Observer: The Ultimate Charleston Travel Guide
In an article on where to stay and what to do in Charleston, the Observer recommends a trip to the International African American Museum:
It’s been a long time coming—over 20 years in the making—but the International African American Museum (IAAM) is finally ready to make waves. Opening on June 27, 2023, just after Juneteenth celebrations, the IAAM sits right on Charleston’s waterfront, on the very ground where Gadsden’s Wharf once stood. This was no ordinary trading port; hundreds of thousands of enslaved Africans first set foot on American soil right there. The brainchild of architect Henry Cobb, the museum is perched on 18 pillars, making sure it never touches the ground beneath, a sign of reverence for the enslaved Africans who once walked there. Below the building is a tidal pool and an “African Ancestors Memorial Garden” with indigenous plants sourced from West Africa, the Caribbean and South Carolina’s Lowcountry. Housed inside the 100,000-square-foot space are nine unique exhibits that encapsulate the extensive African American narrative, from ancient African civilizations through today.
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