Reginald F. Lewis Museum — Attraction in Baltimore

My companion and I went to the museum during the Christmas week, 2015, on a day when lots was happening.

First, though, the Reginald Lewis is easy to get to, parking is readily available, admission is inexpensive, and it's in a thriving part of Baltimore's downtown.

The museum is beautifully designed and constructed, and superbly maintained, with open galleries supported by smaller corridors, fitting the museum's mission of being a place to explore and celebrate African-American history, and then aspects of its culture, including labor history, entertainment, and the arts. The historical and other displays are attractive, striking when first viewed, then absorbing in their supplementary detail. The museum is visually inviting, in other words, while providing meaningful materials that draw people into additional thoughtful meditation.

A lot of African-American history, of course, involves the country's horrific treatment of African-Americans, and the museum doesn't "make nice" with that tragic story. However, the museum also interweaves black labor history and cultural, and artistic development to portray African American resilience and tenacity into the Twentieth Century and the present. Also involved in this supporting material is a focus on the importance of community, not just in Maryland. All in all, this is a fine place to get yourself re-educated, or educated for the first time, about a lot of things you might have skimmed over in high school or college. You can easily spend an hour or two, here, doing that.

On the day we were at the museum there was a lot going on, a Kwaanza celebration and an arts and crafts show, and the staff and participants/ volunteers were having a good time. Museum staff, by the way, are friendly, knowledgeable and enthusiastic about what they do.

In one of the galleries was an exhibition of work by Ruth Starr Rose, an artist whose reputation is growing nationally. Regular exhibitions like this are another asset of this place, I gather.

Visiting from Madison, Wisconsin, this was our second trip to Baltimore, but the first one when we devoted time to checking out the city's offerings. The Reginald Lewis Museum is an outstanding attraction, one we'll be back to.

Richard Swanson (and...

Explore Baltimore - Titan | Reginald F Lewis Museum 830 E Pratt St Baltimore, MD 21202

Located two blocks from Inner Harbor in Downtown Baltimore, the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture – a Smithsonian Affiliate – documents, interprets, and preserves the complex experiences, contributions, and culture of Black people. The Lewis Museum serves as a catalyst of sustained change by providing robust programs and exhibitions and bold conversations that educate and challenge. We strive to be a trusted custodian, a respected authority, and a thought-partner on the history, art and culture of the African diaspora with an emphasis on the State of Maryland.

Founded in 2005, the 82,000-square-foot facility accommodates over 13,000 square feet of permanent and temporary exhibition space, hosting more than 11,000 objects in our permanent collection, special exhibitions, educational programs, and public events.

Mission: The Reginald F. Lewis Museum documents, interprets and preserves the complex experiences, contributions and culture of Black people in Maryland. We serve as a catalyst for sustained change by providing programs, exhibitions and bold conversations that educate and challenge.

Vision: To be a trusted custodian, a respected authority, and a thought-partner on the history, art and culture of the African diaspora with an emphasis on the State...

This is a lovely museum. Amazing location (close to public transit- shot tower stop for metro and Locallink Navy bus stops) with so much thorough information about the role of black people in Maryland (3rd floor permanent exhibit). I came during on of their free events on the weekend and I was definitely impressed. I saw their Afrofuturism exhibit and the Imaginarium exhibit on the ground floor. I love the uniqueness of the Imaginarium exhibit, it was great if you want to express your opinions or if your a family or even a single person. My only downside is that the Afrofuturism exhibit was very disappointing. Did it have beautiful black art, yes, Afrofuturist? No. It didn’t fit the definition of Afrofuturism at all. It wasn’t experimental, or dealing with science technology black people and the future. Not at all what I would imagine for afrofuturism. Maybe the budget was limited. I would love to see if the building could be physically expanded to include more things, I think there is so much potential but some of the spaces seem small which can be limiting. Overall there is so much rich history of black Americans they explore and they do it so well. They have a theater and a slew of events throughout the year (jazz nights are coming back!) so I would recommend joining the mailing list and planning your...