Why Did The D.C. City Museum Fail?

Only 36,000 visited the museum in its first 15 months of operation.

1 minute read

December 2, 2004, 11:00 AM PST

"It has always been a struggle to define [Washington, D.C.]. For 200 years the capital has had a complicated identity, made up as it is of a federal city and a local city that are both separate and inseparable. The City Museum took on the challenge of making sense of the city's story and engaging in explorations of Washington in all of its dimensions -- geographical, political and social. It had just gotten started." Yet the "City Museum in the old Carnegie Library building at Mount Vernon Square" has just closed its doors. What led to the demise of this seemingly promising endeavor?

Thanks to David Gest

Read the full story: Reflections on Our City's Museum

Sunday, November 28, 2004 in The Washington Post

History / Preservation District of Columbia

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