Washington has a joyful reason to celebrate: the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino finally has a permanent home. The Smithsonian Board of Regents has designated the historic Arts and Industries Building, right on the National Mall, as the museum’s future address.
It is a landmark decision. Congress authorized the museum in December 2020, and this designation officially completes the site-selection process, giving decades of dreaming a real address in the heart of the capital.
The choice of building could not be more fitting. Opened in 1881 as the Smithsonian’s first U.S. National Museum, the Arts and Industries Building is a grand Victorian jewel next to the Smithsonian Castle. It will now be reborn to celebrate the stories, contributions and lasting impact of Latinos in the United States.
The museum already offered a preview: in 2022 it opened a temporary gallery at the National Museum of American History, giving visitors a taste of what is to come. An opening date for the permanent museum has not been announced yet, but Washington can already look forward to a place where Latino heritage shines at the very heart of the nation’s capital.
Photo: W. Brown Morton III (Wikimedia Commons)
