National Building Museum - Great Hall in the former Pension Office

The National Building Museum is housed in the historic Pension Office building, completed in 1887 and designed by architect Montgomery C. Meigs. Its Great Hall features 75-foot-tall Corinthian columns and one of the largest indoor civic spaces in the United States. The building’s use as a museum devoted to architecture, design, engineering, and the built environment makes it a distinctive cultural institution in Washington. The museum frequently mounts large-scale installations that take advantage of the hall’s monumental volume.