Where: The museum is at 1400 Constitution Ave., between 14th and 15th streets NW. The Smithsonian will host a three-day, two-night Freedom Sounds Festival nearby to celebrate the opening. The festival will begin Friday and continue through Sunday on the Washington Monument grounds between 15th and 17th streets NW.
Hours: The museum will open at approximately 1 p.m. Saturday and stay open until 8 p.m., and be open 7 a.m. to midnight Sunday.
Tickets: Entry is only with a timed ticket, and the museum has given away all of them for the opening weekend. It will not make passes available to walk-up guests on those days. There are no timed passes for the rest of the month and all of next month. Tickets remain for November and December, although weekend tickets are gone. The museum, however, will be making limited day-of passes available after opening weekend. Museum officials haven't announced how long timed passes will be required for entry. Reserve them at nmaahc.si.edu/visit/passes.
Getting there: Metro will be running during the opening weekend, with the nearest station at Federal Triangle (Blue, Silver and Orange lines), followed by the Smithsonian stop (along the same three). The Orange Line will experience major disruptions in Northern Virginia this weekend because of repair work.
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If you’re planning on taking a car-sharing service such as Uber or Lyft, be aware that there will be extensive road closings near the museum and that you may experience traffic jams or have to walk farther than you might have expected to reach the festival or museum grounds.
The road closings, particularly on 14th Street NW and Constitution Avenue, will shutter major arteries into the city. If you must drive, consider parking in one of the many garages near Verizon Center or in neighborhoods away from the museum, such as Capitol Hill or McPherson Square, and taking Metro the remainder of the way to the Mall.
Bicycles won’t be allowed in the security perimeter around the museum or festival, and organizers won’t be bringing in additional racks for those who wish to lock up their bikes outside the gates.
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Dedication ceremony: If you're staying home, C-SPAN will offer live coverage of the morning events on the Mall, including speeches by President Obama and museum director Lonnie G. Bunch III. If you want to see it in person, five jumbo screens will broadcast the proceedings on the festival grounds Saturday morning, with entrances on 17th Street at Constitution Avenue NW and Independence Avenue SW and near the Sylvan Theater, at Independence Avenue near 15th Street. Music will begin at 9 a.m., with speakers kicking things off about 10.
See images from the African American museum press preview
The National Museum of African American History and Culture opens its doors to the media
Food: You can bring food to the Mall, but think along the lines of sandwiches, chips and granola bars to avoid having any items confiscated at security. Three concessionaires will be serving food: KBQBBQ will offer barbecue and soul food; RockSalt, a local food truck, will serve Gulf Coast-style po'boy sandwiches; and the catering company Collabo will offer Kenyan curry and Caribbean fare. But food trucks typically parked along 14th Street will not be allowed onto the closed streets.
Weather: Mild rain won't cause organizers to cancel the festival. It could close if a heavy rainstorm with severe wind and lightning strikes. A storm, however, will not affect the museum or its hours.
Organizers advise those planning to attend to sign up for its text alert system, which will dispatch updates Saturday about weather, traffic and any last-minute changes. To sign up (and later, opt out), text MUSEUM to 888777.
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