African American History Museums in DC, MD and Northern Virginia

The National Capital Region is well-known for its rich history, and wonderful museums and exhibits. The Smithsonian Institution and National Archives, in particular, are just two of Washington, DC's prized museums and collections. But, there's so much more to see in this World Capital area, including several notable African American History museums and cultural exhibits.

Some of these African American museums, collections and attractions are located on the National Mall while others are situated in Maryland and Northern Virginia. Each are one-of-a-kind and spotlight special exhibits, archaeological finds and other important material on African American history.

Want to learn more about African Americans in colonial times, slavery, post-Civil War reconstruction, the Harlem Renaissance and the Civil Rights movement? Looking for new exhibits and collections to visit in the Nation's Capital area? Check out these African American History Museums and exhibits in Washington, DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia. Sure to become favorite stops on your next visit to Washington, DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia.

Maryland

Northampton Plantation Slave Quarters
Lake Overlook Drive (between Water Port Court and Lake Overlook Place)
Lake Arbor, MD 20721
Official Website: www.pgparks.com/places/eleganthistoric/northampton_intro.html
Hours: 6am-dark
Admission: Free

At this museum and cultural heritage site, historians and archaeologists have reconstructed the lives of the slaves and tenant farmers who lived at Northampton Plantation long ago. Check out this important historic site, outdoor museum and exhibits. A real "must visit" in Prince Georges County, Maryland.

Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture
830 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202
Official Website: www.africanamericanculture.org
Hours: 10am-5pm (Wednesdays through Saturdays), 12pm-5pm Sundays, Open until 8pm Thursdays

The largest museum on the East Coast for African American art, culture and history, Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture inspires visitors with its rich collections, photographs and other historical artifacts. The Reginald F. Lewis Museum also sponsors exhibits at the museum and in and around the city of Baltimore. All combine to make the Reginald F. Lewis museum a "must-see" museum to expand your knowledge of African American history and culture.

Sandy Spring Slave Museum & African Art Gallery, Inc.
Official Website: www.sandyspringslavemuseum.org
18524 Brooke Road, Sandy Spring, MD 20860
Hours: Open daily

This unique site aims to highlight the struggle and contributions of African Americans in American History. This African American museum and art gallery includes outdoor exhibits and great hall. Two open houses are sponsored each year. Sandy Spring is a small but unique museum and exhibit in the Maryland suburbs.

Northern Virginia

Afro-American Historical Association of Fauquier County
Official Website: www.aahafauquier.org
4243 Loudoun Avenue, PO Box 340, The Plains, Virginia 20198
Hours: 10am-3pm Tuesdays & Wednesdays
Admission: n/a

AAHA is a resource center, museum and gathering place for information and materials on local, African American culture and history. AAHA collections include art, photographs, clothing, ceremonial items, rare books, everyday objects, documents, oral histories and other memorabilia. AAHA has many events throughout the year. Check out the Afro-American Historical Association on your next visit to Northern Virginia. Sure to inspire you to learn more.

Alexandria Black History Museum
Official Website: http://oha.alexandriava.gov/bhrc
Hours:10 am to 4 pm (Tuesday through Saturday only). Closed on New Year's Day, Easter, July 4th, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and on Martin Luther King Day.
Admission: $2.00

The mission of Alexandria's Black History Museum is to "enrich the lives of Alexandria's residents and visitors, to foster tolerance and understanding among all cultures and to stimulate appreciation of the diversity of the African American experience." Museum holdings include 3000 items of historical significance. Museum staff are available to give lectures and assist students and scholars. Find out why the Alexandria Black History Museum shines a light on African American history. This museum is another "must visit" in the National Capital Region.

The Black Heritage Museum
Official Website: www.arlingtonblackheritage.org
951 South George Mason Drive, Suite 204, Arlington VA 22204
Hours: n/a
Admission: n/a

Currently a website presence and "museum-without-walls," The Black Heritage Museum was established to "celebrate the African American journey to freedom in Arlington County." BHMA spotlights, in particular, Freedmen's Village. The museum's board has commissioned a model of the village, part of an exhibit on slave life at Arlington House, the Robert E. Lee Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery. The Board also sponsors a lecture series, an oral history program, and a walking tour. Eventually, the museum would like to have a permanent space for its exhibits, photos and collections.

George Mason's Gunston Hall
Official Website: www.gunstonhall.org
10709 Gunston Road, Lorton, Virginia 22079
Hours: 9am-5pm daily. Closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day.
Admission: $9 adults, $8 seniors, 6-18 year olds $5, under 6 years of age, Free. Group rates and tours available.

Founding Father George Mason was a fierce proponent of minority rights and protections and wielded much influence over the politics of his day. In 1787, Mason was chosen to selected to represent Virginia at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, where he was quite vocal. Distressed over the amount of power given to the newly established government and the Convention's unwillingness to abolish slavery, Mason joined two other dissenters in refusing to sign the Constitution. Gunston Hall aims to "preserve, interpret and promote this 18th-century historic site in order to educate the public about the international significance of George Mason for his unique contribution to the universal cause of human rights."

Gum Springs Historical Society and Museum
8100 Fordson Road, Alexandria, Virginia 22306
Official Website: n/a
Hours: n/a
Admission: n/a

Gum Springs is the oldest African American Community in Fairfax County, formally established in 1833. West Ford, a former slave, founded the community after being freed by George Washington. Close to the Mount Vernon, the Gum Springs community was a sanctuary for freedmen and runaways. Check out Gum Springs on your next visit to Northern Virginia. A special place.

Washington, DC

African American Civil War Memorial Freedom Foundation and Museum
Official Website: www.afroamcivilwar.org
1200 U Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009
Hours: 10am-5pm daily; 10am-2pm Saturdays

Check out the African American Civil War Memorial Freedom Foundation and Museum in the historic U Street Corridor of Washington, DC. Since 1999, the Museum has been devoted to advancing understanding of "the African American's heroic and largely unknown struggle for freedom for all." The museum published the Book of Names, in 2007, drawn from the National Archives' records, celebrating African American contributions to the fight for freedom and democracy in America. This museum offers important insights on African American history and culture.

Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage at the Smithsonian
Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC
Official Website: www.folklife.si.edu
Hours: n/a (various events)
Admission: free

The Smithsonian Institution's Folklife Center is prized for its exhibits and events of cultural heritage significance. Check out the annual Folklife Festival on the National Mall and the various collections, photographs and so much more Folklife has to offer on African American culture and history.

Frederick Douglass National Historic Site
Official Website: www.nps.gov/frdo
1411 W Street SE, Washington, DC 20020
Hours: 9am-5pm (summer); 9am-4:30pm (winter). Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and January 1^st holidays.
Admission: $1.50 entrance fee, $5.00 total for school groups.

Born into slavery, Frederick Douglass escaped and spent his life devoted to achieving justice and equality for all people. His life continues to inspire, as shown at the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site. Take a walk through time with Frederick Douglass, a great American. You must visit the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site on your museum tour this year.

Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site
Official Website: www.nps.gov/mamc
Hours: 9am-5pm, closed Sundays. Closed for Thanksgiving, Christmas and January 1^st holidays
Admission: Free

Site of the first headquarters of the National Council of Negro Women, the Mary McLeod Bethune Council House was also the location of her last home in Washington, DC. Find out why Mary McLeod is celebrated for advancing the cause of African American women and the larger community. You must visit the Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site on your museum tour the upcoming months.

Smithsonian National Museum of African Art
Official Website: www.nmafa.si.edu
950 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20560
Hours: 10am-5:30pm daily/Closed Christmas Day
Admission: Free

The Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art's mission is simple: to foster the discovery and appreciation of the visual arts of Africa, the cradle of humanity. Museum collections spotlight African art from ancient to modern times. You must visit the National Museum of African Art during your stroll at lunchtime on the National Mall.

Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Official Website: http://nmaahc.si.edu
Hours: TBD
Admission: TBD

Construction on the Smithsonian's newest museum, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, is scheduled to start in 2012 and finish in 2015. Until then, visitors can check out some great NMAAHC exhibits on the 2^nd floor of the National Museum of American History. Check out NMAAHC's exhibit on African American resistance at the National Portrait Gallery. The museum promises to be an interactive and collaborative place to learn more about African American history and culture. This museum will be an important addition to the National Mall.

Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum
Official Website: http://anacostia.si.edu
1901 Fort Place, SE, Washington, DC 20020
Hours: 10am to 5pm daily except Christmas Day
Admission: n/a

The mission of the Anacostia Community Museum is "to challenge perceptions, broaden perspectives, generate new knowledge, and deepen understanding about the ever-changing concepts and realities of 'community' while maintaining strong ties to Anacostia and the D.C. Metropolitan region. " Check out exhibits on the history of black baseball in the District of Columbia, African presence in Mexico, among others of importance to students, scholars and the community at large. You must visit the Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum, perhaps while you're on the way to Nationals Park.

RESOURCES

Black Past
www.blackpast.org/?q=aah/african-american-museums-united-states-and-canada

Museum Stuff
www.museumstuff.com/museums/african-history.php