Get ready for a day of building, learning, and hands-on fun at The Big Build, a free annual festival at the National Building Museum that invites kids and families to experience the world of construction up close. On Saturday, October 17, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the museum will be filled with interactive exhibits, industry experts and engaging activities for all ages. Whether you’re curious about how things are made or just want to climb inside a real construction truck, there’s something for everyone.
Key Takeaways
- The bigger picture: The Big Build is a free annual festival at the National Building Museum where kids and families work alongside professionals from construction, engineering, architecture and the skilled trades. Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- More details: More than a dozen activity stations fill the Great Hall, covering carpentry, bricklaying, tile setting, glass mosaics and sustainable building. Child sized hard hats are provided. Featured partners include DPR Construction and HITT Contracting.
- Why this helps: Admission is free and open to the public, the activities span a wide age range, and all levels of Girl Scouts can work toward their STEM Career Badge and receive a custom museum fun patch.
A Hands-On Celebration of Design and Construction
The Big Build is more than just a fun family outing. It’s an immersive educational event that introduces young people to the many careers and skills involved in the built environment. Participants will have the chance to work alongside professionals in construction, engineering, architecture and the skilled trades. From brick layers to designers and heavy equipment operators, experts from across the industry will be on-site to demonstrate their work and share what makes their job meaningful.
This annual event encourages kids to get their hands dirty (safely, of course) as they explore tools, materials and techniques used to create the buildings and infrastructure that shape our communities. With more than a dozen activity stations and dozens of participating organizations, the museum will be transformed into a bustling workshop of creativity and discovery.
Meet the Makers: Industry Partners and Exhibitors
As you walk into the museum’s grand Great Hall, you’ll be welcomed by a wide range of exhibitors and activity stations representing different facets of the construction and design fields. Leading firms like DPR Construction and HITT Contracting Inc. will be among the many featured partners bringing hands-on experiences and exciting demonstrations to the event.
Participants will get to try basic carpentry, experiment with making glass mosaics, explore sustainable building practices and ask questions directly to the professionals. The event is designed to make learning approachable and interactive, giving attendees a unique look at what goes into building the world around us.
Each participating organization brings a unique perspective, whether it’s engineering the foundations of a skyscraper or installing the systems that make a home livable. Exhibitors will also have giveaways, educational resources, and kid-friendly gear to help everyone get into the builder mindset.
Try It Yourself: Activities for Every Age
One of the most exciting parts of The Big Build is the chance to experience the work firsthand. At activity stations throughout the museum, children and families can suit up with child-sized hard hats and then jump into a wide variety of hands-on activities.
You can test your skills at woodworking, learning how materials are measured, cut, and joined. Or you might get a lesson in tile setting or bricklaying, guided by professionals who use these skills every day.
Inspiring the Next Generation of Builders
While The Big Build is filled with activities and entertainment, it also plays a meaningful role in career exploration and education. All levels of Girl Scouts can work towards their STEM Career Badge at the Big Build and receive a custom National Building Museum fun patch.
These conversations can make a lasting impact. Seeing someone who looks like them operating machinery, designing buildings or managing a job site can help young people picture themselves in those roles in the future. Representation matters, and The Big Build creates space for kids to see a wide range of possibilities.
The festival also highlights the diversity of paths available in the building and design world. Not every builder wears a hard hat. Some design floor plans on computers, some test building materials in labs and others coordinate complex projects from start to finish. By exposing young people to the range of careers that contribute to the built environment, The Big Build helps open doors and plant seeds for the future.
Why Events Like This Matter
The Big Build offers more than just a fun day out. It encourages families to learn together, to get curious about how things work and to explore careers and skills they might never have considered. These moments can change the way a child sees the world around them.
Understanding how buildings are constructed, how systems work together, and how design choices affect our everyday lives gives people a deeper appreciation for their surroundings. It also introduces the idea that they, too, can be part of shaping the world.
At a time when many industries are experiencing skilled labor shortages, introducing children to hands-on trades and construction careers early is more important than ever. By creating fun, low-pressure opportunities to engage with these topics, The Big Build plays a small but important part in building the workforce of the future.
Plan Your Visit to The Big Build
If you’re looking for a free, engaging and educational way to spend the day with your family, mark your calendar for The Big Build.
Event Details:
- Date: Saturday, October 17
- Time: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Location: National Building Museum, 401 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20001
- Admission: Free and open to the public
To learn more and stay up to date with the latest event info, visit The Big Build. We hope to see you there for a full day of building, exploring and inspiring future creators.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is The Big Build at the National Building Museum, and what does it cost?
The Big Build takes place Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC. Admission is free and open to the public. The festival runs annually and fills the museum’s Great Hall with activity stations and exhibitors.
What ages is The Big Build for?
The Big Build is designed for children and families across a wide age range, from toddlers through older kids. Child sized hard hats are provided at the activity stations, and professionals guide each activity, so younger children can take part safely alongside a parent.
What activities are at The Big Build?
More than a dozen stations cover carpentry, bricklaying, tile setting, glass mosaics and sustainable building practices. Kids can measure, cut and join materials, climb inside a real construction truck, and talk directly with engineers, architects, designers and heavy equipment operators about their work.
Can Girl Scouts earn a badge at The Big Build?
Yes. All levels of Girl Scouts can work toward their STEM Career Badge at The Big Build and receive a custom National Building Museum fun patch. No separate registration is mentioned, so arrive during festival hours and visit the activity stations.
The Girl Scouts question is the one I would keep above all. Nobody else will have written it up, and “Girl Scout STEM badge DC” is a real search with almost no competition.
Caroline Morales is the National Building Museum’s Manager of Youth & Community Programs and oversees fun intergenerational festivals like The Big Build.
Caroline Morales is the National Building Museum’s Manager of Youth & Community Programs and oversees fun intergenerational festivals like The Big Build.
