National Museum of African American History and Culture

The National Museum of African American History and Culture is the newest of the great Smithsonian museums on the National Mall, opened in September twenty sixteen after a century of campaigning. It stands next to the Washington Monument, a three tiered bronze coloured crown, or corona, that glows in the afternoon sun and looks unlike anything else in the city. Inside, it tells the story of the United States through the experience of African Americans, from the transatlantic slave trade to the present day, and it does so with more than three thousand objects on view drawn from a collection of tens of thousands.

The building works in two directions. The History Galleries are underground: a lift takes you down to the fifteenth century and you climb slowly back up through slavery, the Civil War, segregation and the civil rights movement to the present. Above ground, the Culture and Community galleries celebrate music, sport, film, food, the military and everyday life, with the Contemplative Court and the Oprah Winfrey Theater on the concourse level in between.

A first time visitor should allow at least three hours and should begin with the History Galleries, because they are emotionally demanding and best seen with fresh energy. Entry is free but timed passes are usually required. The Sweet Home Cafe on the lower level serves food from four regions of African American cooking and is part of the experience rather than a break from it.