The museum, four years in the making, officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, marking the debut of a 100,000-square-foot space designed as a modern hub for exploration.
The venue brings to life National Geographic's longstanding mission of inspiring curiosity and discovery.
Filmmaker and explorer James Cameron was among the featured guests at the unveiling, walking the "yellow carpet" and touring the exhibits.
"The beautiful thing about exploration is, you've gotta tell the tale when you come back, so I make documentary films when I come back from these expeditions. So I still get to be a storyteller," Cameron said.
He also spoke about the sense of wonder that continues to drive his curiosity.
"I've got that same feeling of awe and wonder that I had when I was a little kid growing up," he said.
Inside, the museum features a wide range of interactive and visual experiences, including an immersive theater where visitors can simulate walking on water, galleries of iconic National Geographic photography, and access to items representing the work of 15,000 explorers.
Explorer Bertie Gregory highlighted some of the more unusual artifacts on display.
"There's everything from old shoes that have the most crazy stories of the places they've hiked up," he said.
National Geographic Society CEO Jill Tiefenthaler described the four-year project as both ambitious and forward-looking.
"At work, it's not easy to build a new museum and active headquarters in the middle of a bustling city," she said. "It's really a forward-looking museum, where we think about exploration is very nature is forward looking at about the future, so we're hoping that will bring people here and really inspire that next generation of explorers."
The museum's central goal is to encourage visitors to pursue discovery and storytelling of their own.
"There's no point going if you don't come back with the goods. That means your true human response to what you went through. And the pictures," said Cameron.
The Museum of Exploration opens to the public on June 26, inviting guests to experience its exhibits firsthand - you only have to bring your curiosity.