We had the pleasure of spending a beautiful day in Charleston, South Carolina over the summer. Our adventure began with a visit to the South Carolina Aquarium , we marveled at the diverse marine life, fun exhibits and even fed sting rays.
We picked up food at Rodney Scott’s Whole Pig BBQ a renowned restaurant that has gained fame through its feature on Netflix. Our day concluded with a visit to the International African American Museum, where we immersed ourselves in the profound history and cultural contributions of African Americans.
For this blog post, I want to highlight my favorite part of this day trip, the International African American Museum visit and my family agreed. The museum opened June 27, 2023 and is at Gadsden’s Wharf.
During the African slave trade, South Carolina receive more enslaved people than any other mainland colony. As many as 260,000 enslaved Africans entered South Carolina from 1670 to 1808. Most of those enslaved people disembarked at Gadsden’s Wharf.https://www.preservationsociety.org/locations/gadsdens-wharf/
We arrived at the museum and walked through a garden. The garden begins with dunes, representing the shores where enslaved Africans first arrived in the United States. We then proceeded around the building and entered from the back. There is an admission fee to enter the museum, but it is well worth it.
The museum has a modern feel and a beautifully aesthetic design. There were various exhibits highlighting our rich history and culture. My favorite exhibit was the miniature 3-D representation of what plantation life would have been like. It makes the experience more “realistic” for children who might have difficulty visualizing it.
A very touching part of the museum is the private bereavement rooms. Enslavement was brutal, and it can evoke a lot of emotions, so I appreciated the care taken to accommodate that.
We saw the genealogy room but didn’t try any of its services because we ran out of time. Overall, my kids really enjoyed the visit. I thought they might get bored, but they were fully engaged and wanted to sit and watch as many videos as possible.
The International African American Museum is a beautiful museum and a true gem in Charleston, SC.
I hope you get a chance to visit. Let me know if you do!
Thank you for reading!
Enjoy!
-Maya
