Last week, on a gorgeous day off from work, I took the MARC to Washington, D.C., to revisit the National Museum of African American History and Culture, part of our nation capitol’s stellar network of museums and institutions. NMAAH is the 19th and newest museum of the Smithsonian Institution.
My first visit in December of 2016, months after its debut, was short-lived because I had tickets for the Holocaust Museum that same day and, as it turned out, the museum is huge (nearly 400,000 square feet containing close to 37,000 objects) so I never got to see even half of the exhibits.
I knew a return was needed.
In order to visit the museum you need to reserve a ticket (a timed pass). They are free but must be used for the date and time specified. They do this to control crowding as the museum is quite popular. Groups of visitors are allowed entry fifteen minutes. If you are unable to acquire passes for the date and time you’d like, it is still possible to get them if you visit the website at 8:15am on the day of your planned visit. They release passes that were returned or have otherwise opened up. That’s how I got mine. The date/time of my intended visit was booked but I was able to score a pass as soon as it was released.
The museum itself is located at Constitution Avenue between 12th and 14th Streets with the Washington Monument as its neighbor.
From an architectural standpoint, the structure is a marvel.
Dubbed the “Corona,” the three-tiered, metallic façade on the building derives from multiple sources. The trapezoidal, stacked shape takes inspiration from the top portion of a sculpture by Olowe of Ise, an early 20th-century Yoruban craftsman. Olowe’s wooden sculptures were created for use as columns, holding up the porches of shrine houses and traditional dwellings.
NMAAH
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There is a security screening process as you enter the building. Knowing the rules and restrictions ahead of time is always a good idea.
The exhibits are sectioned into three areas: History, Community and Culture.
The History Gallery is by far the busiest and requires the most time (estimated at two hours) to fully experience it all. It’s the one you’ll want to go to first, especially if you visit early in the day.
Here you will find the origin story of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and how it transformed the world and where the United States of America saw its true roots form.
Shackles for an adult and child.
Maryland was a slave state.
Defending and defining freedom…
A changing America and the Civil Rights Movement…
While the modern Civil Rights Movement achieved many victories, it did not end the struggle for freedom. As African Americans have continued to pursue goals of equity and justice, the definition of African American identity has also continued to evolve.
NMAAH
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In the Community Exhibitions you’ll find stories of African Americans forging their way through life in the United States via their military service, building their own communities and becoming a more active voice for change.
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Finally, on the upper levels of the museum you’ll find the Cultural Exhibitions highlighting the extensive contributions African Americans have made in art, food, music, literature, sports and more.
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The museum’s hours are as follows:
Monday 12:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Thursday 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Friday 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m
Last entry for visitors, including groups, is 4:00pm.
If you plan to visit, I highly suggest using mass transit to get around. Parking is scarce and expensive plus DC is a bit disorienting if you don’t know the city.
As I mentioned, MARC trains take you to Union Station. Just outside the station you’ll find the starting point for the DC Circulator bus that will take you all around the National Mall in a complete loop allowing you to step off at any museum or monument along the way. It costs only $1 and the buses are clean and provide free wi-fi and charging outlets.
The DC Metro also connects Union Station to all the attractions. If you’re coming from Baltimore, you can drive to an outlying Metro station (say, New Carrollton) and then take the subway into DC.
I personally find using MARC and then Circulator to be the better option.
I actually didn’t use the Circulator this time. I walked the entire distance to and from.
You see a lot. The US Capitol, various federal buildings, beautiful botanical gardens, DC power people amid the working class both on their way to another busy day, the homeless and downtrodden, the construction cranes, the food trucks and tourist vendors setting up for the day, joggers, bikers, dogs walking their owners (not the other way around)…and so much more.
It’s worth the thirty minutes.
Any questions about NMAAH or visiting DC in general? Feel free to ask!
These public spaces and museums are a gift. They’re not just a collection of artifacts.
One of the great things about living in central Maryland is the easy proximity to Washington, Philadelphia and New York and the many things to see and do and experience.
It’s something I never take for granted.
