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Smithsonian Museums African American History Tickets

We Are Excited To Welcome Groups From Around The Country And The World

National Museum of African American History and Culture reopens, six months after pandemic closure

The National Museum of African American History and Culture welcomes groups of 10 or more to reserve free timed-entry passes. Please be aware we are operating at a reduced capacity for visitation. To help you prepare for your visit, we have provided the following guidance when planning your visit.

  • Large groups must form smaller group of 10 to enhance your experience and maximize safety.
  • Children ages 16 and younger must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
  • One chaperone is required for each group of 10 students.
  • Weekdays, Monday through Thursday, are our least crowded days.
  • Visits after 2:00 p.m. can be less crowded.
  • Visitors are able to enter the museum until 4:00 p.m.
  • The museum is open until 5:30 p.m.
  • If you arrive more than two hours past your entry time, entrance is not guaranteed and is based on capacity.

What You Can Expect

Delve into the African American heritage of the United States and its capital city on this local-led tour of D.C. Visit landmarks like Frederick Douglass house and the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, and get free tickets at the end of your tour to visit the powerful new National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Meet your guide and group and climb aboard a comfortable, air-conditioned coach to set off through D.C. Drive to the home of Frederick Douglass, which he named Cedar Hill, and spend some time visiting the grounds and visitor center. From there, make your way back into the city, exploring historic neighborhoods around Capitol Hill as you seek out landmarks like the statues of Mary McLeod Bethune and Abe Lincoln in Lincoln Park.

Pass by the Howard Theater , one of the first theaters in the country to be built specifically for African American audiences to attend, and see Dunbar High School, one of the first black high schools in the US. Ride down U Streetthe old Black Broadwayand pass the campus of Howard University. At the White House, hear the stories of the African American men and women who built this presidential estate and labored within its walls, and then make a stop at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial and the African American Civil War Memorial.

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Construction Of The Museum Building

The museums groundbreaking ceremony took place on February 22, 2012. President Barack Obama and museum director Bunch were among the speakers at the ceremony. Actress Phylicia Rashd was the Master of Ceremonies for the event, which also featured poetry and music performed by Denyce Graves, Thomas Hampson, and the Heritage Signature Chorale.

Clark Construction Group, Smoot Construction, and H.J. Russell & Company won the contract to build the museum. The architectural firm of McKissack & McKissack provided project management services on behalf of the Smithsonian, and acted as liaison between the Smithsonian and public utilities and D.C. government agencies. Guy Nordenson and Associates and Robert Silman Associates were the structural engineers for the project.

The NAAMHC became the deepest museum on the National Mall. Excavators dug 80 feet below grade to lay the foundations, although the building itself will be only 70 feet deep. The museum is located at a low point on the Mall, and groundwater puts 27.78 pounds per square inch on the walls. To compensate, 85 US gallons per minute of water were pumped out every day during construction of the foundation and below-grade walls, and a slurry of cement and sand injected into forms to stabilize the site. Lasers continually monitored the walls during construction for any signs of bulging or movement.

The 350,000 square feet building has a total of 10 stories .

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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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Notable Items In The Collection

tickets for the smithsonian national museum of history and culture ...

The Smithsonian Institution listed the number of items in the museum collection in 2012 as either more than 18,000 pieces or more than 25,000 pieces.CBS News reported in May 2015 that the collection size had grown to 33,000 objects, although this had risen to more than 40,000 objects by May 2019. About 3,500 items are on display to the public.

Items obtained by the museum initially were received, conserved, and stored at the Smithsonian Museum Support Center in Suitland, Maryland. Dozens of permanent curatorial staff and temporary contractors accessed the items, repaired them, and conserved them in a temperature- and humidity-controlled environment. Renée Anderson, the NMAAHCs head of collections, oversaw the effort. After artifacts were selected for display, graphics and labels for each item were manufactured. Display cases for each item were also purchased, and exhibiting mounts or specially designed cases handcrafted for particularly fragile, important, or unusually sized objects. Museum officials said all artifacts and displays will be moved into the new museum in the summer of 2016, along with the museums 175 full-time employees.

In November 2016, NBA player LeBron James donated $2.5 million to support the museums exhibit on the accomplishments of boxer Muhammad Ali.

As of September 2016, notable items in the collection included:

Pre-20th century

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Is The Smithsonian Free To The Public

Collectively called the Smithsonian Institution, this world-renowned museum and research complex in the District consists of 17 museums, galleries and a zoo. Each one is free to enter, and across the spectrum, you can learn about the origins of man, the wonders of art, the history and future of flight and so much more.

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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How To Get Tickets Now

The new visitation policy change takes effect starting in January 2019. For the rest of December 2018, visitors can enter the museum without passes on weekdays after 1 p.m. There are no advance timed-entry passes available for December, but same-day passes can be obtained online, every morning beginning at 6:30. To handle holiday crowds, the museum is extending its hours of operation December 26 through December 29, remaining open until 7:30 p.m. And dont forget, NMAAHC, like all the other Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo, will be closed on Christmas Day, December 25.

How To Get Free Tickets To The National Museum Of African American History & Culture

Walk Through Smithsonian Museum of African American History (NMAAHC)

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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When Is The Museum Open

The museum will open to the public at 1 PM on September 24 after the opening ceremony, which starts at 10 AM. It will also be open the following day from 7 AM to midnight. Itll be open between 10 AM and 7:30 PM for the first full week and until 10 PM on October 1 and 2 before settling into its normal hours of 10 AM to 5:30 PM.

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Here’s What’s New In Version 2 Of The App

  • New search feature, look for the magnifying glass to begin searching stories and objects
  • Zoomable maps with location details help you explore the Museum on your visit
  • Featured Museum tours highlighting themes from our inaugural exhibitions
  • Zoom in on images of featured objects to discover amazing details
  • Performance enhancements to improve your app experience

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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.

African American Museums Same

Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture ...

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.

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Does Washington Monument Have An Elevator

There have been periodic closures and outages in the decades since including, notably in 2011 when a 5.8 magnitude earthquake damaged the monument but the modern elevator that was installed in 2019 is the only way for visitors ascend the monument these days because the stairs are closed to the public.

The Only Exceptions The Zoo And The National Museum Of African American History And Culture

Visitors will no longer need to reserve a timed-entry pass to check out most of the Smithsonian museums starting on Tuesday, July 20. The two exceptions are the National Zoo and the National Museum of African American History and Culture, which already required free tickets prior to the pandemic. While the Zoo will continue to scan passes for general admission, youll no longer need a separate reservation to visit our ever-popular, giant baby panda prince, Xiao Qi Ji.

If youve already reserved a timed-entry pass for a date after the policy goes into effect, feel free to scrap the ticket. Institutions will no longer be scanning passesvisitors can pop into a museum whenever they wish. In addition to the repeal of reservations, museums on the National Mall will be returning to their pre-pandemic hours of 10 AM to 5:30 PM.

The Smithsonian will continue to reopen its spaces throughout July and August. The Freer Gallery of Art and National Museum of African Art started welcoming visitors today, and the Air and Space Museum and Smithsonian Castle will open at the end of the month.

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Exhibit Of Library Treasures Opens At National Museum Of African American History And Culture

A new exhibit displays books and materials significant to the African American story

Highlights of the NMAAHC Library Collection

Shauna Collier, head of the library and curator of the exhibit, was inspired to pull together this particular set of collection items partly by the pandemic. During online presentations and virtual trainings, these were some of the materials she found herself referencing most, and ones she particularly missed sharing with researchers in person. They may not fit neatly into a theme, but each has an important story to tell. Collier also wanted to highlight the contributions of donors to the library. Ten of the eleven featured items were donated to the collection. For example, Oscar Micheauxs The Story of Dorothy Stanfield was the gift of film historian and director Pearl Bowser. The Mind of the Negro by Carter Woodson was a gift from Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch when he was the museums inaugural director.

An exciting feature of the exhibit is the incorporation of the Hi App, an innovative gallery guide that encourages in-person visitors to use their mobile devices to connect with additional online content. While browsing the library selections, visitors can also explore blog posts, museum objects, and digitized books to broaden their experience.

Highlights of the NMAAHC Library Collection

How To Get Timed

NMAAHC Smithsonian to celebrate Juneteenth holiday

Timed-entry tickets are made available online up to three months in advance of a visit date. Visitors can apply for newly released dates on the first Wednesday of each month at 9 a.m. These advance passes can be claimed both online and by telephone. Museumgoers can obtain same-day passes online starting at 6:30 a.m.

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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

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Washington Dc: African American History Museum And Culture Private Tour

Meet us and we will give you a private tour and a fantastic taste of the National Museum of African American History and Culture 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 museum has collected more than 36,000 artifacts. Your tour guide will focus on important highlights to keep your group engaged and stop them from becoming overwhelmed and losing interest. During the tour, see how the stories, histories, and cultures of African Americans are shaped and informed by global influences. This is not an official Smithsonian tour. Customers booking this tour are paying for UTG Experiences services and perspective, which is independent of and may not represent the views of the Smithsonian.

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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.

Whats Inside The Museum

Monday in a Picture â Smithsonianâs National Museum of African American ...

The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture is a state-of-the-art building that addresses nearly every aspect of the African American experience, covering the arts, slavery, the Civil Rights Movement, athletics and much more. The buildings exterior, conceived by Ghanaian-born architect David Adjaye, is artfully made up of a three-tiered, bronze-colored screen. This lattice pays tribute to the intricate ironwork forged by enslaved African Americans in the southern United States.

The museums collection of artifacts is astounding: 3,500 are on view, with another 35,000 or so in the collection. Standout items include a shawl given to Harriet Tubman by Queen Victoria, training aircraft used by the Tuskegee Institute, an invitation to President Obamas 2009 inauguration and a boombox owned by Chuck D of Public Enemy.

Navigating the entirety of the NMAAHC would be very difficult to accomplish in one visit, and the breadth of its exhibits is astonishing. However, there are several displays that you should be aware of before you go.

The Musical Crossroads exhibit details the history African American music, from the arrival of the first Africans to today. From jazz to hip-hop, African American musicians brought forth new forms of expression that lit a candle for liberty, justice and change. You will be able to experience the emergence of some of Americas finest art forms and the amazing creative expressions that came from them.

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