Washington, D.C. is celebrating a beautiful homecoming: the African American Civil War Memorial Museum has reopened its doors to the public after a four-year closure, now settled into the historic Grimké School at 1925 Vermont Avenue NW.
The 16,000-square-foot museum honors the United States Colored Troops — nearly 209,000 Black soldiers whose courage and sacrifice helped preserve the nation during the Civil War. Visitors can explore powerful exhibits telling the story of these heroes and of African American history up to the present day.
The new space sits directly across the street from the African American Civil War Memorial, whose curved walls list the names of all who served in the United States Colored Troops. At the museum’s entrance, a six-foot statue of a seated Abraham Lincoln signing the Emancipation Proclamation welcomes visitors.
Best of all, admission is free. The museum is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. A big Veterans Day celebration is planned for November 11, when volunteers will join in a moving public reading of the names of all USCT members.
Photo: ajay_suresh, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
