Cesar Pelli & Associates Will Design the Complex; $130 Million Capital Campaign Continues.

WASHINGTON (July 26, 2007) – The National Children’s Museum (NCM) today announced that it plans to locate its new museum at National Harbor—a $2 billion, 300-acre, mixed-use waterfront development along the Potomac River.  Designed by international architect Cesar Pelli (of Pelli Clark Pelli), NCM will join with National Harbor to transform the banks of the Potomac into a new Gateway to the Washington Region for kids and families.

“We are thrilled with the many new opportunities National Harbor provides and are excited to have found such a perfect site,” said Kathy Dwyer Southern, President and CEO of NCM.  “It’s an ideal location for the new Museum and will provide easy access for the one million families living in the Washington region and the millions of visitors who tour the area each year.”

Serving as the anchor attraction for kids and families in this exciting new destination, the National Children’s Museum will be housed in a new 140,000-square-foot, state of the art facility that will deliver a dynamic, interactive learning environment.  NCM’s location at National Harbor will extend the visitors’ experience outdoors and take advantage of abundant natural resources to deepen and enrich exhibit and program offerings.

“This new site is a tremendous development for the Museum—National Harbor is a natural fit for us,” said S. Ross Hechinger, Chairman of the Board of Directors of NCM.  “With the available natural resources, public spaces, complimentary attractions, and ample parking, it is the perfect location to build a world-class museum for the children and families in the Washington region, across the country, and around the world.”

Developed by The Peterson Companies, National Harbor is located in Prince George’s County and includes one of the largest hotel and convention centers on the Eastern Seaboard, thousands of residential units, outdoor art and program spaces, and an active marina.  

“We are thrilled to welcome the National Children’s Museum to National Harbor,” said Milt Peterson, founder and chairman of The Peterson Companies. “National Harbor and the National Children’s Museum share a commitment to engaging and delighting children and families through culture and the arts. This natural alliance will serve to create a rich and dynamic experience for the millions of children we look forward to hosting in the years to come.”

Originally slated to be built as part of The JBG Companies development at L’Enfant Plaza, the Museum began looking for an alternative site when the developer’s plans and timeline changed significantly enough to impact the Museum’s design and project schedule. 

The National Children’s Museum plans to open its doors in 2012 and is projected to attract over 500,000 visitors annually. The Museum’s core visitors will be the children and families of the District, Northern Virginia, and Maryland and NCM looks forward to serving them along with visitors from across the nation and around the world at this dynamic new location.

“We are so proud of our 30-year history of service to the kids of the Washington region and we are excited to build on this track record in the years ahead,” said Southern.  “The Potomac River and woodland park at National Harbor combined with all of the region’s cultural institutions will provide tremendous program opportunities for NCM that will deepen and enrich the Museum’s exhibits and programs and provide kids and families with a truly authentic, hands-on experience.”

NCM’s Board of Trustees will continue the $130 million national capital campaign to build the new institution, reaching out to potential contributors in the public and private sectors not only in the Washington community, but throughout the country. To date, the Museum has met all of its initial private fundraising goals.

Planning for the National Children’s Museum, formerly the Capital Children’s Museum (CCM), began in 1999 when the CCM Board of Trustees identified the need for a new national institution for children in the national capital region. Congress designated CCM as the National Children’s Museum in 2003.

More information about the National Children’s Museum can be found at www.ncm.museum.