10 must-see objects at the African American History Museum
Quick answer
NMAAHC's must-see objects are Harriet Tubman's shawl and hymnal, Emmett Till's casket, the segregated railway car, the Greensboro lunch counter, the Edisto Island slave cabin, Chuck Berry's Cadillac, Parliament-Funkadelic's Mothership and Muhammad Ali's gear. Start in the underground history galleries and work your way up.
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The key objects
- 1
Level C3
Remains of the slave ship São José
Fragments of a Portuguese ship wrecked off South Africa in 1794 with enslaved people aboard.
- 2
Level C3
Thomas Jefferson statue and the wall of names
The author of the Declaration of Independence facing the names of more than 600 people he enslaved.
- 3
Level C3
Harriet Tubman's shawl and hymnal
Personal objects of the woman who guided dozens of people to freedom on the Underground Railroad.
- 4
Level C3
Edisto Island slave cabin
A real dwelling from a South Carolina plantation, rebuilt inside the museum.
- 5
Level C2
Segregated railway car
A Southern Railway car with compartments divided by race.
- 6
Level C2
Emmett Till's casket
The original casket of the teenager murdered in Mississippi in 1955, in a memorial space.
- 7
Level C1
Greensboro Woolworth lunch counter
Scene of the 1960 sit-ins that spread nonviolent protest across the South.
- 8
Level 4
Chuck Berry's Cadillac Eldorado
The red car of rock and roll's pioneer.
- 9
Level 4
Parliament-Funkadelic's Mothership
George Clinton's stage spaceship from the funk era.
- 10
Level 3
Muhammad Ali and the sports gallery
Gloves, robe and the story of the boxer who turned the ring into a political platform.
How to see them
Seven of the ten are in the History Galleries; go from the bottom up and leave levels 3 and 4 for last. For art lovers, the level 4 visual art gallery features Jacob Lawrence, Romare Bearden and Elizabeth Catlett — scan them with AnyArt to hear their story.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Emmett Till's casket?
On level C2 of the History Galleries, in a memorial space where photos aren't allowed.
What is the Mothership?
The spaceship Parliament-Funkadelic used on stage in the 1970s; it's on level 4.
Is there art in the museum?
Yes, the visual art gallery on level 4 shows major African American artists.
What's the busiest exhibit?
The Emmett Till memorial and the History Galleries usually draw the biggest crowds and internal lines.