall 2008, bringing 275,000 square feet of specialty retail, live performance and entertainment development, plus 300,000 square feet of office development and 772 residential units. Developers also plan to dedicate up to one acre for an urban park available for recreation and public events. A portion of the land will be reserved for District officials to enhance city services and amenities with a proposed $180 million library.

Southwest Waterfront Development: Known for its historic Fish Wharf, Washington, DC’s southwest waterfront has seen a burst of development in recent years with the opening of the 400-room Mandarin Oriental and other commercial developments. Development continues as one of Southwest’s most celebrated cultural assets, Tony Award-winning Arena Stage, has broken ground on its $120 million expansion. The new facility will include a third stage which will exclusively showcase new American plays and rising playwrights.

Anacostia Waterfront Initiative: In 2007, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty tasked the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development with implementing the Anacostia Waterfront Initiative Framework Plan, the guiding document for the river's restoration and revitalization. The plan calls for 6,500 units of new housing, three million square feet of new office space, 32 acres of new public park space and a 20-mile network of riverside trails--all told more than $10 billion in new investment during the next two decades. The project aims to transform the Anacostia Riverfront into a true urban destination blending maritime activity and culture with commercial and residential development.  A sixty-acre park, Poplar Point, is one of the key sites in the initiative. Its $2.5 billion redevelopment includes new parks, trails, housing, retail, office space, cultural amenities and environmental restoration.

Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture: The Smithsonian Institution is developing its latest museum on the National Mall, the national Museum of African American History and Culture. The museum will be located between 14th and 15th Streets, adjacent to the Washington Monument and across from the National Museum of American History. While the museum’s content is currently under development, it will explore African American history on a national level, examining such topics as slavery, the Reconstruction, the Harlem Renaissance and the civil rights movement.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial: Scheduled for 2009 completion, the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial will be the first major memorial along the National Mall to be dedicated to an African-American. The memorial is designed to commemorate and honor Dr. King’s national and international contributions to world peace through non-violent social change. It will be located on the Tidal Basin, near the Jefferson and FDR Memorials. The design features a crescent-shaped-stone wall inscribed with excerpts of Dr. King’s sermons, and public addresses will serve as the living testaments of his vision of America. The centerpiece of the $100 million memorial, the “Stone of Hope”, will feature a 30-foot likeness of Dr. King.

National Law Enforcement Museum: The National Law Enforcement Museum is currently under development opposite the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in downtown’s Judiciary Square. The 25,000-sq. ft. attraction lets visitors learn to think and act like police officers, making split-second decisions and investigating crime scenes through a series of interactive activities. The museum is slated for completion in 2011.

Want to know more? Contact our media relations team and we’ll direct you to the right source for more news and information.