9-18-2025 9:17am

New Museum Advances

New museum exploring the American Dream set to open in Washington, DC

The Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream, a new cultural institution exploring the American Dream, is opening this weekend in Washington, DC.

Located across from the White House, the $500 million museum comprises a collection of historic buildings that have been renovated over the past 12 years.

The centre is opening on 20 September with a flagship exhibition titled American Dream Experience, a series of gallery spaces and immersive exhibits spanning five buildings and a new atrium.

“The American Dream is the ideal that any person, regardless of background or where they start, should have the opportunity to pursue a life of meaning and fulfilment,” said Michael Milken, founder.

“Stories move us, and data informs us. The center is built on both. For decades, our work has focused on the four pillars of the American Dream – education, health, finance and entrepreneurship.

“The center brings these elements together so visitors can explore each one through real examples and clear data, then reflect on how to apply it in their lives.”

New museum across from the White House

The new museum will offer permanent and temporary exhibitions, public programmes, original research and educational archives that explore the past, present and future of the American Dream.

Highlights include an experience powered by AI hologram technology, with visitors able to have lifelike conversations with the likes of Serena Williams, Sara Blakely and Sanjay Gupta as they share their achievements.

The Holodeck Experience is a 360-degree immersive theatre that transports viewers to new worlds using multimedia technology. Its inaugural film is The Perpetual Story Machine.

The Stand Together Theater is a unique 270-degree viewing experience that features ceiling screen panels and immersive projections on the four surrounding walls. The film shown here is titled America: Built on Dreams.

“This is a dynamic, ever-changing project that will grow with what we learn from visitors, and in these early months we’ll use that feedback to refine what’s here and to shape what we build next,” Milken added.

To celebrate the public opening, the museum is providing two days of activities and programming on 20 and 21 September.

The event includes a hands-on genealogy workshop, a live performance by DuPont Brass, giant games, a scavenger hunt, food trucks, face painting, mindfulness movement sessions, and health screenings.