The National Museum of American History in Washington D.C., US, is to install a new US$5m cinema.

Warner Bros. Entertainment is donating the money, which will allow the Smithsonian museum to turn its 46-year-old, 270-seat Carmichael Auditorium into a modern 3D theatre.

To be named the Warner Bros. Theater, it will be used for lectures, symposia, concerts and other programmes and events as well.

Brent Glass, director of the museum, said: "For more than a century, American movies have provided a strong and enduring national cultural connection that crosses generations.

"It continues to shape how we perceive ourselves and how people around the world understand our country. American film deserves a special home at our museum and the Warner Bros. partnership expands our capacity to tell this unique story and allow museum visitors to explore the legacy of American cinema."

Barry Meyer, chair and CEO of Warner Bros, added: "This partnership with the Smithsonian, whose very name is the gold standard for the preservation and presentation of all things with historical significance, is a great step reminding people that movies and television shows are an important part of our shared culture. The Warner Bros. Theater will be a state-of-the-art venue for highlighting filmed entertainment and programmes that are important to people."

The new theatre will open next year.