D.C. will be the center of the celebrations for the nation’s 250th birthday, and there are also going to be a lot of other new events and re-openings.
250th celebrations
The celebrations started with the lighting of the Washington Monument on New Year’s Eve, and events are going to continue throughout the year.
Lincoln Memorial Undercroft
There’s been construction in front of the Lincoln Memorial for the past couple of years for a new exhibit space in the cavernous area under the memorial. It is scheduled to open in July.
Smithsonian Carousel
The historic carousel on the Mall was removed in 2023, and this spring will be coming back completely refurbished. The basic structure is in the process of being reinstalled, so the carousel animals should be coming back soon.
Tidal Basin
The east side of the Tidal Basin has been closed since 2024 while the seawall has been raised and stabilized. The work on the seawall has been finished, months ahead of schedule. As part of the work, 300 cherry trees had to be removed. The Park Service will be planting more than 400 new trees as replacements. To give the new plantings a chance to thrive, the area will reopen this year but not until after the heavy foot traffic of cherry blossom season.
Hirshhorn sculpture garden
The Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden has been undergoing a 3-year renovation, and is scheduled to reopen in October.
National Geographic Museum
The National Geographic Museum closed in 2023 for an expansion and re-imagining of the museum space. It is scheduled to re-open mid-year.
Month-long Folklife Festival
In celebration of the U.S.’s 250th birthday, the traditional Folklife festival will be expanding for an entire month during the summer.
Smithsonian Castle
The Smithsonian Castle has been closed since 2023 for a five-year renovation, but in honor of the 250th, the renovations will be paused this summer and the building will be partially open during the summer months.
Air And Space Museum remodeling
The Air and Space Museum has been undergoing extensive renovations with part of the exhibits closed. The renovated areas are expected to be revealed by July 1, the 50th anniversary of the museum.
Mayoral elections
With Mayor Bowser having been in office for 12 years but not running again, the field for a new mayor may be wide open – so expect a lot of electioneering between now and November.
10th anniversary of African American Museum
The 10th anniversary of the National Museum of African American History and Culture is in September, with lots of special events planned for this year.
Elephant birth
For the first time in 25 years, a new baby elephant is expected at the National Zoo – Nhi Linh will likely give birth sometime in the first three months of the year.
