The Alexandria Museum of Black History highlights the African-American experience in Alexandria’s early years with exhibits, speakers, and interactive programs. Housed in a building originally constructed in 1940 as a library to serve black citizens, the museum examines African American history, art, and traditions.
In the early 1980s, the Alexandria Society for the Preservation of Black Heritage and the Parker-Gray Alumni Association saw the need to document Alexandria’s black history by collecting oral histories, artifacts, and photographs.
In 1983, the City of Alexandria opened the building to these groups to establish the Alexandria Black History Resource Center, which was staffed by volunteers. In 1987, the city of Alexandria took over the operation of the center to develop exhibitions, educational programs and collections. In 2004, the center’s name was changed to the Alexandria Museum of Black History to more accurately reflect its role in preserving the history of Alexandria’s African-American towns, businesses, and neighborhoods.
Location
902 Wythe Street Alexandria, Virginia. The museum is located on the corner of Wythe and Alfred Sts. There is free parking at the Recreation Center across the street. See a map of Alexandria.
Hours
Open Tuesday to Saturday: 10 am to 4 pm Closed Sunday and Monday.
Closed: New Years Day, Easter, July 4, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Martin Luther King Jr.
Admission
Website $ 2: wwwalexblackhistory.org
Additional sites related to black history in Alexandria
The National Register of Historic Places lists several historic sites in Alexandria, Virginia, as places where African Americans lived, worked, and worshiped during the period from 1790 to 1951. These sites are open to the public throughout the year, but as the Month of Black History is celebrated every year. During the month of February, these sites offer special programs for visitors to learn about an important part of cultural development in the Washington DC Capital Region.
- Fort Ward Historic Site and Museum – 4301 West Braddock Road (703) 838-4848. The museum offers exhibits on Civil War themes, including programs, tours, lectures, and performances.
- African American Heritage Park – Duke Street and Holland Lane. This nine-acre memorial park surrounds a preserved 19th-century African-American cemetery. The park is available to rent for select events.
- Watson Reading Room – Located adjacent to the Alexandria Black History Museum, this non-circulating research repository focuses on topics in African American history and culture.
- George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens – Mount Vernon, VA. George Washington was a slave owner. Each February, in observance of Black History Month, Mount Vernon highlights the lives and contributions of the slaves who built and operated George and Martha Washington’s plantation. Throughout the month, a daily Slave Life at Mount Vernon tour explores the lives and contributions of the slaves who lived at Mount Vernon. Throughout the month, a presentation and wreath are held at the slave memorial site.
