The American Story — National Archives Building
The American Story, the redesigned permanent core exhibition of the National Archives Museum in Washington, DC, opened November 21, 2025 following a $40 million renovation of the museum; C&G Partners designed the nine-gallery exhibition — including the Cosmos gallery, home to an immersive "Moon Room" on Apollo-era innovation — in collaboration with Cortina Productions, ahead of the nation's 250th anniversary.
| Venue | National Archives Building |
|---|---|
| Project type | Major Renovation |
| Status | Completed |
| Year completed | 2025 |
| Technologies | AI-personalized interactive stations, touchscreen digital display cases, projection, mediascapes |
Credits
| Firm | Role | Note |
|---|---|---|
| C&G Partners | Exhibit Design | |
| Cortina Productions | Media Design & Software AI / Machine Learning | Collaborating designer of immersive environments |
| carolynne-harris-consulting | Master Planning | Museum planning |
| phase-shift | Technical Consulting / Owner's Representation | AV systems design |
| Design and Production Incorporated | Fabrication | |
| Design and Production Incorporated | AV Integration | |
| deque-systems | Accessibility / Inclusive Design Consulting |
Description
Supersedes the museum's prior permanent exhibition. Reconciled from three C&G Partners project pages that describe the same redesign at different stages: an "in-progress" National Archives Museum (2025) page, the completed "American Story" opening announcement, and a page for "The Moon Room," which institutional press confirms is a themed space within the exhibition's Cosmos gallery rather than a separate installation.
Sources
- https://www.archives.gov/press/press-releases/2025/nr25-13
- https://www.archives.gov/press/press-kits/american-story
- https://visit.archives.gov/whats-on/explore-exhibits/american-story
- https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-national-archives-museum-is-using-ai-to-take-visitors-on-an-immersive-journey-through-american-history-180986784/
- https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/projects/the-american-story-opens-at-the-national-archives/
- https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/projects/in-progress-national-archives-museum/
- https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/projects/national-archives-and-records-administration-cosmos-and-moon/