For over a century, National Geographic’s “base camp” in Washington, D.C. served as a home base—and on occasion literal home—to the organization’s many explorers.
When the pandemic hit, the organization began to think up what a new version of the headquarters might look like. “An organization committed to exploration had some time on our hands during that early time of 2020 and we started to really imagine what this could be,” says Jill Tiefenthaler, CEO of the National Geographic Society.
The answer was the Museum of Exploration, operated by the National Geographic Society and opening June 26, a reimagination of the organization’s headquarters that will bring an expansive museum highlighting its history and the work explorers are doing around the world.
“[It’s] really just a continuation of what we’ve done since the very beginning,” says Tiefenthaler. “The idea was always to learn about the world and share it with people.”
Evolution is nothing new for the 138-year-old non-profit. “Over our history we’ve been supporting these cool, amazing explorers who are out there really changing the world and sharing it with the world in a way that Nat Geo uniquely does,” she says. “This museum is sort of like the 21st century platform for that same thing—highlighting the mission work that we’re doing and getting more people inspired to fall in love with the world and support its protection for the long term.”
The museum is not abandoning tradition—instead weaving in the organization’s iconic history into the museum’s exhibits. The museum will feature a permanent exhibition of photos from a century of archives—much of which has yet to be seen by the public. Another exhibit will showcase an interactive, large-scale digital installation of National Geographic’s magazine covers from the first magazine in 1888 to the latest issues. The museum will also be home to the “geoverse,” a 270-degree theater that will feature rotating shows for students. And an “Explorers Landing” space, sponsored by Rolex (which also supported the general creation of the Base Camp), will showcase the achievements of National Geographic Explores.
The overarching goal: to put sustainability and climate action front and center.
“There are so many great stories of both climate and biodiversity loss and calls to action in the museum,” says Tiefenthaler. One upcoming exhibit will feature photography from National Geographic Explorer, photographer, and founder of the Photo Ark, Joel Sartore. The showcase will highlight global biodiversity through Sartore’s striking, signature animal portraits, but will also include changes visitors can do in their own community to protect biodiversity—from avoiding pesticides to planting wildflowers, Tiefenthaler says.
Tiefenthaler hopes that visitors leave the museum not just having learned something new, but with a desire to bring that knowledge back to their communities. “I hope that people will be inspired by what we’ve done, but also walk away and think from the museum… [thinking of] things that they can do in their everyday lives.”
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