National Law Enforcement Museum

Located in Judiciary Square and surrounded by historic courthouses, the Museum contains three below-grade levels and two street-level pavilions. The largest and most comprehensive museum of its kind in the world, it is dedicated to telling the story of American law enforcement through “walk in their shoes” experiences.  

The Museum is surrounded by historic buildings, including the U.S. Court of Appeals, the DC Court of Appeals, and DC Court Building C.  To minimize impact on these historic surroundings, the bulk of the Museum is located below grade, with two 25-foot tall transparent glass entrance pavilions at ground level, serving as the egress points of the Museum.

The Museum’s underground structure features 18,000 square feet exhibit space, including a 2,350-square-foot rotating exhibit gallery. On the exhibit floor, many of these exhibits are housed in single, spacious rooms, giving ample room for visitor interaction and engagement. A striking 111-seat theater with dramatic acoustics houses a 20-minute introductory video.  In addition, the space includes a café, gift shop, a theater, and a Research and Archives Center.

Along with exhibit space about law enforcement, the Museum contains a Hall of Remembrance where stories of the fallen are featured.  Photos of officers who have died throughout the year in the line of duty are displayed in rows along the room’s back wall. The photos rotate each year and surround the space, which is a place for quiet reflection and remembrance.

The museum is pursuing LEED Silver certification.

Clark Foundations and Clark Concrete performed support of excavation and structural concrete on the project.