National Museum of U.S. Army announces opening date

The National Museum of the U.S. Army will open on June 4, 2020, the Army announced Wednesday.

The museum, which is located on an 84-acre site on Fort Belvoir, broke ground in late 2015 before starting construction in 2016. The Army has been mum about an opening date up until this point.

The 185,000-square foot museum is a joint effort between the Army and the Army Historical Foundation, with the Historical Foundation constructing the building through private funding and the Army helping out with logistics. Once opened, the Army will operate the museum.

The museum will honor and celebrate the military service’s more than 240-year history, and feature galleries, hands-on exhibits, a learning center and a memorial garden.

“This state-of-the art museum will engage visitors in the Army’s story — highlighting how the Army was at the birth of our nation over 240 years ago, and how it continues to influence our everyday lives,” Tammy E. Call, the museum’s director, said in a press release. “The National Museum of the United States Army will be stunning, and we can’t wait to welcome visitors from around the world to see it.”

Admission to the museum will be free, the Army said, but tickets will be required for all guests. Opening day tickets aren’t expected to be available online until at least early 2020. More details can be found on the museum’s website.

More than 750,000 visitors are expected in the museum’s first year of operation, the Army said.