National Museum of African American History and Culture (2024)

FAQs

How much does it cost to go to the African American museum in DC? ›

The museum is free to visit, but you must obtain a timed entry ticket. Visit the museum's website to reserve your pass. To navigate the map with touch gestures double-tap and hold your finger on the map, then drag the map.

Please be aware that touring the History Galleries in their entirety will take approximately 2 hours, and will require about 1 mile of walking. Our highest visitation is from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Friday through Sunday.

A site was selected in 2006, and a design submitted by Freelon Group/Adjaye Associates/Davis Brody Bond was chosen in 2009. Construction began in 2012 and the museum completed in 2016. The NMAAHC is the world's largest museum dedicated to African-American history and culture.

NMAAHC is dedicated to the collection, preservation, research, and exhibition of African American historical and cultural material reflecting the breadth and depth of the experiences of individuals of African descent living in the United States.

Visitors may bring a bottle of water into the museum. All other outside food or drink must be properly closed and secured and may not be consumed in the Museum. Visitors may enjoy bagged lunches outside on the National Mall.

All Washington, D.C.–area museums and the American Indian Museum in New York are open every day of the year except December 25. The Cooper Hewitt in New York is open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Four locations require entry tickets or passes as noted below.

Food, drinks, and gum are not allowed anywhere in the museum and must be kept in sealed containers. Water bottles, nursing, and bottle feeding are fine. Walking and talking are appropriate, while running and shouting are not. One chaperone is required for every 10 students.

Yes, smaller backpacks are permitted although we have limitations to protect the artwork. Suitcases, large umbrellas, and large backpacks are not allowed in the galleries. Security officers will ask visitors to hand-carry smaller backpacks, or wear them on the front of their bodies.

The first five floors could function as a standalone museum, but there are another five floors of above-ground gallery space where you'll find permanent exhibits dedicated to pop culture and sports icons, politicians and freedom fighters. There's a genealogy center and a cafeteria.

The Contemplative Court, one of the signature spaces in the museum, features a glass oculus that allows natural light to filter in through a cascading waterfall, resulting in a quiet reflection. The ceiling required a somber elegance, as well as gloss, to reflect the delicate movement of the water.

What are traditional African American foods? ›

Traditional African American comfort foods include homemade macaroni and cheese, fried chicken, red beans and rice, cornbread, seasoned greens, mashed potatoes and gravy, and ice-cold sweet tea. Although many of these foods are not considered the healthy choices, they excite our taste buds and warm our hearts.

On the site of a cotton warehouse where enslaved Black people were forced to labor in bondage, the Legacy Museum tells the story of slavery in America and its legacy through interactive media, first-person narratives, world-class art, and data-rich exhibits.

In 2003, President George W. Bush signed legislation to establish a national museum dedicated to African American history and culture. As a public-private partnership, the museum would receive half the funding from Congress and be responsible for raising the remaining $270 million through private philanthropic support.

From one perspective, the building's architecture follows classical Greco-Roman form in its use of a base and shaft, topped by a capital or corona. For our Museum, the corona is inspired by the three-tiered crowns used in Yoruban art from West Africa.

Congresswoman Barbara Jordan Delivers The Keynote Address At The 1976 Democratic Convention On July 12, 1976, Barbara Jordan became the first African American to deliver a Keynote Address at the Democratic National Convention. Jordan also gave a keynote address at the 1992 Democratic Convention.