***Please note that this Milken Center For Advancing The American Dream Guide will be updated and recirculated periodically to reflect the most up-to-date information. This list was most recently updated as of October 2025.***

Currently, over on Instagram (let’s be friends @_thepinkchickadee), a brand-new exhibit aka the Milken Center For Advancing The American Dream is ALLL the buzz right now! As somebody who is proud to call the Washington, DC area her home and LOVES checking out all of the fun and new things to do in my own city, I *had* to see what the hype was all about. Since I know many of y’all are planning your experience at the Milken Center as well, I figured I would share my experiences in this guide.

*Disclaimer: Please note that this post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase through one of my links, then I will receive a small commission. This commission is at no extra cost to you. Additionally, this post is not sponsored, and all opinions are my own.*

Milken Center For Advancing The American Dream Guide

Looking for lodging and/or additional things to do in Washington, DC?! don’t fear! There are plenty of unique activities, tours, and experiences to choose from.

 

Getting There:

The Milken Center For Advancing The American Dream is located in the heart of downtown Washington, DC with close proximity to the White House, the U.S. Treasury Building, and offers incredible views of the Washington Monument. There is no onsite parking, however, there are nearby parking garages (I use Park Whiz to reserve!) if you choose to drive into the city. However, I prefer to use public transit/the subway which is known as Metro in Washington, DC. It is a quick and easy walk from the following Metro stations:

• McPherson Square – access to the Blue, Orange, and Silver lines: 5 minutes
• Metro Center – access to the Blue, Orange, Red, and Silver lines: 10 minutes
• Gallery Place – access to the Green, Red, and Yellow lines: 17 minutes

In addition to the White House and a handful of Metro stations, this museum is in close proximity to the notable Old Ebbitt Grill – Washington, DC’s Oldest Saloon, which I share my experience dining at here.

Admission:

One of the most AMAZING things about the Milken Center For Advancing The American Dream is that admission is free for all visitors to explore all exhibits except for the Holodeck Experience. However, it is worth noting that to ensure you have a slot to visit especially from out of town that you should reserve your tickets in advance. For the Holodeck Experience, admission costs $15/person and must be reserved in advance. Tickets for both general admission and the Holodeck Experience can be reserved here.

It is worth noting that this review will focus on both the exhibitions via general admission and the Holodeck Experience.

About Milken Center For Advancing The American Dream:

The Milken Center For Advancing The American Dream is a cultural institution focused on inspiring and empowering pathways for everyone to find opportunity and achieve their dreams. Focusing on four pillars: Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Health and Medical Research, Education and the Educator, and Access to Capital and Financial Empowerment. Through the center’s research and regular public programs and exhibitions, the goal of the Milken Center is to explore and empower everyone to see and achieve the possibilities ahead. One of the notable initiatives that the center has been focusing on and showcases within its exhibits and notably highlighted throughout the Holodeck Experience is the American Dream Video Project, where 10,000+ stories of the American Dream are shared to inspire us all. Read more about the Milken Center here.

Highlights of the exhibition include:

• The Tree of Generations
• The Word Cloud
• Hologram Ambassadors
• The Holodeck Experience

Read more and check out the latest exhibitions here.

My Experience:

I am going to split my experience at the Milken Center For Advancing The American Dream into two sections: General Admission + Exhibitions and The Holodeck Experience.

However, it is worth mentioning that the architecture of the center is stunning and worth several photos and admiration!!

General Admission + Exhibitions:

Upon entering the Milken Center, I was greeted by the most friendly staff who ensured that all visitors had a good experience and knew where to go and what to see based on their personal interests. Since I had booked the Holodeck Experience in addition to the exhibits within a General Admission ticket, the staff also let me know where to go and when to arrive for that experience, which was super helpful! Next up was exploring the 5 floors of amazing exhibitions to visit. As previously mentioned, the Milken Center For Advancing The American Dream focuses on four pillars: Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Health and Medical Research, Education and the Educator, and Access to Capital and Financial Empowerment. Each of these four pillars are focused on within their own exhibits throughout the museum and shared some of the 10,000+ stories of the American dream within them. There were also several statistics shared that pertains to each of the four pillars throughout their respective exhibits. Throughout the exhibits, there were extremely interactive experiences, making it such a kid-friendly and accessible experience for all! At the same time, each exhibit highlighted a diverse range of stories, whether it be those who started their own business, found a fulfilling career in corporate, as a teacher, in healthcare, or something else, or empowered others to discover and achieve their own American dream. The common denominator of it all: there is opportunity and possibility at every corner for everyone!

There is also a gorgeous onsite cafe at the Milken Center! Decked out in all-things floral and tropical, I admired this beautiful cafe that I saw from the stairwell and throughout the museums due to the several windows that showed it off. Although I did not dine there during my visit, I did snap a photo in front of this bright and bubbly oasis in the nation’s capital.

The Holodeck Experience:

The Holodeck Experience is an interactive and immersive experience into the story machine. In addition to some fun interactions, visitors get to sit back and get up close and learn from some incredible Americans who achieved their American Dream and shared their inspiring stories filled with perseverance, grit, and a lot of hard work. If the exhibits weren’t enough to leave me feeling just a huge wave of confidence and gratitude and those feel-good feels, then the Holodeck Experience truly topped that all off! Trust me, it is worth it!!

It is worth noting that visitors must reserve their General Admission ticket before reserving their Holodeck Experience ticket which can be done at the same time and scanned with the same QR code. The Holodeck Experience lasts approximately 20-25 minutes and no photos/videos are allowed throughout it.

Wrap-Up:

As I stepped foot back onto the streets of Washington, DC, I felt a HUGE wave of empowerment and hope fly over me. Truly, I felt extremely inspired and empowered throughout my entire time strolling throughout the exhibits and taking part in the Holodeck Experience. It is a beautiful thing to know that the Milken Center strives to bring to the forefront that everyone has the opportunity and possibility, no matter who they are or their background, to make their dreams come true. Whether it be learning someone’s story as a teacher inspiring an astronaut to take off into outer space, or somebody born into poverty who started their own successful business, anything is possible and the Milken Center For Advancing The American Dream reminded me of that. At the same time, I hope that if you choose to visit that it reminds you that your dreams can come true, too.

XOXO – Katie <3