Check Out The Online Portal
The museum opened a free-to-use web portal that helps people explore issues of race, racism and racial identity called Talking About Race in 2020. It examines how forces surrounding racial identity shape every aspect of society in the US, from the economy and politics to the broader culture. It has videos, online exercises, scholarly articles and over 100 multi-media resources tailored for educators, parents and caregivers and individuals committed to racial equality. The portal is free and does not require a registration or sign-up to use.
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Passage Of Federal Legislation
In 2001, Lewis and Representative J. C. Watts re-introduced legislation for a museum in the House of Representatives. Under the leadership of its new Secretary, Lawrence M. Small, the Smithsonian Board of Regents reversed course yet again in June 2001 and agreed to support a stand-alone National Museum of African American History and Culture. The Smithsonian asked Congress to establish a federally funded study commission. Congress swiftly agreed, and on December 29, President George W. Bush signed legislation establishing a 23-member commission to study the need for a museum, how to raise the funds to build and support it, and where it should be located. At the signing ceremony, the president expressed his opinion that the museum should be located on the National Mall.
Start With The History Gallery
You enter the main exhibit by heading down to subterranean three levels of concourse galleries. Symbolically it feels like descending into the hold of slave ship, with each subsequent step taking you deeper into the African-American legacy.
Theres so much information here that you could literally spend days absorbing the information.
Galleries include shackles, a slave auction block and Ku Klux Klan robes. A statue of Thomas Jefferson is flanked with bricks listing the humans he owned. Its all offered factually with extensive documentation, all of which makes the impact all the stronger.
But for many the emotional pivot of the entire museum is the casket of Emmett Till Jr. Visitors line up as theyre at a funeral home visitation to pay honors to the 14-year-old boy, who was brutally murdered in northern Mississippi. His mothers courageous decision to hold an open-casket funeral in Chicago, shocked the nation when images were published in Ebony magazine. Tills horrific murder, scholars believe, was the start of the modern Civil Rights movement, and for that we still owe Mamie Till our gratitude.
Now, decades later, its still a heart-rending experience. The curators included a contemplation area for reflection. Take a moment to do just that.
Finally, the galleries touch on modern history with election of Barack Obama and the start of the Black Lives Matter movement.
When you step back outside, youll feel like youve taken a journey. In reality, you have.
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African American Museums Same
Like tickets to a hot concert tour, free same-day passes to the National Museum of African American History and Culture were snapped up in minutes Monday morning, the day the museum debuted a Web-based same-day-ticket system instead of having people line up in person.
The museum distributed 880 free passes, grouped in 30-minute time slots between 10:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. The tickets became available at 6:30 a.m., and by 6:34 the banners saying unavailable and sold out covered every time slot. The passes represented about 10 percent of the 8,700 distributed for the day.
More than 643,000 people have visited the Smithsonians newest museum since it opened Sept. 24.
The museum announced the change to its same-day policy last week, saying the colder weather was the reason for eliminating the in-person line. Every weekday since opening, people had lined up along 14th Street, often by the hundreds, for the chance to obtain passes when staff began distributing them at 9:15 a.m. Often visitors lined up before dawn to ensure entry.
The change surprised Robin Choi, a doctoral student in clinical psychology at Howard University. Her classmates had been successful nabbing passes by lining up by 8:30 the switch to online caught her off guard.
Im not super bummed, she said. Im fortunate enough to live here, so I can come back.
Its a monumental experience. Its worth the lines, worth the wait, said Tahani Cooper, a retail fashion manager in New York.
About The National Museum Of African American History And Culture
Since opening Sept. 24, 2016, the National Museum of African American History and Culture has welcomed nearly 5 million visitors. Occupying a prominent location next to the Washington Monument on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the nearly 400,000-square-foot museum is the nations largest and most comprehensive cultural destination devoted exclusively to exploring, documenting and showcasing the African American story and its impact on American and world history. For more information about the museum, visit nmaahc.si.edu, follow @NMAAHC on , , and Snapchator call Smithsonian information at 633-1000.
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Is The National Zoo Free
Visit the Zoo!The Zoo is free, but entry passes are required for all guests, including infants. All visitors ages 2 and older are required to wear a mask in all indoor spaces at the Zoo, regardless of their vaccination status. Fully vaccinated visitors do not need to wear a mask in outdoor areas.
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Entry Tickets To Museums
For over a month, I have attempted to get timed entry tickets to National Holocaust Museum and National African American Museum, but none available. I start my search every day at 7 a.m. and look throughout the day. What is going on? thanks.
19 replies to this topic
NMAAHC tickets are available from 8am. Are you checking exactly then? It says there are a limited number of tickets.
Good luck it’s an amazing place to visit, tho’ the website says some parts are closed at the moment.
From the Holocaust museum:
“Advance tickets online: Tickets through May 2022 are available now.
Same-day tickets online: A limited number of same-day tickets will be available online each day at 7:00 a.m. ET.”
It appears to simply be sold out. So, when you are in DC, at 7am you need to log on and hope for same day tickets.
When is your trip? The NMAAHC might not have released May yet but April is sold out. On our December trip, I scored same day tickets when logging in at the prescribed time . There were a lot of open tickets.
I just got one yesterday morning for the same day, it was easy . I didn’t even check until maybe 11 am, but I’m willing to go in the afternoon, in fact, I prefer it. Tons were available for 3 pm or so. And that was a Sunday, a real busy day. I think there were a lot for noon, also, but I didn’t want to go that early.
Washington DC
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Before You Go: The #1 Piece Of Advice For Visiting The National Museum Of African American History And Culture
When visiting NMAAHC, mental preparedness is as important as logistical planning. Theres a lot to take in emotionally and physically given the museums 350,000 square feet and visitors are encouraged to reflect on their own place in history as they tour.
Words like powerful, emotional, sad, and angry have all been used to describe the NMAAHC experience. The museum makes space for these reactions and provides visitors with designated reflections spaces. Use them. Tempting as it might be to breeze through with one eye on the exhibits and one eye on your smartphone, youll get the most out of your visit if you pay the museum the respect it deserves, come with open mind, and leave prepared to chew on everything you learned.
What About After The First Weekend
Same-day passes will be available starting Monday, September 26, but advance passes are still recommended for the museums first several months. Theyre available online here. Advance tickets for dates through December are gone more passes are expected to be released for people who plan to visit in January 2017.
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All You Can Eat Menus
Saturday Dinner featuring:
Broiled Fish, Choice of Chicken, Macaroni & Cheese, Scalloped Potatoes, Green Beans, Corn, Salad, Roll & Butter, Chocolate & Vanilla Cake, Assorted Cookies
Sunday Breakfast featuring:
Cinnamon French Toast or Pancakes with Maple Syrup, Pork & Non-Pork breakfast meats, Scrambled Eggs, Breakfast Potatoes, Fruit Salad Bowl, Assorted Danish, Coffee, Tea, Milk & Juices
Menus may differ slightly from tour to tour
OPEN BAR
11:00 PM 1:00 AMHennessy, J& B, Dewars White Label, Bacardi Silver, Seagrams 7, Heineken, Wine, Mixers & More.
*Times and brands may differ slightly from tour to tour
African American Museum Group Tickets
How do I secure group tickets to the African American Museum of History and Culture for June 2019
From their website:
The Museums popularity among people around the world has created a high demand for group passes for schools, churches, families and more. For that reason, group reservations are suspended to complete development and testing of a new group request process. We appreciate your support.
its way too early for tickets in June. they release new tickets on the first Wednesday of every new month for only 3 months in advance. So tomorrow September 5th tickets for December will be released and October 3rd tickets for for January will be released. You should get it by now.
Groups: The Museum says it will revise the website later this year to allow groups to book visits online.
Edited: 3 years agoEdited: 3 years ago
For weekdays, you no longer need tickets
Washington DC
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How To Get Free Tickets To The National Museum Of African American History & Culture
The Smithsonians National Museum of African American History and Culture opened in September of 2016. It is an amazing museum that is worth a visit on on any trip to Washington, DC. That said, its still very new and very popular, so unlike other museums on the National Mall, you need a free ticket if you want to go. Its not difficult to get one but you will have to wake up early.
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Review The Museum Map Ahead Of Time
The NMAAHC is the newest Smithsonian and in my opinion, the most innovative in terms of architecture communicating meaning. The museums history exhibits start 3 levels underground beginning in the 1400s and then as you move through history you rise up through the levels. The ground level has the Contemplative Court and then the 3 above ground levels focus on the cultural and historical achievements.
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How Do You Tour The African American Museum
Top 10 Things To Know About Visiting the Museum
National African American Museum Tips With Kids
Who can visit the National African American Museum of History and Culture? Everyone! Ive visited twice with my kids and encourage everyone who can to visit in Washington, D.C. Below are my top National African American Museum tips with kids including tickets, hours, must-see exhibits, notes on some of the sensitive exhibits and parking.
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Heres What You Need To Know About Bringing Groups To These Prime Dc Attractions
Six iconic Washington, DC attractions the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, the National Archives Museum, the Washington Monument, the U.S. Capitol & Capitol Visitor Center, the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture and Fords Theatre recommend or require advance passes or reservations for timely entry, especially during the busy spring and summer months. We lay out essential information for entering these free museums below.
Please understand that time change period and time change details are subject to change without notice. Please confirm with attraction in advance by telephone before visiting
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Ticket To National Museum Of African American
Dear All,
I just came to know timed ticket required for certain meuseums, luckily I just booked one for Holocaust, but no ticket left for national museum of African American. Really want to get to visit this museum, and only stay in Washington DC for 5 days before flying back to Australia. I looked up museum online, they will have same day tickets release @6am each day, which I will definitely try, however, depending my hotel internet and also how many ppl are awaiting online. I do see Monday to Friday after 1pm they may issue walk up ticket, so wondering if anyone have the experience that how early I need to queue for that 1pm walk up ticket ? Say starting to line up from 12pm ? I just need one ticket and I will be in Washington DC the week 21st this month.
Any suggestion is welcome.
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Washingtons Best Museum Cafe
The lowest rung on the food ladder was once the museum cafeteria. But in recent years the Smithsonian has changed the rules.
Not only is the new National Museum of African American History & Culture the toughest ticket in town, but its Sweet Home Cafe is equally celebrated. The food, an extension of the exhibits, provides a literal taste of African-American culture. The restaurants four dining stationsNorth States, Creole Coast, Agricultural South and Western Range recognizes a tasty heritage with dishes like buttermilk fried chicken, and shrimp and grits. Or try Son-of-a-Gun stew, popularized by Black cowboys.
Lines form for the fried chicken, ribs, and shrimp and grits, but for something different try the pan-fried trout stuffed with cornbread and greens. And for dessert, you owe yourself a sweet potato tart, which tastes like grown-up pumpkin pie. Its an educational experience, after all.
Where Is The Nmaahc
The NMAAHC is located on the National Mall at 1400 Constitution Avenue NW. It is between Constitution Avenue and Madison Drive, next to the American History Museum and the Washington Monument.
The NMAAHC is just across the street from the starting points of our National Mall and All in One Walking Tours!
There are many ways to get there and it is a short walk from many other destinations on the National Mall. We recommend this link for specific directions to the museum:
The nearest Metro Stations are Federal Triangle and Smithsonian It is also a short walk from Metro Center The Circulator Bus drops at the Washington Monument, just across the street from the museum. For more information on navigating the Metro, check out our blog post HERE.
Alternatively, many of the hop on hop off buses have a stop nearby to the NMAAHC.
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How Do The Tickets Work
The Smithsonian is distributing timed passes, meaning entries will be staggered in 15-minute intervals. Theres no limit on how long people can spend inside the museum, which spans the entire arc of black history in America, from the 15th-century origins of the Atlantic slave trade to today. The museum opens with five floors of exhibits, with more than 3,000 objects on display along with 13 interactive exhibits and nearly 200 video features. The Smithsonian recommends multiple visits.
Where To Start Your Visit To The National Museum Of African American History And Culture
Photo: BrianPIrwin/Shutterstock
It may sound silly, but the best place to start your tour is outside. Adjacent to the Washington Monument, the 400,000-square-foot bronze-hued building that houses the museum is as much a part of the experience as any exhibit. Even its position on the National Mall is emblematic given that The Mall is a platform for Americas democratic values of liberty, equality, and justice.
Award-winning architect David Adjaye designed the three-tiered museum in the image of a Yoruban Caryatid, a type of traditional wooden statue from West Africa thats shaped like a column and topped with a crown. The patterns on the aluminum panels portray the 19th-century ironwork of enslaved craftsmen in New Orleans. They allow daylight to shine through and, at night, light up the crown from within. The perimeter of the grand porch on the south entrance by the National Mall is also significant, having been symbolically bedded with live oaks. For enslaved peoples, live oaks represented safety, strength, and resilience as they provided shade and shelter and served as gathering spots for meetings and religious services.
Photo: National Museum of African American History and Culture/AlanKarchmer
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Certain Days Dont Require Tickets
The National Museum of African American museum has two seasons: peak and off-peak. Peak is from March-August. Off-peak is from September-February.
During off-peak dates, you can walk up after 10am Monday-Friday and head into the museum without tickets. On peak dates, you can walk up after 1pm Monday-Friday and head into the museum without tickets. Walk-up entry is not available on Saturdays or Sundays during either peak or off-peak dates due to the high demand.
When Are These Tickets Available
Same day online passes are released every morning on the museum website at approximately 6:30am. The good news is that they are fairly easy to get. The bad news is that you have to wake up early to do it. These tickets are in high demand and they go quickly. Log on at exactly at 6:30am to make sure you dont miss out! This is the easiest and surest way that you can see the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
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