diff --git a/custom/README.md b/custom/README.md
index b51e3c92..c54c2567 100644
--- a/custom/README.md
+++ b/custom/README.md
@@ -89,6 +89,10 @@ The site name, logo, and most of the text on the website can be modified from th
 placing a value for the same key in `custom/strings.yaml`, with a custom string,
 Javascript function, or image path.
 
+## Image Modal
+Images can opened/expanded in a modal/dialog. On hover of an image, the cursor will turn into the pointer style, and an expand button will show. Once clicked, the image will center in the page, and a minimize icon will show. Styles for the modal can be found in
+`/styles/partials/core/_furniture.scss` as well as one line in `/styles/partials/core/_base.scss` that adds a pointer cursor on hover of images. All HTML/JS for the Image Modal is included in the [`/layouts/partials/imgModal.ejs`](../layouts/partials/imgModal.ejs) file. The Image Modal is then imported in the default layout for content, code for which can be found [here](../layouts/categories/default.ejs#L29).
+
 ## Middleware
 Middleware can be added to the beginning or end of the request cycle by placing
 files into `custom/middleware`. These files can export `preload` and `postload`
diff --git a/layouts/categories/default.ejs b/layouts/categories/default.ejs
index c0a35393..28a0021e 100644
--- a/layouts/categories/default.ejs
+++ b/layouts/categories/default.ejs
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
         <%- include('partials/childrenList', {children, kicker: template('folder.childrenList.kicker', title)}) %>
         <% } %>
       </div>
-
+      <%- include('partials/imgModal') %>
       <%- include('partials/footer', { pageType: 'document', topLevelFolder: url.split('/')[1] }) %>
     </div>
   </body>
diff --git a/layouts/partials/imgModal.ejs b/layouts/partials/imgModal.ejs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..21291e78
--- /dev/null
+++ b/layouts/partials/imgModal.ejs
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+<div id="image-modal" class="image-modal">
+    <button type="button" class="close" title="Minimize this image" aria-label="Minimize this image">
+        <svg width="60" height="60" fill="none"><path fill-rule="evenodd" clip-rule="evenodd" d="M35.97 25.37L38.6 28H32v-6.6l2.63 2.63L38.67 20 40 21.33l-4.03 4.04zM24.03 34.63L21.4 32H28v6.6l-2.63-2.63L21.33 40 20 38.67l4.03-4.04z" fill="#000"/></svg>
+    </button>
+    <div class="img-wrapper">
+        <img class="modal-image" id="img1" />
+    </div>
+    <!-- expandIconSvg svg inlined, will be used in image overlay and removed from here on document load. JS in footer.ejs does this-->
+    <svg id="expandIconSvg" width="60" height="60" fill="#fff"><circle cx="30" cy="30" r="30" fill="#000" fill-opacity=".5"/><path fill-rule="evenodd" clip-rule="evenodd" d="M23.97 37.37L26.6 40H20v-6.6l2.63 2.63L26.67 32 28 33.33l-4.03 4.04zM36.03 22.63L33.4 20H40v6.6l-2.63-2.63L33.33 28 32 26.67l4.03-4.04z"/></svg>
+</div>
+
+<script>
+  var imgWrapper
+  function createImageOverlayWrapper() {
+    if (imgWrapper) { // cache hit
+      return imgWrapper
+    }
+
+    // read expandIcon from image-modal where its inlined so that we
+    // can read it here. then remove it and strip the id since it'll be used multiple times
+    const expandIconSvg = document.getElementById('expandIconSvg')
+    expandIconSvg.remove()
+    expandIconSvg.id = ""
+
+
+    let wrapperDiv = document.createElement('div')
+    wrapperDiv.className = 'image-wrapper'
+
+    let expandBtn = document.createElement('button')
+    expandBtn.setAttribute('aria-label', 'expand this image')
+    expandBtn.title = 'expand this image'
+    expandBtn.className='expand-image-btn'
+    expandBtn.appendChild(expandIconSvg)
+
+    wrapperDiv.appendChild(expandBtn)
+
+    imgWrapper = wrapperDiv // add to cache
+
+    return wrapperDiv
+  }
+
+  function wrapImageInOverlay(imgElement) {
+    // clone the wrapper so the original isn't mutated and we can reuse it
+    const overlayWrapper = createImageOverlayWrapper().cloneNode(true)
+
+    imgElement.parentNode.insertBefore(overlayWrapper, imgElement)
+    overlayWrapper.appendChild(imgElement)
+  }
+
+  window.onload = () => { 
+    const imgs = document.querySelectorAll('.g-main-content img'); // get all images
+
+    // for each image - add overlay allowing for expand btn and click handler for expansion
+    imgs.forEach((img, idx) => {
+      wrapImageInOverlay(img); 
+      img.addEventListener('click', () => expandImage(img.src));
+    });
+  }
+
+  var imgModal = document.querySelector('.image-modal')
+  var imgModalImg = document.querySelector('.image-modal .modal-image');
+
+  function expandImage(imgSrc) {
+    imgModal.style.display = 'block';
+    imgModalImg.src = imgSrc;
+
+    window.addEventListener('scroll', function onScroll() {
+        window.removeEventListener('scroll', onScroll);
+        imgModal.style.display='none';
+    });
+  };
+
+  var modalCloseBtn = document.querySelector('.image-modal .close');
+  modalCloseBtn.addEventListener('click', () => {
+    imgModal.style.display = 'none';
+  });
+
+  /* keydown listener so img modal can be closed with Esc key */
+  document.addEventListener('keydown', (event) => {
+    if (event.key === 'Escape' && imgModal.style.display === 'block') {
+        imgModal.style.display = 'none';
+    }
+  });
+</script>
diff --git a/styles/partials/core/_categories.scss b/styles/partials/core/_categories.scss
index 4c0fccd0..7c0927e7 100644
--- a/styles/partials/core/_categories.scss
+++ b/styles/partials/core/_categories.scss
@@ -271,6 +271,7 @@
       padding: 10px;
       display: block;
       margin: 20px auto;
+      cursor: pointer; // images can be opened in a modal
 
       @include tablet{
         max-width: 580px;
diff --git a/styles/partials/core/_furniture.scss b/styles/partials/core/_furniture.scss
index c657235d..047507a6 100644
--- a/styles/partials/core/_furniture.scss
+++ b/styles/partials/core/_furniture.scss
@@ -451,3 +451,76 @@
     text-align: center;
   }
 }
+
+// the image-wrapper class is added for the benefit of the
+// Image Modal, so co-locating it here
+.image-wrapper { 
+    position: relative;
+
+	.expand-image-btn {
+		height: 60px;
+		width: 60px;
+		position: absolute;
+		bottom: 25px;
+		right: 25px;
+		opacity: 0;
+		transition: opacity 0.3s ease 0s;
+		background-color: transparent;
+		pointer-events: none;
+		border: none;
+	}
+	
+	&:hover {
+		.expand-image-btn {
+			opacity: 1;
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+.image-modal {
+    display: none;
+    position: fixed;
+    z-index: 1000000090; /* search bar icon has z-index of 1*10 */
+    inset: 0px; /* shorthand for top,right,bottom,left at the same time */
+    overflow: hidden;
+    background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); /* full white allows images to pop */
+    transition: display 0.2s ease 0s;
+}
+
+.image-modal .img-wrapper {
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  align-content: center;
+  height: 100%;
+  padding: 30px;
+
+  .modal-image {
+    margin: auto;
+    display: block;
+    max-width: 100%;
+    cursor: default;
+  }
+}
+
+.image-modal .close {
+    display: flex;
+    align-items: center;
+    position: absolute;
+    top: 10px;
+    right: 10px;
+    background-color: transparent;
+    cursor: pointer;
+    border: 0.5px solid white;
+    border-radius: 50%;
+    width: 60px;
+    height: 60px;
+    transition: all 0.1s ease-in;
+    padding: 0px;
+
+    &:hover, &:focus {
+        background-color: #f9f9f9;
+        border-color: lightgray;
+    }
+}
+
+