National Museum of African American History and Culture

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Exterior of the museum
Location in Washington, D.C.
Established	December 19, 2003 (establishment) September 24, 2016 (building dedication on The Mall)
Location	1400 Constitution Ave, NW Washington, DC 20560
Coordinates	38°53′28″N 77°01′58″W / 38.89111°N 77.03278°W / 38.89111; -77.03278
Type	History museum
Collections	African-American history, art, music
Collection size	40,000 (approximate)
Visitors	1,092,552 (2022)[1]
Director	Kevin Young[2]
Curator	Jacquelyn Serwer[3]
Architect	Freelon Group/Adjaye Associates/Davis Brody Bond
Public transit access	Washington Metro at Smithsonian or Federal Triangle
Website	nmaahc.si.edu

The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), colloquially known as the Blacksonian, is a Smithsonian Institution museum located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., in the United States.^[4] It was established in 2003 and opened its permanent home in 2016 with a ceremony led by President Barack Obama.

Early efforts to establish a federally owned museum featuring African-American history and culture can be traced to 1915 and the National Memorial Association, although the modern push for such an organization did not begin until the 1970s. After years of little success, a legislative push began in 1988 that led to authorization of the museum in 2003. A site was selected in 2006, and a design submitted by Freelon Group/Adjaye Associates/Davis Brody Bond was chosen in 2009. Construction began in 2012 and the museum completed in 2016.

The NMAAHC is the world's largest museum dedicated to African-American history and culture.^[5] In 2022 it welcomed 1,092,552 visitors, and was second-most visited Smithsonian Museum, and eighth in the List of most-visited museums in the United States. The museum has more than 40,000 objects in its collection, although only about 3,500 items are on display. The 350,000-square-foot (33,000 m²), 10 story building (five above and five below ground) and its exhibits have won critical praise.