The National Children’s Museum in Downtown D.C. might have to move, and if it does, the federal government will help it find a new home.
The FBI announced last summer that it plans to move its headquarters to the Ronald Reagan Building on Pennsylvania Avenue NW.
“When we learned that in July, it was a big surprise,” Kiryn Hoffman, who serves as the museum president and CEO, told WTOP.
The nearly 30,000-square-foot museum is not inside the building but adjacent to it, with a separate entrance and security.
The National Children’s Museum was founded in 1974 and operated in various locations before opening at the Reagan Building in February 2020. It had to close a few weeks later because of the COVID-19 pandemic but has been open continuously since September 2021.
The museum’s lease ends in August 2029 with an option to renew through 2039, and Hoffman had been intending on renewing.
“In our minds, we have 13 more years on the lease, but of course, we may now have to relocate,” Hoffman said. “We understand that the FBI has a security assessment underway that they hope to complete sometime this spring.”
The results, she said, should answer key questions such as how the building will be secured for the agency, whether the existing tenants need to move out, and if they do, how those relocations will be handled.
During a House subcommittee hearing Wednesday that Hoffman attended, General Services Administration head Ed Forst was asked if he had any information about the future of the museum. He said he and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser have agreed to team up to ensure its future.
“This is an important thing to work on together, to not in any way abandon it and its important mission, but help it get on to its next place,” he said.
Hoffman said the words of support were wonderful to hear, and she said Bowser wants the museum to stay in Downtown D.C.
If the museum does have to move, Hoffman said she’d love to make it bigger.
“The space that we currently have is essentially fully built out,” Hoffman said.
While she waits to find out what comes next, Hoffman urged visitors to take advantage of a bunch of fun activities planned this spring. For instance, March 7 is Girl Scout Day, which will be full of activities and opportunities to earn badges. On Pi Day, March 14, there will be hands-on mathematics-related fun, and kids can chow down on pizza pie.
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