Smithsonian Castle reopening & Memorial Day concerts

The Smithsonian Institution reopened the Castle to the public on Friday, May 22, after a closure for major renovations that began in 2023. The red-sandstone building on the south side of the National Mall is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. through Monday, Sept. 7, as the institution pauses work for the nation’s 250th-anniversary programming. The reopening landed in Washington’s Memorial Day weekend mix of concerts, parades and other outdoor events across the Mall and nearby venues. Smithsonian officials said visitors can again use the building as a visitor center while seeing parts of the restoration work and the restored Great Hall. ### Why is the Castle open now if the renovation is still underway? May 22 marked the start of a temporary reopening tied to “Our Shared Future: 250,” the Smithsonian’s multiyear initiative around the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding. The institution said the Castle will remain open through Labor Day while renovations pause, then return to construction. (si.edu) The Castle closed on Feb. 1, 2023, for what the Smithsonian has described as its first major renovation in more than 50 years. The project includes a new sub-basement for mechanical equipment and a below-grade connection to the Quadrangle loading dock, changes the Smithsonian says will return 50% more of the building to public use and programming. ### What can visitors actually see inside the building? (si.edu) The restored Great Hall is the main draw during the reopening, with interpretive displays on the Castle’s history, renovation and future use. The building also has the Smithsonian Visitor Center, a café, a shop and access to the Enid A. Haupt Garden. Admission is free and no passes are required, according to the Smithsonian’s museum page. (si.edu) June 2 is the opening date for “American Aspirations,” a special exhibition co-curated by Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III. The Smithsonian said the show will run through July 26 and include objects such as the desk on which Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence, a flight suit worn by Amelia Earhart and a model of the Statue of Liberty by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi. (si.edu) ### How does the reopening fit into Memorial Day weekend in Washington? Memorial Day programming in Washington runs through Monday, May 25, with the Castle reopening folded into a broader weekend of public events. Destination DC’s event listings highlighted the reopening alongside the Rolling to Remember honor ride and patriotic concert on Sunday, May 24, and the National Memorial Day Parade on Monday, May 25. (si.edu) PBS said the National Memorial Day Concert airs Sunday, May 24, at 8 p.m. Eastern, with Joe Mantegna and Gary Sinise as hosts. The American Veterans Center says the National Memorial Day Parade is free and open to the public along Constitution Avenue from 7th Street to 17th Street NW. ### What is the Castle’s place in the Smithsonian system? The Smithsonian says the Castle, completed in 1855 and designed by James Renwick Jr., is its oldest building and symbolic heart. (washington.org) The structure originally housed the institution’s first museum, library and administrative offices, and it still serves as the Smithsonian’s headquarters. (pbs.org) The reopening also comes with the Arts and Industries Building returning to regular public hours for the first time since 2004, according to the Smithsonian. Smithsonian officials framed both reopenings as part of a summer effort to reconnect visitors with two of the institution’s most recognizable buildings. (si.edu) ### What should visitors know if they are planning to go? The Castle is at 1000 Jefferson Drive SW on the National Mall, and the Smithsonian lists it as open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. through Sept. 7. The institution says admission is free, and the temporary reopening includes the visitor center, café, shop and outdoor docent tours. (si.edu) Monday, May 25, remains the next major date on the holiday calendar in Washington, with the National Memorial Day Parade and expanded National Mall programming still scheduled. After that, the Castle’s next milestone is June 2, when “American Aspirations” opens inside the building and runs through July 26, according to the Smithsonian. (washington.org) (si.edu)