Charles Sumner School — Attraction in Washington

Charles Sumner School Museum is an off the beaten path museum in Washington, D.C. that attracts the curious local. The building itself is in downtown D.C. close to the National Geographic HQ. The building is in a former 1872 elementary school for African-American students when segregation was still a sad reality. The city is lucky to have the gorgeous building preserved.

The museum is open Monday through Friday and closes at 5pm. A few websites online mention calling ahead, but I just walked in. The security guard will take your I.D. and point you to the areas you can view.

The museum starts out on the ground floor (entrance on 17th Street NW) with two rooms setting up the premise- a museum of the D.C. public school system. When I went in December 2019, the ground floor also hosted an art exhibit called "Noire Portraits," depicting African-American women with the word they felt like defines them most.

Once you visit the two rooms here, take the elevator to the next three floors. Each of these floors houses 3-4 small rooms of exhibits honoring the founders and heroes of the D.C. public school system. Artifacts are scattered throughout the floors. The top floor has a giant room that looks like it was once an auditorium.

If you love local architecture, it's worth a visit to see the building and learn more about an important part of our...

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What I love about it is how the school highlights local history and culture that has shaped the city and the world. I look forward to attending more programs...

Came here for a lecture put on by the Washington Arts Lawyers Association. The building staff were very friendly and helpful when I asked where to find the room the lecture was held in, since it was my first time at...