Top Black History Museums & Cultural Centers

Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

There are hundreds of Black history museums in the United States that preserve artifacts, records, documents, and more related to African Americans. They vary in size and popularity, but all of them have exclusive exhibits and collections that millions of people from all ethnic backgrounds take interest in.

Here are some of the top Black history museums in the country:

African American Civil War Memorial Freedom Foundation and Museum: Located in Washington, DC, this popular museum teaches tourists and visitors about the heroic struggle from freedom that Black people have had to experience in the United States.

Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture: Located in Washington, DC, this is the only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, history, and culture. It was established by Act of Congress in 2003, following decades of efforts to promote and highlight the contributions of African Americans.






National Great Blacks and Wax Museum: a wax museum committed solely to the study and preservation of African American history. Features life-size, life-like wax figures highlighting historical and contemporary personalities of African ancestry.

Museum of African American History (MAAH): New England’s largest museum dedicated to preserving, conserving and interpreting the contributions of African Americans. In Boston and Nantucket, the Museum has preserved four historic sites and two Black Heritage Trails® that tell the story of organized black communities from the Colonial Period through the 19th century.

Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History: Based in Detroit, Michigan, this museum opens minds and changes lives through the exploration and celebration of African American history and culture. It offers an amazing adventure of history, art and achievement.

Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia: a permanent repository for visual, oral and written records and artifacts commemorating the lives and accomplishments of Blacks in the state of Virginia. They are a statewide resource on the many facets of Black history through exhibitions, discussions and celebrations.

America's Black Holocaust Museum: Based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this physical and virtual museum builds public awareness of the harmful legacies of slavery in America and promotes racial repair, reconciliation, and healing. They have both online and offline exhibits.