Alexandria Black History Museum

The mission of the Black History Museum is to enrich the lives of Alexandria's residents and visitors, to foster tolerance and understanding among all cultures and to stimulate appreciation of the diversity of the African American experience. The museum has grown dramatically since 1989. In 1995, two additional sites were added to the Museum. The Alexandria African American Heritage Park, a nine-acre park that preserves the site of a 19th-century African-American cemetery, opened in June 1995. The Park is located several blocks away from the Museum. In October of 1995, the Watson Reading Room opened next door to the Museum. This non-circulating reading room houses the museum’s collection of books, videos, documents, and periodicals on African-American life and culture. The museum follows its mission of preserving the history of Alexandria’s African-American citizens, as well as providing a forum for issues of concern to all African Americans. The Museum has become a source of pride to Alexandria’s African-American citizens. With two exhibition galleries on the first floor of the museum, and artifact storage and offices below, the Alexandria Black History Museum continues to expand educational opportunities for residents, scholars and tourists.