My Review of the Smithsonian African American Museum in Washington DC

I recently had the chance to visit the Smithsonian African-American Museum in Washington, DC over the Labor Day 2018 weekend (thanks for the tickets from my sister).  It was an emotional and moving experience that I recommend to EVERYONE of color, and especially your children.


It is an amazing place full of history and facts presented in a modern way through the use of immersive multimedia and interactive exhibits.

First Impressions
When you first see the building from a distance your first impression may be WTF????  It's a modern design that seems out of place with the existing classic Greek/Roman influenced architecture of the rest of Washington DCs buildings that surround it.

My initial thought was that the building was inspired by a church hat or a crown, and my impressions weren't too far off the mark.  The Architect was inspired by a crown and the design is a subtle nod to the importance that headgear has played in our history.

The building is covered in a metal skin which filters the light inside the building.  I went on a hot, bright September day but the light inside the building was cut down significantly once inside making it cool and comfortable for your eyes to take in all the exhibits.

This is a modern museum with many, many multimedia exhibits and in some cases interactive ones.  And the multimedia exhibits are extremely well done, entertaining and (this is the best part) INFORMATIVE!  You're going to learn something every time you visit here, and this (if nothing else) means the museum will have accomplished its intended goal. 

Where Is It Located?

Where is it exactly?  The museum sits across from the park which houses the Washington Memorial so if you have the time you can actually visit both attractions.

How Much Does It Cost?

Like all Smithsonian museums there is no admission fee, BUT the lines to enter the museum can get long, especially on weekends.  If you are a member of law enforcement, a senior, or a veteran there is an express entry line.  The building is wheelchair accessible and friendly to seniors and those using mobility assistance devices like walkers, scooters and in some cases hearing assist devices.

On the day I attended it was crowded, but not overly so.  We had timed entry passes that had specific entry times so we didn't have to wait on the general entry line.  In fact I think the other visitors add to the experience since they come from all over the world to visit both DC and the museum itself and before you know it you'll be making new friends as you tour the many exhibits.

The Lobby

You enter the building into a spacious lobby, unlike a standard lobby though there is an important piece of history here.  On a wall is a list of donors that made the museum possible broken into groups based on their charitable giving.  

Normally most visitors don't or won't pay attention to things like this but in this particular instance its important to take note. There is a current mindset on social media that wealthy Black business people or athletes don't "give back".  That mindset is dead wrong as proven by the giving exhibited to open this museum.

The Exhibits
The way the museum is set up is you are supposed to start in the basement which covers the 1500's to roughly the 1700's, as you go up floors you pass through the major periods in African-American history finally reaching the top floor with the modern (post 1960's) era of exhibits.

A word of warning, the basement exhibit covering the slave trade will make you want to cry.  I couldn't take a picture because it's lit by low light which makes for bad photos without a tripod, but it is probably one of the most moving visual representations of the sheer amount of Africans stolen from Africa and sent to the Americas and Brazil.  On the walls of the exhibit are the names of nearly all the slaves ships that came west from Africa and the country the ship was flagged under and number of slaves on each ship. 

When presented visually I can't put into words how both emotionally stunning and sad this is.  Coupled with the fact that somewhere on that wall on one of those ships was MY ancestor.  Some unknown man and woman survived that most brutal and inhuman of treatments, met and lived long enough to start a bloodline that runs through me. 

I don't know who they are, or where they wwere originally from, I just know that for the first time in my life I had something to emotionally connect to that allowed me to say thanks aacross the sands of time.  I wish I could describe that moment, but unfortunately I can't, I just hope that on the other side of the veil of time they can be proud of how strong their roots have grown.

Make no mistake about it, there is a LOT to take in covering nearly every facet of Blackness and Black culture from sports, to cooking, to Greek letter organizations, to politics.   


So how are the exhibits?  Excellent!  Plan to spend a significant amount of time here, in fact plan to spend all day.  There is a LOT packed into this building


Many exhibits you really have to see for yourself to really appreciate but here's a small selection:

Chuck Berry's Cherry Red Cadillac

The Parliment/Funkadelic Mothership

One of many exhibits highlighting the life and achievements of Muhammad Ali

Redd Foxx's very first comedy album

Another exhibit celebrating Muhammad Ali

The museum is a celebration of Blackness, Black culture and Black people, from the first presence on this land in the 1500's until today.


Highlights that Caught My Attention

• Parliment's Mothership, last time I saw this it was on stage in the 80's!
• An S1W uniform and and a nod to Professor Griff and Public Enemy
• Some love to the transformational effect of hip-hop on American music and America itself
• Multiple well deserved exhibits on Muhammad Ali
• A life-size staute of Michael Jordan (he's not as tall as you may think, but then I am 6'4")!
• A trainer biplane for the Tuskegee Airmen
• A slave cabin
• A great exhibit on Black feminist writers of the 60's/70's

The Cafeteria
There is a cafeteria in the basement that offers a very nice selection of what many would consider "soul food".  The smells coming from the cafeteria are just heavenly with a mix of sweet potato, fried fish and greens tickling your nose.  This has to be by design, nearly everyone of color has been pre-programmed with the comforting smells coming from Mama's (or Daddy's) kitchen.

I say "soul food" in quotes because to us it's regular, common food.  To the tourists, especially foreign tourists it's exotic.  Beware, the food is expensive premium priced!   For example, a plate of fried catfish and collard greens for $21??? Seriously????  Since when does catfish and collard greens cost $21 a plate?

If you are curious about the menu, you can view it here.


Photographers Notes

• No tripods or monopods are allowed
• Photography is allowed throughout the museum but many of the exhibits have subdued or dark lighting, you WILL need fast lenses although cell phones seem to capture ambient light much better.  I was using 1.8 and 2.8 lenses and still struggled to get decent shutter speeds.  
• Bring your widest wide angle lens!  Many exhibits are placed in fairly close quarters.  FYI, there is nothing here that will you will need a zoom lens to capture.