As several people have expressed an interest in seeing the interior of this renovated museum, I’m re-posting an old picture taken during the 2016 Folklife Festival. It looks like they’ve done a nice job on the restoration; however, whether the museum will reopen to the public remains in doubt due to funding concerns cited by the Smithsonian Institution and its deteriorating condition, although the building has reportedly been architecturally stabilized.
*****
One of the most unusual of the Smithsonian museums, this is the Arts and Industries Building, opened in 1881. It’s been closed for renovations since 2004, and although it hosted the gift shop for the 2016 Folklife Festival, still isn’t open to the public and its fate remains uncertain. I remember going there years ago to see its exhibit of the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition.
Not your everyday museum building, posted earlier:
