Steve Green built a six-story, 430,000 square foot monument to Scripture three blocks from the U.S. Capitol — and runs a $7.7 billion retail empire that funds it all. The Bible has a physical throne in Washington, and Green put it there.
In an age of digital ephemera, Steve Green did something irreversible: he built a permanent, physical monument to the Bible in the most powerful city on Earth. The Museum of the Bible sits at 300 D Street SW — three blocks from the Capitol, two blocks from the National Mall. It is the third-largest museum in Washington DC. It cannot be deleted, defunded, or memory-holed. It exists in stone and glass and will outlast every digital platform.
430,000 square feet. Six floors. A 140-foot LED ceiling displaying Scripture in 16 languages. The largest privately funded museum ever built in Washington DC. More visitors in its first year than the Newseum ever had in any year. This is not a vanity project — it's a civilizational anchor point.
"This book has had more impact on our world than any other. It deserves a place in our nation's capital that reflects that impact." — Steve Green, Museum of the Bible dedication ceremony (2017)
Hobby Lobby is not merely a source of wealth — it's an ideological engine. The company is closed every Sunday (sacrificing an estimated $100M+ in annual revenue). It pays a minimum wage of $18.50/hour. It fought the Affordable Care Act's contraceptive mandate all the way to the Supreme Court — and won in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby (2014), establishing that closely held corporations have religious liberty rights.
$7.7B in annual revenue across 1,000+ stores in 48 states. All privately held by the Green family. No outside investors. No public market pressure. Complete autonomy to deploy capital according to conviction.
David Green (Steve's father) starts Hobby Lobby with a $600 loan. Grows it into a regional craft chain in Oklahoma City.
Steve Green rises within the family business. Hobby Lobby expands nationally. The Green family begins collecting biblical antiquities — Dead Sea Scroll fragments, Torah scrolls, papyri, cuneiform tablets.
Steve Green becomes president of Hobby Lobby. Simultaneously accelerates museum planning. The collection grows to 40,000+ items — one of the world's largest private collections of biblical artifacts.
Purchases the 430,000 sq ft former Washington Design Center building on D Street for the museum site. Announces $500M commitment to build and endow the Museum of the Bible.
Supreme Court rules 5-4 in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, establishing that closely held corporations have religious freedom rights under RFRA. Landmark ruling with civilizational implications.
Museum of the Bible opens to the public. 1,500 attendees at dedication ceremony. Becomes one of DC's most-visited museums within months.
Museum hosts 1M+ visitors annually. Develops traveling exhibits, scholarly programs, and educational partnerships. Becomes a pilgrimage site for American evangelicals visiting DC.
"We want to show people the history of the Bible — not to preach at them, but to let the book speak for itself. A museum this size, in this location, makes a statement that the Bible is central to human civilization." — Steve Green, interview with The Washington Post (2017)
Steve Green built something that cannot be un-built. A 430,000 square foot monument to Scripture, three blocks from the Capitol, funded by a $7.7B retail engine that operates on biblical principles. The Museum of the Bible is not a project — it's a permanent installation in the American consciousness. Physical. Irreversible. Generational.
Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. (573 U.S. 682, 2014) established that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act applies to closely held for-profit corporations. This was not a narrow ruling about contraception — it was a structural precedent that religious conviction has legal standing in corporate governance. Every faith-driven business in America benefits from this precedent. Steve Green's willingness to take the case to the Supreme Court — at massive legal expense and public pressure — created lasting legal infrastructure for faith in business.
Via Museum Board: Museum of the Bible has an active board of directors and advisory council. Board relationships create natural access vectors.
Via Faith-Business Networks: Green is connected to the broader ecosystem of faith-driven business leaders — National Christian Foundation, Generous Giving, C12 Group.
Via Oklahoma City: Green remains based in OKC. The city's faith-business community is tight-knit and accessible.
Via Museum Events: The Museum hosts regular donor events, scholarly conferences, and faith-leader gatherings that serve as natural meeting points.
Via Hobby Lobby Suppliers: Thousands of vendors interact with Hobby Lobby's buying team, creating business-relationship bridges.
He built the Bible a six-story throne in the nation's capital — and runs a $7.7 billion closed-on-Sundays empire to sustain it forever.