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Friday 11am - 4pm Saturday 11am - 4pm

The Octagon Museum

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United States
Washington D.C., DC
The Octagon Museum

As the museum of the Architects Foundation, we educate on the value architects and architecture bring to culture.

Temporary White House (1814 -15), AIA HQ (1898-1970), and one of the US's first preservation projects. Completed in 1801 for John Tayloe III of Mount Airy, VA and his wife Ann Ogle Tayloe, and designed by William Thornton, the original architect of the U.S. Capitol, the Octagon is one of the most significant and elegant buildings to remain standing from the early federal city. The Octagon served a

s the temporary White House for the Madisons after the British burned Washington in 1814 during the War of 1812. After the Tayloe family moved out in 1855, the house served as a girls' school, the offices of the US Hydrographic Office, an a tenement apartment building. Finally, in 1898, the American Institute of Architects selected the building to be their national headquarters, and they continued to use the building as such until 1970. Today, the Octagon is operated as a museum by the AIA Foundation, and features guided and self-guided tours, changing exhibitions, and public programing. The Octagon will reopen to the public beginning May 19th! The Museum will be open Thursday-Saturday from 11am-4pm. Museum admission is $10/adult, $5/children and teens under 18, and free for children under 5. Free guided tours will be offered at 11am and 3pm (roughly 45 mins) and are included with museum admission. Information on self-guided tours is available at our front desk. To purchase tickets in advance, please visit https://architectsfoundation.networkforgood.com/events/41116-visit-the-octagon

01/12/2026

10/25/2025

07/01/2025

We hope to see you soon! 👋🏼 Check out our linktree for a virtual tour if interested.
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06/06/2025

Here’s what we have going on in June — make sure you get your tickets to visit us, as we’ll be closed in July!

🪄 Creative Resilience: Carbon + Complexity is on view
📖 Going for Zero: Decarbonizing the Built Environment on the Path to Our Urban Future event with Carl Elefante, FAIA
🏃🏻‍♀️‍➡️ The Octagon will be closed in July, run to get your tickets for June!
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06/05/2025

Our Communities by Design team spent last week in beautiful Bakersville, NC—a community working to recover from the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene. Over a third of the town’s population participated directly in the public process. Led by Cheryl Morgan, FAIA, the team developed a recovery strategy that will improve future resilience. As one town resident wrote, “I am so excited by all you presented. I have been waking up thinking about it. I can’t thank you enough for helping our little town. You all brought the vision and expertise that we desperately needed.”

A full report with recommendations will be available by the end of July! 📋
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05/18/2025

Happy !
 Today we celebrate the power of museums to educate, inspire, and connect us.

At The Octagon—one of D.C.’s oldest homes and the site where the Treaty of Ghent was signed—we honor the past while engaging the future through architecture, design, and history.

Come visit us and explore where history and design meet!

05/01/2025

May fun!
🎂 Celebrate Dolley Madison’s birthday with SpyHer @ The Octagon: The Art of Building Relationships — a program highlighting the components of relationship building
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Bring the whole family for Family Day — enjoy hands-on activities and interactive fun for all ages!
🏛️ May is ! Join Manager Amanda Ferrario for special behind-the-scenes, preservation-focused tours — included with ticket admission on the following dates: May 9, May 16, May 30

Tickets for all events available in our linktree!
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04/18/2025

continues!
 Can you lead your community through disaster? Strategize, collaborate, and build resilience as you face wild events and tough decisions.
 🎲 Think you’ve got what it takes to become the Ultimate Disaster Master?
 👉 Grab your copy now — it’s on our Linktree in bio!   Check out our linktree to learn more about 🔗  

04/17/2025

Architects Foundation, the philanthropic partner of the American Institute of Architects, announced the appointment of Jennifer Calvert Hall as its new Executive Director. Calvert Hall was identified following a highly competitive national search and brings extensive experience in fundraising and nonprofit management. Read more at the link in bio.

04/16/2025

is here! 🎉

🌱 Celebrate Architecture Week with a fun at-home activity! Swipe for instructions on creating your own biophilic design.

🏛️ Don’t forget to come see the newest exhibit Creative Resilience: Carbon + Complexity at The Octagon—explore more about biophilic design and how it’s shaping the future of architecture! Tickets in our linktree in bio

How are you celebrating ? Let us know in the comments! ⬇️

03/28/2025

Check out what’s going on in April! You won’t want to miss the saxophone quartet performance 🎻🎶 It’s a great chance to enjoy live music at The Octagon. Grab your tickets now – link in bio!
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Address

1799 New York Avenue NW
Washington D.C., DC
20006

Opening Hours

Friday	11am - 4pm
Saturday	11am - 4pm

Website

http://architectsfoundation.org/octagon-museum/

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