The International African American Museum (IAAM) announced that it would be opening its doors in June 2023.
The original opening date was Jan. 21.
According to the announcement, the museum will host community events, ultimately leading to the museum’s opening ceremony on June 24.
“We’re excited to open IAAM’s doors and showcase the incredible breadth of African American history,” Dr. Tonya Matthews, president and CEO of the IAAM, said. “IAAM strives not only to provide a space for all visitors to celebrate and connect to this history, to these stories, and to this art, but also to find meaning within their own stories. The African American journey is far longer than the 20 years it took to build this museum and we are humbly proud to step up and play our part in this story. It is time.”
In December 2022, the museum announced that it had to postpone the opening set for Jan. 2023 due to humidity and temperature control issues.
The IAAM will feature over 700 relics from the 17th century to now. Attendees can expect approximately 1,000 images and media pieces displaying African American culture and communities.
“As this magnificent new museum demonstrates, Charleston isn’t just a city where history happened —it’s a city where history is still being made every day,” Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg said. “I couldn’t be prouder of this extraordinary achievement, and of all the people who’ve worked so hard over the past two decades to make it a reality.”
The IAAm sits where Gadsden’s Wharf (an old slave trading post) used to be. The museum aims to tell untold stories surrounding African American history and culture. Museum-goers can expect an insightful journey through rich African and African American history, weaving through the African Diaspora.
While the opening ceremony happens on June 24, the museum will officially open to the public on June 27. The opening ceremony is only for those invited.
April 8-21, only charter members can purchase tickets; April 22-29, IAAM members will have the chance to buy tickets; and non-members can purchase timed reservations at 9 a.m. on April 30.
