National Museum of African American History and Culture

The newest Smithsonian museum on the National Mall, opened in 2016, traces the African American experience from the transatlantic slave trade to the present. Its distinctive bronze-colored corona, inspired by a Yoruba crown, wraps a building whose lower history galleries descend below ground before rising into floors on community and culture. Exhibits range from a slave cabin and a segregation-era railway car to sports, music, and civil rights collections. Timed-entry passes are typically required because of sustained demand.