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Ralph Appelbaum Associates

Also known as: RAA

Active

Credited as exhibition designer on the International African American Museum (opened 2023) and the Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation at AMNH (opened 2023), both cited as 2024 Fast Company Innovation by Design Awards honorees; ongoing project portfolio on firm website as of this check. (verified 2026-07-18)

Ralph Appelbaum Associates is a New York-based museum exhibition design and interpretive planning firm founded in 1978 by Ralph Appelbaum, with additional offices in London, Berlin, and Beijing; it describes itself as the world's largest practice dedicated to the planning and design of museums and narrative environments.

HeadquartersNew York, NY
Other officesLondon; Berlin; Beijing
Founded1978
RolesExhibit Design, Interpretive Planning, Master Planning
Websitehttps://raai.com

Projects (101)

ProjectVenueRoleYear
Bristol Dockyards Museum (reimagined SS Great Britain site) Bristol Dockyards (SS Great Britain site) Exhibit Design 2026 (announced)
Carolina Museum of the Marine Carolina Museum of the Marine Exhibit Design 2026
Ellis Island Museum Reimagined Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration Exhibit Design 2026 (announced)
Belgrade 360 Deck (Deck 41) Kula Belgrade Exhibit Design 2026
MUNET — Museography Museo Nacional de Energía y Tecnología (MUNET) Exhibit Design 2026
MoMI LAB Museum of the Moving Image Exhibit Design 2026
Obama Presidential Center Museum Obama Presidential Center Exhibit Design 2026
Thaddeus Stevens & Lydia Hamilton Smith Center for History and Democracy Thaddeus Stevens & Lydia Hamilton Smith Center for History and Democracy Exhibit Design 2026
Antonín Dvořák's Birthhouse Museum Core Exhibits Antonín Dvořák's Birthhouse Museum Exhibit Design 2025
Freedom Rides Museum — 2025 Refresh Freedom Rides Museum Exhibit Design 2025
In This Place National Underground Railroad Freedom Center Exhibit Design 2025
National WWI Museum and Memorial Technology Refresh and Encounters National WWI Museum and Memorial Exhibit Design 2025
PETRI Berlin — Archaeology Lab PETRI Berlin Exhibit Design 2025
Shenzhen Bay Cultural Plaza — Gallery Spaces Shenzhen Bay Cultural Plaza Exhibit Design 2025
The Harris — Your Place The Harris Exhibit Design 2025
Alfie Norville Gem & Mineral Museum Alfie Norville Gem & Mineral Museum Exhibit Design 2024
MONEY! and Economy Lab Economy Museum (Royal Coin Cabinet) Exhibit Design 2024
John Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture & History John Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture & History Exhibit Design 2024
Lost Shtetl Museum Lost Shtetl Museum Exhibit Design 2024
National WWI Museum and Memorial Media Refresh National WWI Museum and Memorial Exhibit Design 2024
The People's House - A White House Experience The People's House - A White House Experience Exhibit Design 2024
Core Exhibit Renovation The Zekelman Holocaust Center Exhibit Design 2024
Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation American Museum of Natural History Exhibit Design 2023
International African American Museum International African American Museum Exhibit Design, Interpretive Planning 2023
Midleton Distillery Experience Midleton Distillery Exhibit Design 2023
The Punk Rock Museum The Punk Rock Museum Exhibit Design 2023
Evolution and Ocean Halls State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart Exhibit Design 2023
Jewel House (Crown Jewels exhibition) Tower of London Exhibit Design 2023
Lift 109 Battersea Power Station Exhibit Design 2022
The Intelligence Factory Bletchley Park Exhibit Design 2022
The World of Stonehenge British Museum Exhibit Design 2022
Jackie Robinson Museum Core Exhibits Jackie Robinson Museum Exhibit Design 2022
Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals American Museum of Natural History Exhibit Design 2021
OKLA HOMMA Immersive Media (Origins Theater, Uprooted, Exit Experience, The Xchange) First Americans Museum Exhibit Design 2021
Ethnological Museum & Museum of Asian Art Humboldt Forum Exhibit Design 2021
Second World War Galleries Imperial War Museum London Exhibit Design 2021
Al Shindagha Museum — Traditions and Life on the Land Al Shindagha Museum Exhibit Design 2020
Buhais Geology Park Interpretive Center Buhais Geology Park Exhibit Design 2020
Museo Ruta de la Plata Core Exhibits Museo Ruta de la Plata Exhibit Design 2020
Józef Piłsudski Museum Exhibition Józef Piłsudski Museum Exhibit Design 2020
Troy — Myth and Reality British Museum Exhibit Design 2019
Cherokee National History Museum Cherokee National History Museum Exhibit Design 2019
Expansion Holocaust Museum Houston Exhibit Design 2019
Museum of Literature Ireland Museum of Literature Ireland (MoLI) Exhibit Design 2019
World Gallery Horniman Museum and Gardens Exhibit Design 2018
National Nordic Museum National Nordic Museum Exhibit Design 2018
National Veterans Memorial and Museum National Veterans Memorial and Museum Exhibit Design 2018
Royal Alberta Museum Core Exhibits Royal Alberta Museum Exhibit Design 2018
The Brooklands Aircraft Factory Brooklands Museum Exhibit Design 2017
LEGO House LEGO House Exhibit Design 2017
Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library Core Exhibits Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library Exhibit Design 2017
Weltmuseum Wien Weltmuseum Wien (World Museum Vienna) Exhibit Design 2017
Habitat Museum Al-Shaheed Park Exhibit Design 2016
IKEA Museum — Main Exhibition IKEA Museum Exhibit Design 2016
National Museum of African American History and Culture Core Exhibits National Museum of African American History and Culture Exhibit Design 2016
Follow the Green Book National Museum of African American History and Culture Exhibit Design 2016
Memorial Museum Al-Shaheed Park Exhibit Design 2015
Lincoln Castle Revealed Lincoln Castle Exhibit Design 2015
Renovation and Restoration Museum of the City of New York Exhibit Design 2015
Museum of Tomorrow (Museu do Amanhã) Museum of Tomorrow (Museu do Amanhã) Exhibit Design 2015
Canadian Museum for Human Rights Canadian Museum for Human Rights Exhibit Design 2014
TING Norwegian Museum of Science, Technology, Industry and Medicine (Norsk Teknisk Museum) Exhibit Design 2014
Heritage Gallery Presidio Officers' Club Exhibit Design 2014
First World War in the Air RAF Museum London Exhibit Design 2014
Eaton Experience Center Eaton Experience Center Exhibit Design 2013
Msheireb Museums — Four Heritage Houses Msheireb Museums — Heritage Houses Exhibit Design 2013
The Roots of American Music Blue Ridge Music Center Exhibit Design 2011
IBM:100 THINK Exhibit IBM THINK Exhibit Pavilion at Lincoln Center Exhibit Design 2011
Center for Total Health Kaiser Permanente Center for Total Health Exhibit Design 2011
National Museum of Scotland — Gallery Redesign National Museum of Scotland Exhibit Design 2011
Rio Tinto Center Natural History Museum of Utah (Rio Tinto Center) Exhibit Design 2011
Royal Albert Memorial Museum Renovation Royal Albert Memorial Museum Exhibit Design 2011
Walmart Visitor Center Renovation & Expansion Walmart Visitor Center Exhibit Design 2011
Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center Anchorage Museum Exhibit Design 2010
Bahrain National Charter Monument — Permanent Exhibition Bahrain National Charter Monument Exhibit Design 2010
NASCAR Hall of Fame NASCAR Hall of Fame Exhibit Design 2010
Fortaleza Hall Fortaleza Hall, S.C. Johnson Headquarters Exhibit Design 2010
Hawaiian Hall Renovation Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum Exhibit Design 2009
Rutgers University Visitor Center Rutgers University Visitor Center Exhibit Design 2009
History Gallery The Braid Exhibit Design 2009
Making Modernity — Periodic Table Media Column Chemical Heritage Foundation Exhibit Design 2008
Newseum Newseum Exhibit Design 2008
U.S. Capitol Visitor Center Exhibition Hall United States Capitol Visitor Center Exhibit Design 2008
Culloden Visitor Centre Culloden Visitor Centre Exhibit Design 2007
Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center Exhibit Design 2007
MobiGlobe Autostadt Exhibit Design 2006
Museum of the Portuguese Language Museum of the Portuguese Language Exhibit Design 2006
National WWI Museum and Memorial Renovation and Expansion National WWI Museum and Memorial Exhibit Design 2006
William J. Clinton Presidential Center William J. Clinton Presidential Center Exhibit Design 2004
McGuire Center for Lepidoptera Research and Butterfly Vivarium Florida Museum of Natural History Exhibit Design 2004
Freedom Rising and Core Exhibits National Constitution Center Exhibit Design 2003
Indiana State Museum Indiana State Museum Exhibit Design 2002
American Folk Art Museum American Folk Art Museum Exhibit Design 2001
Innovation Center Corning Museum of Glass Exhibit Design 2001
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Exhibit Design 2001
Museum of World Religions Museum of World Religions Architecture, Exhibit Design 2001
Museum of World Religions Core Exhibits Museum of World Religions Exhibit Design 2001
Rose Center for Earth and Space American Museum of Natural History Exhibit Design 2000
Hall of Biodiversity American Museum of Natural History Exhibit Design 1998
Fossil Halls American Museum of Natural History Exhibit Design 1996
Permanent Exhibition United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Exhibit Design 1993

Sources