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National Museum of African American History & Culture

1400 Constitution Avenue Northwest, Washington, District of Columbia

Description

The National Museum of African American History & Culture is located on the National Mall in Washington DC. Its collection covers a wide range of topics such as Civil Rights, Literature, Music, Polics or Sports and several periods in since the 1690's until the 2000's. The building was designed by Freelon Adjaye Bond as an inverted step pyramid surrounded by a bronze-coloured architectural scrim suggesting a crown used in Yoruba culture (a West African ethnic group). There are 10 storeys, of which five are below ground.

Access & Transport

The museum is on the northern side of the National Mall, between the National Museum of American History and the Washington Monument. It is 600m from the 'Federal Triangle' (Blue, Orange and Silver lines) and 'Smithsonian' (Blue, Orange and Silver lines) metro stations. There are also bus services along Constitution Ave, 14th St NW and 15th St NW.

Instructions & Recommendations

All visitors, regardless of age, must have a timed-entry pass to enter the museum. These can be booked up to 30 days in advance, the link can be found on the following page: https://nmaahc.si.edu/visit/plan-your-visit

Meta review

An extremely popular museum now part of the DC short-list for travel guides and well ranked on review portals. The exhibits are often described as being of high quality and the overall content as extensive although some visitors feel there is too much emphasis on the items on display rather than on the narrative of historical events. There are also contrasting opinions about the layout and recurring comments regarding some of the rooms feeling cramped and crowded whereas some of the halls (and shops) consume most of the space. Favourites include the water reflection room, the slave auction block, the sports and music sections. Tip: reviewers have occasionally commented that the AC can make the building cold even in the summer so best to carry a backup light sweater.

Environmental & Social

The building has a LEED Gold certification (use of passive design and solar panels among others). Helps commemorate, document and educate around African American history and culture.

Conclusion

The museum is a must see for any visitors keen to learn more about American history and the evolution of its society; it should probably resonate much more with US nationals but foreign travellers should find plenty to learn and some food for thought as well.

Key positive

Quality of exbibits

Impressive building design

Key negative

Can be hard to get tickets at short notice

Uneven layout

Suitability

Suitable for all ages and accessible to visitors with reduced mobility

About this Rating

TYPE

Desktop

RESEARCHED IN

Updated in August 2023

PROVIDER

Koreval

Included Items
None
Timing
Duration of visit

av. transport time:0h 20m

est. visit time:2h 30m

Regulated hours

Monday12:00 - 17:30

Tuesday10:00 - 17:30

Wednesday10:00 - 17:30

Thursday10:00 - 17:30

Friday10:00 - 17:30

Saturday10:00 - 17:30

Sunday10:00 - 17:30

Pricing
Free

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