African American Museum

Founded in 1976 as the Afro-American Historical and Cultural Museum in celebration of the nation's Bicentennial, the Museum was the first institution funded and built by a major municipality to preserve, interpret and exhibit the heritage of African Americans. Throughout its evolution, the Museum has objectively interpreted and presented the achievements and aspirations of African Americans from pre-colonial times to the current day.

The African American Museum in Philadelphia currently houses 4 galleries and an auditorium, each of which offers exhibitions anchored by one of the Museum's three dominant themes - the African Diaspora, the Philadelphia Story, and the Contemporary Narrative. The auditorium is also used for the Museum's distance learning program, for film viewings and other community events, and is available for community use. Through the joint efforts of the Curatorial and Education Departments, the Museum offers creative, innovative youth programming that expands the themes of our cultural exhibits and invites people whose lives span the century - youth, their families, and senior citizens - to come together and enjoy rich intergenerational Family Days focused on African American art and culture.

Special initiatives currently available at the African American Museum in Philadelphia include providing young adults with on-the-job training in the professions associated with museum employment and recent technological improvements that enable the Museum to assist students and researchers unearth the invaluable, although all-too-often unrecognized, achievements and contributions of African Americans throughout history.