The Hirshhorn’s $68 Million Sculpture Garden Is Ready to Reopen

 

The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C., is about to come back outside in a major way.

On October 31, 2026, the museum will officially reopen its 1.3-acre outdoor sculpture garden following a four-year, $68 million transformation. The redesign was led by Japanese artist and architect Hiroshi Sugimoto, who also previously reworked the museum’s lobby.

This is the most extensive renovation the Hirshhorn campus has received since opening in 1974. Sugimoto kept the bones of Gordon Bunshaft’s original modernist vision intact while making the garden more accessible and better connected to the rest of the museum. That includes reopening an underground tunnel connecting the building, central plaza, and garden that had been closed for 50 years.

The new garden will hold 60 sculptures—nearly twice as many as before—mixing legendary pieces from Joseph Hirshhorn’s original collection with newer contemporary work. Sculptures by Auguste Rodin, Alberto Giacometti, Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore will share the space with acquisitions from KAWS, Izumi Kato, Lauren Halsey and Raven Halfmoon.

One of the coolest additions is an enlarged reflecting pool that can be drained and transformed into a performance amphitheater. The garden will also feature dedicated spaces for rotating exhibitions, beginning with Yoshitomo Nara: Sentinels of Stillness.

Basically, the Hirshhorn spent $68 million making sure the outside of the museum hits just as hard as the inside.

Hirshhorn Museum
Independence Ave SW & 7th St SW
Washington, DC 20560