The Anacostia Community Museum is part of the Smithsonian Institution and offers exhibits, educational programs, workshops, lectures, film screenings, and other special events interpreting black history from the 19th century to the present. The museum documents and interprets the impact of social and cultural problems on contemporary urban communities.
The facility opened in 1967 in a converted movie theater in southeastern Washington DC as the nation’s first federally funded neighborhood museum. In 1987, the museum changed its name from the Anacostia Neighborhood Museum to the Anacostia Museum to reflect a greater mandate to examine, preserve and interpret African American history and culture, not only locally and regionally, but also nationally and internationally. .
Anacostia community museum exhibits
Approximately 6,000 objects dating from the early 1800s are on display, including works of art, archaeological materials, textiles, furniture, photographs, audiotapes, videos, and musical instruments. The collection highlights African American religion and spirituality, African American performance, African American quilts, African American family and community life in Washington, DC and beyond, African American photography, and contemporary popular culture. The museum’s increased emphasis on contemporary urban social and cultural issues guides the development and presentation of exhibits with themes that explore topics such as women’s economic sufficiency, urban waterways, immigration, and urban community development.
Museum library
The museum’s library has 5,000 volumes with a recently expanded capacity to 10,000. The archives include historically important publications, research archives for museum exhibits, and a large collection of photographic images reflecting the life of Washington’s black community in the 1970s and 1980s.
Educational and public programming
The museum hosts more than 100 public programs each year, including workshops, films, concerts, lectures, demonstrations, and panel discussions. Guided tours are available upon request for families, community organizations, school groups, and other groups. The Museum Academy program is a special educational program that includes an after school and summer program for elementary students and a professional awareness day for high school students.
Anacostia Essentials Community Museum
Address: 1901 Fort Place SE, Washington, DC. To get to the museum by public transportation, take Metrorail to the Anacostia Metro Station, take the LOCAL exit, then transfer to the W2 / W3 Metrobus stop on Howard Road. Free parking is limited. Street parking is also available.
Hours: 10 am to 5 pm every day, except December 25.
Website: anacostia.si.edu
The Anacostia Community Museum is located in a historic Washington DC neighborhood located east of the Anacostia River. Most of the buildings are private residences and the community is primarily African American. Many redevelopment projects are underway in the area to revitalize the region. Read more about Anacostia.
Attractions near the Anacostia Community Museum include Fort Dupont Park, RFK Stadium, and the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site.
