AARP Eye Center
Black History Month is the perfect time to learn about and become inspired by the Black experience in the United States. There are plenty of options, from the Civil Rights Trail, with hundreds of destinations across 15 states and the District of Columbia, to the newest museum openings. Here are five Black History Month destinations to add to your travel list.
AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal
Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP The Magazine.
Nashville, Tennessee
National Museum of African American Music
Dozens of music genres and styles have been created or influenced by African Americans. At the National Museum of African American Music in downtown Nashville, visitors can appreciate America’s sound and the people who shaped it. The interactive, accessible museum ($19.95 for people 65 and older), which opened in 2021, gives visitors a curated playlist to take home. About two miles away is Fisk University, a historically Black college that’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places and counts W.E.B. Du Bois, Nikki Giovanni and John Lewis among its graduates. Finally, get the original taste of Nashville with a stop at Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack.
Memphis, Tennessee
Alamy
A visit to Memphis isn’t complete without stopping at the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel ($16 for people 55 and older). Another essential stop is the Mason Temple Church of God in Christ, where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famed “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech the day before he was assassinated. Next, stroll down Beale Street to hear the sounds of the city while sipping a brew from Memphis’ Black-owned microbrewery, Beale Street Brewery. If you prefer beans over brews, check out Dr. Bean’s Coffee and Tea on South Main Street.
Washington, D.C.
Evelyn Hockstein/For The Washington Post via Getty Images
Since its opening in 2016, the National Museum of African American History & Culture remains the quintessential destination to learn about African American life, history and culture. It’s recommended to reserve a free timed-entrance ticket in advance, and know that it takes at least two hours to tour the mile-long history galleries. Wheelchairs, ramps and elevators are available. End the day with a meal at Georgia Brown’s on 15th Street Northwest for a taste of Low Country cuisine.
