Explore the storied roots and evolution of African American Music!

We visited this much-anticipated museum the day it opened in February of 2021!  The museum truly lives up to its hype!  It’s an honest, in-depth look at the history and evolution of African American music. 

You’ll begin the visit in a 200-seat theater where you’ll get an overview of the museum.

After getting a general sense of what to expect, your group will then head to the large and immersive “Rivers of Rhythm” room and then five smaller galleries — Wade in the Water, Crossroads, A Love Supreme, One Nation Under a Groove and The Message.

There are several interactive components – our favorite was the dancing section, where you can dance your heart out (two at a time) in a room and see yourself on screen. Another fun interactive element was the rapping booth where you are invited to duel with a friend.

The museum is best for tweens, teens, and adults – we didn’t see any young child-specific areas and the majority of the available exhibits were heavy in content and too much to take in for little ones.

Many of the exhibits are best experienced with the headphones available on-site!

You’ll probably want to stay around 60-90 minutes but you are welcome to stay as long as you like.  Tours begin every 30 minutes from 9 AM - 4 PM.

Important notes:

• Tickets are non-refundable.
• Food and non-alcoholic drinks can be brought into the museum, but no food or drink is permitted in the galleries.
• Strollers are allowed in the galleries but cannot be left unattended.
• Hourly parking is available at the museum as well as valet parking. Additional options downtown are available on this link: https://www.parkitdowntown.com/maps/interactive-map