Skip the sunburn this summer and head to “The BEACH” at the National Building Museum (401 F Street NW) where adults and kids alike can jump into an all-white indoor sea of nearly 1 million glimmering plastic balls meant to simulate the undulating surf.
Wade, float and explore this summer in this imaginative body of water, located in the museum’s Great Hall. Visitors will be surrounded by a “beach,” complete with “sand,” beach chairs, umbrellas and even a snack shack with offerings from Union Kitchen.
“This exclusive transformation of the museum’s historic Great Hall will inspire a sense of wonder and imagination,” says Chase Rynd, president and executive director of the National Building Museum.
Rynd, a DowntownDC Business Improvement District (BID) board member and incoming treasurer, notes that the exhibit is part of the museum’s commitment to provide fun and accessible attractions for the public.
The lead architect for the BEACH, Alex Mustonen of the Brooklyn-based architecture firm Snarkitecture, said he wanted to replicate a place everyone loves to visit and bring some sand and surf a little bit closer to Washington, D.C. With its 50-foot “shoreline” and mirrored view, visitors can spend time relaxing and reading, playing games and exploring this one-of-a-kind beach experience.
Union Kitchen will be serving up inventive teas and tonics, ice cream and popsicles, cheese boards, snack mix and more.
This is the third installment of the Building Museum’s “summer block party” series, following the museum’s BIG Maze exhibit in the summer of 2014, a project around which many local developers united, and Mini Golf in 2013 and 2012. Meant to promote interest in the built environment, these temporary attractions provide a fun, unique experience for BID residents, workers and guests.
The BEACH is open July 4 through Labor Day, Sept. 7. The cost of admission for museum members is $10 per adult and $5 per youth, student or senior. For non-members, admission is $16 per adult and $13 per youth, student or senior. Military adults are $10. Admission is first-come, first-served with no timed entry. Season passes for The BEACH are also available for purchase.
On Wednesdays, stay late at the BEACH. Throughout the exhibit’s duration, the BEACH will stay open each Wednesday until 9pm where visitors can enjoy music, games, tours and other activities.
To learn more about the The BEACH, please visit: http://www.nbm.org/exhibitions-collections/exhibitions/the-beach.html