Smithsonian's 1881 building, closed in 2004, gets new life after $55m restoration

The Smithsonian Institution Board of Regents has officially chosen the historic Arts and Industries Building on the National Mall as the permanent home of the National Museum of the American Latino. The decision ends a long debate over the museum’s location and removes the need for Congress to approve a new site because the Smithsonian already owns the building. In an official statement issued on 31 August, the board said converting the existing building completes a multi-year site review authorised by Congress in December 2020. First opened in 1881 as the United States National Museum, the Arts and Industries Building is the second-oldest building in the Smithsonian complex. Structural problems forced it to close completely in 2004, followed by years of deterioration.