The National Museum of African American History and Culture will not open its doors officially until 2016, but construction work on the building is nearly finished. Derek Ross, the chief of construction for the Smithsonian, stated that it is about 75 percent complete. He also added that they are about 50 percent done with the outer metal facade. Construction first began back in February 2012. Cranes are now situated around the site as workers put the finishing touches on the building. The 400,000-square-foot museum sits on a five-acre piece of land positioned the Washington Monument and the National Museum of American History. The entire project costs a whopping $500 million.
