The African American Museum of Dallas is poised to reopen this week. Temporarily closed since late 2025, the museum will host a grand opening this Friday, May 1.
African American Museum of Dallas
The African American Museum of Dallas opened in 1974 under the name “Museum of African-American Life and Culture”. By the late ’80s, the museum’s amassed such a collection that it necessitated a move into larger space. In 1993, the museum moved into its present residence at 3536 Grand Ave.
The museum has spent the last several months undergoing upgrades designed to modernize the visitor experience and better showcase its world-class archives.
American Museum of Dallas
People Who Make the World Go ‘Round: The Legacy of Sepia Magazine
On display from May 1 through August 11, 2026, the photograph exhibit provides an extensive showcase of the museum’s Sepia collection. Among its astounding collection of over 40,000 photographs, the Dallas museum will exhibit rare shots of music legends, Civil Rights leaders, and literary geniuses.
Featured figures exhibited in the showcase include Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Thurgood Marshall, and Maya Angelou among many more.
“Published for nearly four decades, Sepia served as a powerful voice in Black journalism, chronicling political change, cultural innovation and everyday life in African American communities nationwide,” the museum states in a press release.
“During its peak, Sepia emerged as a national competitor to Ebony and Jet magazines, distinguished by its Southern perspective and editorial voice rooted in the American South.”
Visiting African American Museum of Dallas
The African American Museum of Dallas reopens at 3536 Grand Ave. near the Texas State Fair grounds on Friday, May 1, 2026. Admission to the museum is completely free.
Once in operation the museum will be open from 11 am – 5 pm Tuesday through Friday and from 10 am – 5 pm Saturdays. The museum is closed on Mondays and Sundays.
