With over 74.4 million Americans who volunteer annually and the many more who serve their community every day, the spirit of service to others is a central part of our national character and deserves a home in our nation’s capital.
The National Museum and Center for Service will serve as a focal point for nationwide storytelling about service, social innovation and collaboration.
Four goals are at the heart of this project:
- To create a space in the nation’s capital inspiring hope and connection by making service to others visible and valued in all its forms and connecting people with how they can participate.
- To honor all those who serve others, from all ages and all walks of life.
- To unify the nation by showing Americans and visitors from around the world who we are when we are truly at our best.
- To provide a central hub for social innovation, connecting communities and bringing together the people and organizations that strengthen our social fabric.
A vibrant, hands-on space
Our national home will be a vibrant, hands-on space where visitors of all ages can learn about and be inspired by service. We celebrate the greatness of every person and the dignity of service as it happens every day, everywhere.
Near the National Mall
Creating the museum near the National Mall puts NMCFS alongside the monuments and museums that people already love, and highlights the importance of service as a part of America’s story.
Renderings courtesy of Olson Kundig. These designs are suggestive and help us imagine what is possible; they are not the final plans.
Frequently asked questions
We have countless museums and monuments to war and military service, and there are museums for art, history, and science, but currently there is no place in Washington, D.C. that honors the tens of millions of Americans who dedicate themselves, and sometimes give their lives, in service to others.
This space fills that gap and tells what is truly the best story of our nation in the most prominent place in the nation.
Community and campus museums tell the specific stories of service in your local area. The national home brings together stories from all 50 states and territories to show the massive scale of service across the country.
We believe service is best celebrated where it happens, and that all Americans should have access to places that celebrate service. Our national home will support, amplify, and connect community-led museums, not replace them.
We are still picking the perfect spot in Washington, D.C., but we plan to find a home in an existing building near the National Mall. Being alongside the national monuments and museums Americans love will reflect the importance of service in our country.
Your support is essential to our mission to inspire hope and connection by making service to others visible in all its forms. Visit Get Involved to find out how you can support NMCFS.