The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C., will officially reopen its revitalized 1.3-acre outdoor sculpture garden on October 31, 2026, following a major four-year, $68 million USD transformation.
Spearheaded by renowned Japanese artist and architect Hiroshi Sugimoto, who previously redesigned the museum’s lobby, the project marks the most comprehensive overhaul of the campus since its 1974 debut. Sugimoto’s design thoughtfully honors the original modernist vision of architect Gordon Bunshaft while addressing critical infrastructural needs, expanding public accessibility, and creating a seamless physical connection between the museum building, its central plaza, and the garden via a reopened underground tunnel that had been closed for half a century.
When the gates open, the redesigned landscape will feature 60 sculptures, nearly double its previous capacity, alongside rotating exhibitions. The curatorial arrangement will bridge classic modernism with contemporary practice, spanning iconic works from founding donor Joseph Hirshhorn’s collection by masters like Auguste Rodin, Alberto Giacometti, Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore, which will be showcased alongside dynamic new acquisitions by artists such as KAWS, Izumi Kato, Lauren Halsey and Raven Halfmoon. Additionally, the space introduces a flexible, enlarged central reflecting pool that can be drained to function as a performance amphitheater, as well as dedicated exhibition zones – beginning with Yoshitomo Nara: Sentinels of Stillness – reinforcing the Hirshhorn’s commitment to dynamic, accessible public art on the National Mall.
Hirshhorn Museum
Independence Ave SW &, 7th St SW,
Washington, DC 20560, United States
