We are creating a permanent home for the National Museum and Center for Service in an existing space near the national mall in Washington, D.C. with four goals at the heart of this project:
- To show our citizens and the rest of the world what our people and nation do when we are truly at our best.
- To create a space in the nation’s capital where everyday heroes and service organizations are honored and visitors can learn how everyone benefits from service and everyone can participate.
- To help unify Americans from all ages and all walks of life.
- To strengthen the spirit of service that is essential for the success of any constitutional democratic republic.
The national home won’t be a typical museum. Most museums honor famous leaders and major historical events. NMCFS is different.
A vibrant, hands-on space
Our national home will be a vibrant, hands-on space where visitors of all ages can learn about and be inspired by service. We celebrate the greatness of every person and the dignity of service as it happens every day, everywhere. Our national home will also be a social innovation hub and will bring together the civil sector to solve some of our greatest challenges.
Near the National Mall
Creating the museum near the National Mall puts NMCFS alongside the monuments and museums that people already love, making service a visible and valued part of America’s story.
Renderings courtesy of Olson Kundig. These designs are suggestive and help us imagine what is possible; they are not the final plans.
Frequently asked questions
We have countless museums and monuments to war and military service, and there are museums for art, history, and science, but currently there is no place in Washington, D.C. that honors the tens of millions of Americans who dedicate themselves, and sometimes give their lives, in service to others.
This space fills that gap and tells what is truly the best story of our nation in the most prominent place in the nation.
Community and campus museums tell the specific stories of service in your local area. The national home brings together stories from all 50 states and territories to show the massive scale of service across the country.
We believe service is best celebrated where it happens, and that all Americans should have access to places that celebrate service. Our national home will support, amplify, and connect community-led museums, not replace them.
We are still picking the perfect spot in Washington, D.C., but we plan to find a home near the National Mall. Being alongside the national monuments and museums Americans love will reflect the importance of service in our country.
Your support is essential to our mission to inspire hope and connection by making service to others visible in all its forms. Visit Get Involved to find out how you can support NMCFS.