The Metal Museum is less than a year away from opening its new home in Overton Park, as construction enters its final phase at the former Memphis College of Art building.
The museum’s new campus, located in the renovated Rust Hall, broke ground in August 2024 and is expected to open in September 2026. Principal construction is slated to wrap up in May, marking a major milestone for the long-anticipated relocation.
Once complete, the Overton Park site will be nearly three times the size of the Metal Museum’s current Southwest Memphis location, allowing for expanded classrooms, galleries, and metalworking spaces. The new campus is designed to support both exhibitions and hands-on education, reflecting the museum’s dual role as a working metal arts institution and cultural destination.
The project is led by Los Angeles–based WHY Architects, with Memphis-based LRK serving as executive architect and architect of record. Designers emphasized the significance of restoring Rust Hall and integrating it into the surrounding park and cultural corridor.
The redesigned space features flexible galleries with movable walls, a significantly expanded museum store, and a new restaurant. A purpose-built metal workshop sits at the center of the building, with large windows that allow visitors and passersby to see metalworking in action. Extensive use of glass and natural light connects interior spaces to Overton Park’s outdoor landscape.
Metal Museum Executive Director Carissa Hussong said one of the most striking elements of the renovation has been the light-filled interior. “Until you’re in the building, you don’t fully grasp how beautiful and inspiring the space is,” she said.
With its expanded footprint and central park location, the new Metal Museum campus is poised to become a major hub for arts education, exhibitions, and community engagement when it opens this year.
