National Museum of African American History and Culture (2025)

FAQs

How to get passes to National Museum of African American History and Culture? ›

Visitors can reserve timed-entry passes up to 30 days in advance on a rolling basis. Advanced timed-entry passes are released daily beginning at 8:00 a.m. EST. Same-day timed-entry passes are released online only at 8:15 a.m. EST daily. Timed-entry passes may not be sold or transferred and are for personal use only.

The museum tells the story of the African American experience with accuracy, honesty, respect and the unvarnished truth. Rigorous scholarship is at the core of its publications, exhibitions and academic endeavors. We continuously work to maintain its originality, integrity, transparency and credibility.

The National Museum of African American History and Culture is the only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, history, and culture. It was established by an Act of Congress in 2003, following decades of efforts to promote and highlight the contributions of African Americans.

The theater is named after Oprah Winfrey. The museum's collection was built from scratch and originally opened with 12 exhibits. The museum has about 85,000 square feet of exhibition space with 12 exhibitions, 13 different interactives with 17 stations, and 183 videos housed on five floors.

How long does it take to go through the exhibits? It takes approximately 90 minutes to tour the museum. We encourage you to stay as long as you like.

To ensure the enjoyment and safety of all museum visitors, these rules should be shared with each member of the group: 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.

It was one of my favorite museum experiences ever (and I've had a lot). Many have written about why this museum is important and how it came to be. Below is my experience visiting the museum as a white museum professional. It did not disappoint on a professional or personal level and all of its hype is well deserved.

National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), Washington, D.C. Established in 2003 and opened to the public on the National Mall in 2016 (by then-President Barack Obama), the NMAAHC, a Smithsonian institution, is the largest Black history museum in the country.

Large Bag Check

Large bags and skateboards are not allowed at this time. We can refuse to let other items into our galleries at our discretion.

How many African American museums are there in the United States? ›

Thanks to more than 100 Black museums around the United States, the legacy is being kept alive for generations to come.

The museum houses more than 36,000 artifacts and features exhibits on African and African American culture and contributions to arts and music, the military, athletics and more.

Since its founding in 1964, the museum has shared the rich past of America by showcasing more than 3 million artifacts including the original Star Spangled Banner and Abraham Lincoln's top hat.

Building. The current CAAM facility was built with state and private funds of around $5 million. African–American architects Jack Haywood and Vince Proby led the design for the museum. The museum building opened to the public during the Los Angeles Olympic Games in July 1984.