The National Museum of American Jewish History will be opened in Philadelphia during a grand opening gala that will feature personalities such as Bette Midler and Jerry Seinfeld. The weekend-long event will also have Joe Biden as the keynote speaker on Sunday. The museum will then grant its members and funders a series of special-access days before its doors are open to the public on November 26th.

Plans to expand the museum have been long overdue as it was previously housed in a small brick building that had only 40 objects on display. This structure had existed for 34 years after its doors were first opened during the 1976 bicentennial celebrations.

The new building, which is 100,000 square feet and five stories tall, is made of striking terra cota and glass. On the first floor, there is a ‘Only in America’ gallery which examines the contributions of 18 Jewish American personalities using video, audio testimonials and personal belongings. The personalities, who include Estee Lauder and Stephen Spielberg, were selected by a public vote.

The next three floors then trace the history of Jewish Americans since immigration in 1654 to the present, with the aid of films, interactive displays and artifacts. The top floor is slated to play host to rotating exhibitions and events. In addition, there is a central atrium, which floods the space with natural light, as well as below ground-level classrooms and a 200-seater auditorium.

The museum aims to explore the three and a half centuries of Jewish life in America while giving importance to the themes of freedom, civil rights, prejudice and assimilation. The $150 million structure’s architect, James Polshek, said that the redesigned museum held meaning for people across all generations.

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