National Building Museum
The National Building Museum has created a one-of-a-kind destination for visitors with an interactive architectural installation that brings the quintessential summer experience of going to the beach to downtown Washington, D.C.
Spanning across the Museum’s Great Hall, the BEACH covers 10,000 square feet and include an “ocean” of nearly one million recyclable translucent plastic balls.
Tickets include admission to exhibitions. Admission is first come, first served (no timed entry). Tickets can be purchased online on the Admissions page.
The BEACH is contained within an enclosure and built out of construction materials such as scaffolding, wooden panels, and perforated mesh, all clad in stark white. Monochromatic beach chairs and umbrellas sprinkle the 50-foot wide “shoreline,” and the “ocean” culminates in a mirrored wall that creates a seemingly infinite reflected expanse. Visitors are welcome to “swim” in the ocean, or can spend an afternoon at the “shore’s” edge reading a good book, play beach-related activities such as paddleball, grab a refreshing drink at the snack bar, or dangle their feet in the ocean off the pier.
A snack concession inside the BEACH is operated through a partnership with Union Kitchen, a D.C.-based food incubator.