National Museum of African American History and Culture

Excellent experience. This place is full of emotions, history and great atmosphere. There is a waterfall on the ground level that you cannot miss. Emotions may run high, so take some tissue. There will be people here from different cultures and believe, so pay no mind to what may come out of people's mouth. My overall experiences superb and I highly recommend this place for anyone of any age.

Lots to see here. Give yourself lots of time to go through the exhibits. They update the upper sections more frequently. I recommend going on a week day. I was last here on a Sunday in feb. It was busy but no wait. It can get very busy at other times. The food in the cafeteria is also tasty if your not in the mood for the food trucks outside. You can also walk a few blocks for more food options.

I have been wanting to visit since it opened and finally got the chance. It's a spectacular museum with in depth history, many historical artifacts and a lot of information. There is also audio and video content interspersed throughout the exhibits. We were there for about 2 hours, though we could've stayed longer. The current Afrofuturism exhibit is great too. Lots of pop culture memorabilia, music, film and costumes. Admission is free (donations are welcome). It's best to plan ahead and book your timed entry ticket in advance as times do fill up!

A powerful cultural experience. I’m happy they have the red warning signs for areas that have sensitive content for children. Loved the design of the building. Tons of food trucks parked outside as well. The restaurant inside has great food as well. Have visited several times and I always find something new. Proud charter donor.

What an amazing experience but be prepared to walk. It is a very large exhibit, with an abundance of things to see. It can get crowded so plan more than 1 trip

Amazing experience. I needed more time! Plan for at least 4 hours here. I spent 2 and it was NOT enough time. I loved every second though. The food trucks outside were a good bonus too, would have loved to see more variety there, there has to be a soul food truck somewhere! 😉

This museum is beautiful, we arrived on January 1, 2024 and it was open. You must buy your ticket on their website and it will reach you via text message if you enter your phone number. Tickets are free. You can look for parking in the surroundings. We found it close to Av. Constitución since it was a holiday. Inside you can get a plan with all the floors to visit. On the central floor is the souvenir shop and there is a cafeteria with a large dining room where you can find several options to eat.

The place is beautiful and with a lot of history, we really had a great time.

A great place to explore history. The exhibits are interactive and you can easily spend several hours and still not see it all. Be sure to try the restaurant while you're there. Excellent chicken and sides.

We have visited many museums and sites devoted to civil rights around the country. This was our first visit to the National Museum. We also saw they had an award winning cafe with a special menu of southern specialties for Christmas. We started with that for a fabulous lunch then started our trip through the museum. Starting with the early history of the slave trade and continuing through black people's journey through US history to today made for one incredible emotional experience. We spent nearly 5 hours absorbing as much detail as we could.

STUNNING building, only had time for the Futurism Exhibit but there is SO much to see. Stepped into the Contemplative Court for one second and tears instantly flooded my eyes. It is a sacred space. 🖤

Going back and will update this review when I do.

It was an honor for us to finally be there. Of course, we purchased the official guide for $15 as we exited. We had to take a break for lunch in the middle of the tour. The variety of cafe meals was great and the store items were very affordable. Having said this, I still haven't scratched the surface about all the creative media content we experienced. Truthfully, it was overwhelming.

This museum is amazing!!
So much to see and do. The food in the soul food Cafe was delicious and all done by female chefs. If ever you have a chance visit this museum!!! 💚💚💚

You need at least 1-2 days (maybe more) to really visit all floors of this museum. If you are like me & like to read everything then you'll need more time. They have a fantastic cafe (Sweet Home Cafe) that serves great food with really huge portions so you can spend all day at the venue.

Add this to your list next time you’re in DC. Six floors saturated with important, national history that can’t be missed. Highly recommend the contemplative court for reflective moments. The museum is free but you do need to reserve a ticket. They do have lockers available for your use- I used them for my purse, jacket, and scarf, and charging stations throughout.

The African American National History Museum in D.C. is nothing short of superb, deserving a glowing 5-star rating! My visit was an unforgettable journey through the rich tapestry of African American history and culture. The architecture is breathtaking, and the exhibits are thoughtfully curated, offering deep insights into the African American experience. A pro tip for future visitors: start your exploration from the underground levels. This museum beautifully chronicles the story of resilience, achievement, and contributions, and it's an absolute must-visit for everyone to gain a deeper understanding of American history.

This museum is extraordinary. There are 3 floors in the museum. The basement level starts with slavery and the middle level is segregation, and the top level is the modern day. You can not properly explore this venue in one visit without getting information overload. Check out out for yourself.

This place is vibrant! By far is the best museum that I’ve been in DC. Great mixture between history & arts. I spent the whole day there and I didn’t seen everything. You can go alone, with your family and kids (they’ve an art, music and superheroes exhibition)

I appreciate the masterminds behind this museum and I am glad that I experienced it for the first time with my children. It is up to us to make sure that the next generation knows what our ancestors endured for us to be able to live the lives that we live. While some of us are fumbling at life, the opportunities are there for us to succeed if we just get out of our own ways. This museum made me travel through a wide range of emotions from joy to sorrow to anger and peace in seven hours (yes, we were there from 10am to 5pm). I talk to my kids about our history, but it's nothing like seeing it and being able to listen to the stories about what our people have gone through. We started from the top of the museum and went down so that we could have time with each exhibit with less people. I made a list of movies of classic Black movies to watch with my children because of the Film/Arts exhibit. I can't believe my kids have never seen "A Raisin in the Sun", "The Imitation of Life" and "Do the Right Thing" among some other ones. (Am I failing as a mother...jeez 😂). The interactive floor was fun so make sure you spend some time there. We ate at the cafe and ordered fried chicken, greens, mac n cheese, and cornbread. The food was good but the chicken could have used just a little more seasoning. I purchased souvenirs from the store to remind me of my time at this amazing place. Ohhhh, I love how you can't really skip the C-level floors...the real real Black history is kinda forced on you because there is no escaping once you are down there. The packed elevator ride down made me think wow this sort of mimicks how our people were packed on those ships. And while we can't feel exactly what our ancestors felt, we can empathize with them and continue to honor them by being the great Black people that we are. If the Tell Your History booths are open, take the time and tell your story.

It was an experience beyond words. I was only there for a couple hours. There is so much more to see. Looking forward to another visit.

Love this place. My all time favorite museum. Huge. They cover African American history from the 1600’s to present day and the DONT MISS ANYTHING in between. I mean NOTHING. This is DEFINITELY A MUST SEE!!!! Some of the exhibits will take you back in time. Admission is FREE!! Just book a time slot on the website. There’s usually NO LINES or WAIT TIMES. I’ve been here twice and never had to wait or wait on a line. Also you can walk up to the front door and scan the barcode on book a time slot on the spot. But you have to book a slot.