Visitors can now enter the museum during the week without getting advance passes.

If you have been waiting for a chance to get inside the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Smithsonian has just made it a little easier. Guests can now visit during the week without getting reserved timed passes. The no-passes entry on weekdays will be valid through February of 2020. Weekend visitors and large groups will still need to reserve timed-entry passes.

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture opened in 2016 and will celebrate its third anniversary on September 24, 2019. Because it opened to record crowds, this is the first time visitors are able to enter the museum without securing passes ahead of time. Entrance is first-come, first-served and begins at 10 a.m. each weekday. The museum is expected to resume timed passes when the busy summer tourist season begins in the spring. To visit on Saturday or Sunday, please visit the museum website to reserve your passes. Same-day passes can be reserved online beginning at 6:30 a.m. EST.

Inside the National Museum of African American History and Culture, image courtesy of Alan Karchmer

The museum is the first national museum devoted to African American culture and history. Artifacts in the museum include Rosa Park’s dress, the casket of Emmet Till, and an intact slave cabin. The 40,000-square-foot building hosts exhibits beginning with slavery and freedom in 1400, segregation from 1876 to 1968, and America from 1968 and beyond.

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture is located at 1400 Constitution Ave. NW, along the National Mall. Parking is limited, so the best way to get to the museum is to take the Metro Blue Line to the Smithsonian station.

Have you visited the National Museum of African American History and Culture? What is your favorite, must-see exhibit? Tell us in the comments!