National Museum of African American History and Culture

About

The National Museum of African American History and Culture sits on Constitution Avenue at the National Mall, next to the Washington Monument grounds. Its tiered, bronze-colored building holds about 85,000 square feet of exhibition space.

The History Galleries fill three levels below ground, C1 through C3, and are arranged in time order, so most visitors start at the bottom and work their way up. Large objects fill these galleries, including a historic wooden cabin. The Community Galleries are on Level 3 and the Culture Galleries on Level 4. Visitor and Guest Services staff greet visitors at the Welcome Desk in Heritage Hall, the place to pick up maps. The Oprah Winfrey Theater hosts public programs, and the museum publishes pre-visit stories for families that walk through each gallery level.

The museum is open daily and admission is free, but every visitor needs a free timed-entry pass, including children. Advance passes are released 30 days ahead on a rolling basis, and a limited number of same-day passes go online at 8:15 a.m. Eastern each day. One person can reserve up to nine passes. Plan for a lot of standing and walking.

Spring and summer are the busiest seasons, and the museum suggests fall and winter for smaller crowds. The closest Metro stations are Federal Triangle and Smithsonian (Mall exit). The Smithsonian does not provide parking. The nearest public garage is at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, entered by ramps on 14th Street NW. A lactation space is on Level 3, and floor plans come in Chinese, French and Spanish at the Welcome Desk.

Accessibility

The National Museum of African American History and Culture is wheelchair accessible. Both entrances, on Madison Drive and Constitution Avenue, are accessible. The Madison Drive side has a drop-off area and is the one to use if you arrive by car.

The Smithsonian has no parking. The National Park Service has accessible spaces along Madison Drive next to the museum, and cars with disability tags or plates can use DC government metered spaces. The nearest garage is at the Ronald Reagan Building, with ramps from 14th Street NW.

All floors are reachable by elevator, ramp or escalator. Manual wheelchairs in standard and bariatric sizes are loaned free near the Madison Drive entrance, first come, first served, with no requirements to borrow one. The History Galleries are long, and the museum suggests a less tiring route for visitors with limited mobility. Enter through the galleries' exit on the Concourse level, start on C1 and work down to C3, then take the elevator at C3 back up to the Concourse. You see the history in reverse order, but many visitors find it less tiring. Every restroom has one accessible stall, and single-stall family restrooms are on Levels 2 and 4. The Oprah Winfrey Theater has accessible and transfer seating.

For blind and low vision visitors, staff can give a sighted guide and verbal description visit of up to 90 minutes, best booked ahead by email. Braille and raised-image maps and large-print maps are at the Welcome Desk, and the free Aira Explore app is available. All media in the museum is open captioned. ASL interpretation for tours and programs needs about two weeks' notice, and Aira ASL connects you to an interpreter on your phone.

The museum can be loud and crowded, so bring headphones if noise bothers you. Sensory maps at the Welcome Desk show loud, bright and touchable areas, and pre-visit stories help children prepare. Service animals are welcome; email nmaahcvisitorservices@si.edu with questions.

Checked by Accessible America, September 2026. Report a change

More accessible places in Washington, DC

• Smithsonian's National Zoo (Washington)
• National Air and Space Museum (Washington)
• National Museum of Natural History (Washington)
• Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial (Washington)
• Washington Monument (Washington)
• Lincoln Memorial (Washington)

Photo credits

• The bronze-colored tiered facade of the museum rises above a lawn with the Washington Monument behind.: ajay_suresh, CC BY 2.0 (source)
• A wide paved walkway leads past the museum sign and lawn toward the building.: GordonMakryllos, CC BY-SA 4.0 (source)
• Visitors look at exhibit cases around a historic wooden cabin in a tall gallery.: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0 (source)