Years in the Making, National Geographic’s Museum of Exploration Is Here to Take You on an Adventure

The renovated space highlights the hallmarks of the iconic 138-year-old brand, from wildlife photography to the study of anthropology

Kayla Randall | Digital Editor, Museums

June 26, 2026 4:03 p.m.

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A jaguar, capybara, vulture, hyena and tortoise greet visitors in the courtyard of National Geographic’s new Museum of Exploration. They’re just a few of the life-size animal sculptures in the outdoor space that give patrons a glimpse of the world’s ecosystems and environments. Among the wildlife is a giant 3-D version of the iconic yellow border from the cover of National Geographic magazine, meant for people to stand near for photos.

Inside the museum, on the first level, be sure to look beneath the floor in spots where it becomes transparent. One holds a partial replica of the Titanic’s rusted remains, discovered by oceanographer Robert Ballard in 1985. And don’t miss the wall display of a moon rock, collected during the Apollo 12 mission launched in 1969.

Elsewhere in the multi-floor building, National Geographic presents an archive of fascinating artifacts, a 270-degree panoramic theater and a permanent photography gallery, among other exhibitions. The structure also hosts an international eatery and gift shop.

The Museum of Exploration opens this Friday, June 26, in Washington, D.C., the city where the National Geographic Society was founded on January 13, 1888, by a group of scholars, explorers and scientists. The unveiling of the museum has been years in the making. Construction began in 2022 to expand the building from the 16,800 square feet of its previous National Geographic Museum to the 100,000 square feet of the new version.

Each element of the renewed space was crafted with the National Geographic Society’s 138-year-old mission in mind: inspiring people to care about the planet. It was made to be “a bold new home for exploration that immerses visitors in the extraordinary work of the scientists, storytellers, educators and conservationists redefining what we know about nature, people and our shared future,” says Jill Tiefenthaler, CEO of the National Geographic Society, in a statement provided to media.

“Every visitor who enters these doors is invited to see the world as our Explorers do: alive with wonder, urgency and possibility,” Tiefenthaler says.

The groundbreaking work of photographer and conservationist Joel Sartore, who was awarded Rolex National Geographic Explorer of the Year in 2018, is on display in one of the most striking exhibitions in the new museum, “Photo Ark: Animals of Earth.”

Sartore founded the Photo Ark in 2006 to take portraits of animals in captivity, before the species were lost. “I’m on a mission to document all species around the world, no matter their size, in order to show a world worth saving,” Sartore says in a statement.

His images, set against blank backgrounds, are intimate and revealing. Through Sartore’s lens, viewers can see up close the inquisitive nature of a Malayan tiger and the expressive face of a tarsier. The goal is to “give us all a chance to look animals directly in the eye and see that there’s beauty, grace and intelligence in the other creatures we share the planet with,” Sartore states on his website.

In addition to highlighting his stunning pictures, the exhibition allows for interaction. Visitors can practice capturing snapshots themselves and take a quiz to discover which animal they’re most like and why.

At the heart of the Photo Ark experience, and the Museum of Exploration itself, is documentation—keeping a historical record of these animals and the world around us.

Sartore notes that about 25,000 animal species are in human care around the world. “So far, I’ve made portraits of more than 17,000,” he says, “and we’ll keep going until we get them all.”

Kayla Randall | Read More

Kayla Randall is Smithsonian magazine's digital editor, museums.