Poplar Hill on His Lordship’s Kindness (Also called Poplar Hill Historic House Museum) |7606 Woodyard Road, Clinton, MD 20735 | 301-856-0358 | Tours of 12 or more by appointment only | Admission Fee | Online Brochure | On the list of African American Heritage Sites in Prince George’s County.
Thank you for reading Maryland Travel Stories!
It’s funny how a small project for my blog has grown into a real journey. It started with the idea to visit every African-American Museum in the state of Maryland (MD). I spent time on Google and a few travel sites and collected a list of 14 museums and 1 point of interest. It’s a small list but I was only searching for museums.
My first visit from the list was the Prince George’s African American Museum and Cultural Center in North Brentwood, MD. I found a brochure on the information table at the center, “Maryland’s African-American Travel Guide” and thought … why not. I’ll expand my list to include all the places in the brochure.
I visited Abraham Hall in Beltsville MD and learned about the Black History Program that operates there. The staff introduced me to two other heritage sites in the county they help manage (Ridgeley Rosenwald School and Dorsey Chapel).
My visit to the Ridgeley Rosenwald School in Capitol Heights, MD has expanded my list even more. I found another brochure, “African American Heritage Sites in Prince George’s County“. There are 17 sites and I’m adding 2 points of interest for the county.
Here’s the list:
Thank you for reading Maryland Travel Stories!
Drive along Rhode Island Avenue in North Brentwood, MD and you will come across an island of African-American history & culture in the middle of two small industrial shopping centers. This museum & culture center stands as a testimonial to the town that was the first African-American settlement in Prince George’s County.
The full name of the center is Prince George’s African American Museum & Cultural Center at North Brentwood, Inc but it’s listed on social media as PGAAMCC. The 10,000 square foot center has a permanent exhibition room and rotating exhibitions around the space and along hallways. Quotes from art students are positioned throughout. A very friendly staff is available to answer questions and give you information.
The center is a community meeting space and has several programs covering all ages. An upcoming program is the New Year First Friday on January 6, 2017, from 6 pm to 9 pm. Enjoy live music, food trucks and complimentary cocktails. It’s an opportunity to learn, network and enjoy performances. Check the website for other events or workshops.
I said the center is in the middle of two industrial shopping centers. Not to worry if food is on your mind when you’re ready to go. Make a right turn out of the parking lot. A short drive down the road and you’re in downtown Hyattsville, MD. There are many places to stop for a bite to eat. I found this map of downtown Hyattsville when I stopped at Shortcake Bakery. It’s just a few blocks from the center.
I visited PGAAMCC because it is one of 14 African-American museums in the state of Maryland. See my post for a list.
Prince George’s African American Museum & Cultural Center at North Brentwood, Inc., 4519 Rhode Island Avenue, North Brentwood, MD (Prince George’s County) | 301-809-0440 | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | LinkedIn | Yelp | Foursquare | free admission | free parking | There is a fee for a private tour by staff | Call or visit the website for hours, event schedule, workshops and volunteer opportunities.
Thank you for reading Maryland Travel Stories!
Yesterday, I shared a post from CBS DC. The article is a discussion on African-American Museums in Maryland you can visit while you wait for the crowds to shorten at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History & Culture. The article said there are over a dozen African-American museums in the state. The article doesn’t list all the museums. I was curious so I did some research. Here’s a list of the locations I found:
1 – Prince George’s African American Museum and Cultural Center, North Brentwood, MD (Prince George’s County)
2 – Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture, Baltimore, MD (Baltimore City)
3 – Oakley Cabin African American Museum and Park, Olney, MD (Montgomery County)
4 – Howard County Center of African American Culture, Columbia, MD (Howard County)
5 – National Great Blacks in Wax Museum, Baltimore, MD (Baltimore City)
6 – African American Heritage House, La Plata, MD (Charles County)
7 – Banneker-Douglass Museum, Annapolis, MD (Anne Arundel County)
8 – African Art Museum of Maryland, Fulton, MD (Howard County)
9 – Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational Center, Cambridge, MD (Dorchester County)
10 – Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center, Cambridge, MD (Caroline and Dorchester Counties)
11 – Doleman Black Heritage Museum, Hagerstown, MD (Washington County)
12 – The Button Farm Living History Center, Germantown, MD (Montgomery County)
13 – Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park, Baltimore, MD (Baltimore City)
14 – Josiah Henson Park, North Bethesda, MD (Montgomery County)
15 – Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture
My travel bucket list just keeps growing. Thank you for reading Maryland Travel Stories!
CBS DC did a nice post on African-American Museums in Maryland. This is to put a spotlight on alternative museums you can visit while you wait for the crowds to shorten at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History & Culture. From the post:
“A large spotlight has been shining on the Smithsonian’s new, crowded and compelling national African American museum in Washington, but that doesn’t dim Maryland’s own repositories for black history.
Maryland has over a dozen African-American museums of its own, from the National Great Blacks in Wax museum in Baltimore, to the Harriet Tubman museum in Cambridge, to the Doleman Black Heritage museum in Hagerstown.”
Check out the post – Nearer and Dearer: Maryland’s Own African-American Museums
Thank you for reading Maryland Travel Stories!
Maryland Travel Stories 