Museum of African American History

What an incredible place to experience! I was filled with pride as I soaked in the electric energy and powerful vibrations of the historic figures who shaped African American history. If you’re eager to uncover a vital piece of America's true history, this is the destination for you! Absolutely iconic!

You should absolutely make this a stop on your visit to Boston. The history here is incredible. Make sure you visit both buildings. The meeting hall has many original parts and it makes you feel connected to the past, touching and seeing the same things as those who were there is really humbling.

One of the places I visited while in Boston. I loved it but really wished there was a lot more art on display to view. There is a church they take you on a tour to see which is really cool.

My company sponsored a visit and guided tour for colleagues. The museum staff was incredibly knowledgeable and provided us with a wide breadth of information about Black history in Boston. I highly recommend visiting this museum, as it provides visitors with vital information about American history that is often overlooked. Thank you to the museum staff for accommodating our group and providing an amazing experience!

Having never visited before, I thought I'd pop in and see! The experience is really split into two parts- a self-guided tour around the schoolhouse and displays followed by a talk and walk around the meeting house. Look for the signs to the entrance as it's round the side of the schoolhouse! The talk and meeting house are really interesting. Our guide was fantastic, very knowledgeable and passionate about the subject and the strides made in freedom and suffrage in MA. There is a lot of info so I'd recommend having a little read up before as it really brings it to life. The walk around the Meeting House is fascinating, it's a blend of authentic and renovated and has such a great atmosphere inside. There's also a section of the wall showing the different layers of plaster going down to the brick to show you the changes! The schoolhouse displays are focused on the area of Beacon Hill and its impact on the African American history of the area. It looks at the main figures with some artifacts (particularly interesting if you're into newspapers and their history) as well as a look at the development of the schoolhouse and segregated education. There are exhibits on the upper floor as well however at present, it's centred around a school project that local classes took part in and the resulting artwork. The art itself is great and very interesting with chairs set up for discussions, however I think the exhibit could possibly be developed a little more to link back to the main displays and really bring the experience full circle.

This was one of my favorite places to visit in Boston. We listened to a presentation and toured. I love learning about African American History. The presenter was very informative.

The museum is small, but the tour by the guide was excellent. It was one of my favorite things I did on my short trip to Boston. (May want to call to time your visit with a guide-led tour.) Don't miss it.

Took the tour on a beautiful Sunday in July and highly recommend! The museum has two historic buildings dedicated to the history of African Americans in Boston, particularly from pre-Revolution to the Abolition. The Abiel-Smith School served as a schoolhouse for black children and is now a gift shop and ticket area with an exhibit located upstairs. Currently, the exhibit is about black voices in the Revolutionary War and has a wealth of information about their contributions to America's independence in the face of horrific prejudices. A section also features information on notable black females during this time who contributed to America, Boston, and the community, especially in the fight for their freedom and others. The exhibit is equipped with technology for a more informative experience on a variety of topics. Outside of the exhibit space, your museum admission includes a guided tour of the nearby African Meeting House that serves as the oldest surviving black church in the nation. Besides being a house of worship, the building served as a place for political activism with notable meetings and events featuring speeches and visitations by Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison on slavery and abolition. Maria Stewart also made frequent speeches here as the first African American woman to speak on issues regarding the struggles and prejudices of black people from the female perspective. You will also find an AI simulation of Frederick Douglass with accurate information for pre-entered questions and your own. What I liked best about this museum is that it gives excellent information on black stories in Boston and their contributions to America. The staff is friendly, welcoming, and knowledgeable. I would recommend purchasing tickets in advance. Parking is located nearby in paid spots, lots, and garages, but is easily accessible by public transportation. The buildings are equipped with elevators and are handicap accessible.

The museum and meeting house next door may not be the largest museum you've been to, but you will leave with a better understanding of the African-American history of Boston. The tour guide, Tobias, enthusiastically shared with us the history of the meeting house and the role it played in the history of African Americans in Boston. While this was an unplanned stop, it was definitely one of the more memorable sites of Boston.

This would have been really nice to see had it not been closed when it says it should be open. You need to hire additional staff.

So I'm going to write this review for the meeting house as well as the museum, because they are really the same thing. There also seems to be a little confusion on whether this site includes the state historic site run by the National park service (which I couldn't find because it listed this address on Joy street). This is not fancy. It's not flashy. A lot of it isn't original. But it's important history that matters, and the site manager, Tobias, is passionate and knowledgeable, and really bumped this experience up to five stars. The museum asks we don't photograph things (but you are allowed photos in the meeting house). There was some art and photography by black artists. A war uniform. Some original documents such as bills of sale for the enslaved and letters from Frederick Douglass. They have rotating exhibits, and this time around it was jazz. You get half an hour to peruse the small museum. Then you meet back up with Tobias, who spends a lot of time telling you about how black people sued for the freedom and won, how they built a vibrant black community on Beacon Hill, the Abiel Smith School, and the fight for desegregation. He's a great speaker and very passionate, but also down to earth. In the meeting house itself, much of it is rebuilt, but there are two original pews and the floorboards are from the 1700s and original to the house (the boards were bought before the house was built). I think my ticket was 10 dollars. They have three daily sessions and do have limits on numbers of tickets sold. Edit: I think what's listed as "Boston African American National Historic Site" is just a collective term used for 15 structures important to black history in Boston, including the meeting house. There is a tour the rangers run in warmer months and a year round audio tour year round.

This small museum is part of Boston's Black Heritage Trail, which I encourage you to explore along with the more frequented Freedom Trail. The museum is two separate buildings - the Abiel Smith School and the African Meeting House. While the Abiel Smith School building has interesting history, it is small and just houses a small exhibit (when I visited it was an interesting exhibit on Frederick Douglass and photography). It's where you get your ticket and it has a small gift shop. (As a little historical aside, the building was the first in the nation built for the sole purpose of serving as a public school for black children.) But you're really here for the African Meeting House. It's beautiful and amazingly historic (built in 1806 in the heart of what was then Boston's free black community, it hosted famous abolitionists from William Lloyd Garrison and Frederick Douglass). For the cost of your entrance to the museum, you get a short tour of and talk about the African Meeting House. This is why you're here. It's worth it.

This a small museum housed in two historic buildings. Admission is for a one hour tour which gives you half an hour to explore some artifacts and small exhibits in the Abiel Smith School followed by a talk by a very knowledgeable guide named Tobias who has been working there for over a decade. He's a great guide. Next you watch a short video in the African Meeting house; the video seems a bit dated, of course history doesn't change, but the video could use an upgrade. Last, Tobias walks you through the African Meeting House and provides more gems of information. This is well worth the $10 admission for its rich history.

This a two part review as the museum is 2 separate buildings. The first is the actual museum. There isn't much there except some photos and stories and honestly took about 10 minutes to see it all. I give this part a 1 star rating as it just wasn't impressive. The second part is the Meeting House right next to the museum. The Meeting House didn't have much in it to see but I give it 5 stars all day long. The tour guide for the Meeting House was just amazing. I forget his name but he is an intern for the historical society. His passion for the history there kept me fully engaged. To hear how the building was used by Frederick Douglas, Harriet Tubman and others was really amazing. This was a very powerful place and I am glad I got to see it.

Really didn't know what to expect going to visit this museum but I am so glad that I did. There is so much history here that I wasn't aware of and the huge role this place played in the fight to end slavery. The history here is so rich and I left wanting to know more about the people who built this community and called it home. The most amazing and chilling things that I was able to observe in the museum was the photos of the African American soldiers and seeing that the photos a real photographs. As well as the hand written letters along with the letter of purchase of a slave. It really brought to life what I've learned and heard and read about slavery. Going to the meeting house was another breath taking experience. Standing in the meeting house where Frederick Douglas stood and sitting in the pew where he sat was a humbling and powerful experience. Do yourself a favor and visit this museum. You have no reason not to because it's free. There is a parking lot where the Whole Foods is which is a sort three minute walk to the museum.

This museum is tiny- and worth it. I saw the Frederick Douglass exhibit- and loved it, learned a lot, and was moved. We learned so little about him in school it is a shame that as an adult I only know now... His visionary leadership and voice. I was in Boston for a conference- and went to Chinatown (meh, esp if compared to SF or Chicago), Little Italy (lovely), MFA (wonderful), walked many miles. This museum was a compelling, enriching highlight.

Very disappointing! I came here on a trip with teens from work and it literally took about 20 minutes to walk through a few floors and even sit to watch a video for a few minutes. This building is where African Americans got together for school, since they were segregated. The first floor sold items, the second floor discussed baseball history, and the building next over is where the church was. Basically, all things together didn't really make too much sense. For a field trip for younger kids its not a bad idea, but for someone who's looking for explanations this isn't a great place to go to! 2.5 stars

My rating includes the African American Heritage Trail - fantastic! The tour is lead by a local Ranger guide. You meet the tour at the Robert Gould 54th troop memorial - tells the other side of the Freedom Trail story. The museum was a great follow up after the tour. Small. Donation was $5.

Stopped by the MAAH on a recent trip to New England and very glad we did. We really enjoyed the Frederick Douglass Exhibit and found the history of his evolving posture in photos from pre-emancipation to post-emancipation especially interesting and compelling. The tour of the African Meeting House was also enlightening and I was impressed by the restoration of the building. I felt privileged to stand within this important site of African American history in the Boston area. Make sure to browse the offerings at the museum store. I found a few neat souvenirs for reasonable prices. Only wish I had more time to browse through the books and other educational materials.

Thanks to the security gaurd who is in the lobby level who is very friendly ! It was a rainy day , so we didn't do the tour but the museum , even though small, is still very interesting ! I will most def come back and do the tour on a sunny ( or not so rainy ) day

Located is historic beacon hill. Saw this during my search and I just had to visit. Currently there star exhibit is the Frederick Douglas showcase. The museum did a wonderful job of exploring his life and the mystery behind him. The museum is small with being 2 floors. There is a lot of history there. We also received a tour next door of the African Meeting house . It's a very beautiful a educational visit. The schools in Boston should include a visit to this museum Into their curriculum. Black History is necessary History !

Interesting but small museum, not many items to look at but I'm not surprised as many african-american items were not preserved. The girl at the gift shop was rude but the security guard/ranger was AMAZING. So friendly.

i had such a great experience here. african american history is such a huge component of the history of boston, and beacon hill in particular. it was a formative neighborhood in much of the mobilization of the continuous african american movement, often disregarded from our general rhetoric of american history. the museum itself is actually quite small, and consists largely of photos and biographies of prominent african american politicians, abolitionists, artists, and authors. this was a nice, and could be reviewed very quickly if you choose. the building used to be the first exclusively african american public elementary school. they also show you a short film that covers some highlights of its history. however, the man working there convinced me to take the free Black Heritage Trail tour, which i did. turns out, i was the only person that day to take the tour so it was just me and the tour guide on a detailed walking tour around beacon hill and prominent buildings. she was a great tour guide and taught me so much. it was so amazing to see the buildings she was referring to right in front of me as she told me some of the amazing stories that took place right there. for example, we saw the home where more than half of the fugitive slaves stayed on the underground railroad, and the home of charles sumner a former senator and prominent abolitionist. i was completely engaged for the whole tour which was probably about 2 hours total, and i learned so much interesting history that you seriously cannot get from a text book. the tour ends at the museum of african american history, so if you plan to take the tour (do it!), meet across the street from the state house (mine was at 2pm) and prepare to walk for about two hours. i highly recommend this to everyone because this is important history that we should be thinking about more often, as so much of it is still relevant today.

The five stars are for the African Meeting House (see separate review). The Museum of African American History is a small venue with changing exhibits. An exhibit of Frederick Douglass photos was featured when we came through and it was worth visiting, but the heart of the museum is the African Meeting House sanctuary. Restored to period state, the sanctuary hosted abolitionists Frederick Douglass, William Lloyd Garrison, and others. Museum guide Tobias Major did an excellent job of bringing to life these brave and tenacious advocates for emancipation and equal rights for African Americans. Sitting in this room was a moving experience for me and my wife. Highly recommended.

This is a little jewel! Everyone knows about the Freedom Trail, but there's also a Black Heritage Trail. This museum details African-American history in Boston. The building is the African Meeting House, the the oldest black church in America and site of famous anti-slavery speeches. It's 3 stories, the first floor contains a gift shop and bathrooms. The second and third floors have exhibits and a video. It was a great refresher about the anti-slavery movement. Admission is free and they ask for donations.

It's actually made up of 2 buildings, the museum itself ( where you buy the entrance tix) which was the 1st ever all black school as well as the other building which was actually the 1st ever black chapel in the USofA called the AfricanMeetingHouse!! You can only go into the 2nd building on a guided tour which is worth the wait so maybe a quick phone call will suffice to find out the times of that tour so that you can plan accordingly. When I was there, I was invited to join a whole group of school kids who were about to start the AfricanMeetingHouse tour and it was quite an experience listening to the tour guide's talk whilst sitting in the chapel seats that many a hallowed activist has spoken at with these kids who come from the poorest area in GreaterBoston and therefore(!) was OF COURSE 99.5% black!! It was very important for me to see that THEY were there in the space where their ancestors literally fought for the abolition of slavery. And yepp - learnt there that the 1st ever Colony to legalize slavery was Boston in 1683 and the 1st ever city in USofA to end slavery was Boston-and OF COURSE this person who ended this was a black slave WOMAN! The museum is currently having a very illuminating exhibition on the slaves who were brought from Africa by Arabs which they then brought with them when they conquered India as Mughal rulers and how these African slaves were respected, given high-level responsibilities and assimilated in Indian majority Hindu culture. Fantastic photos, paintings,documents and trinkets showing Africans in Royal courts. And yep - the founders of this museum travelled and gave speeches extensively in India and Gandhi granted them a 3 hr meeting as they were fans of each other and it was after that trip ( maybe much later even) that they decided to found this museum. Also - the gift shop was great - bought the 1st ever book published by a black person - and of course it was a woman! yay! A must visit.

Very friendly staff. Great gift shop. Cannot wait to return this summer and take the walking tour.

The entire museum is an exhibit of African American writers and journalists with ties to Boston, a documentary film and a tour of the meeting house. There is so much more the museum could show. I hope it expands to go deeper into the lives of key people and/or key events.

I'll admit I tend to dislike small museums, but that's because I find them to be abridged, ineffective, and unpleasant. I think the Museum of African American History plays a very important role and tells a very important story - I strongly encourage EVERYONE to go, especially visitors in Boston for the history. But I think the museum fails to live up to its name - it is at most the Museum of the African Meeting House and the Abiel Smith School. There is so much more that could be told and explored - the guide to the exhibit you get at the entrance mentions Maria Stewart speaking at the African Meeting House, but I didn't see anything within the museum following up on that story. Even the things discussed in the exhibits are only touched on briefly - are there no artifacts or evidence that could help tell us about the experience of soldiers in the Massachusetts 54th regiment, beyond the fact that recruiting meetings were held in the Meeting House? I want so much for the Museum to be great, but my visit left me asking, "Tell me more!" Which of course is desirable, but let's be honest, how many people actually go out and research the answers to the questions they form at a museum? Sure the bookstore has a lot of great books for those who are inspired to do their own deeper research, and I'm sure those who are absolutely clueless would come away having learned something, but I think the museum doesn't live up to its potential or its imperative.

Today we visted the Museum of African American History. There were some good information and some less informative information that was not very helpful. but that might have been because we only spent about 20 minutes in the museum. All the exibits were mostly about the same person just in different forms. I wished there were more facts to tell how life was for african american during the segregation period. I was expecting more from this museum :(

Excellent content, important history and knowledgeable tour guide. Nicely maintained but not very innovative.

This is a small museum that features two buildings: the African Meeting House and the Abiel Smith School (the first public school for African Americans in Boston). The changing two-floor exhibit in the Abiel Smith School covered Africans in India and unfortunately consisted mostly of words to read rather than artifacts. An interesting and informative 20 minute video presentation about the history of the two buildings was also showing, but some of this information was repeated in the 20 minute guided tour that occurs every hour on the hour. I would recommend going on the guided tour though because it gives you a chance to visit the African Meeting House where Fredrick Douglass delivered public addresses for the abolitionist cause. All in all, this is a neat, albeit tiny, piece of history to explore if you're in a time crunch (definitely can be done under an hour). Admission is $5 for adults and discounted for children and seniors.