The Museum of African American History: The Heart of Beacon Hill's Black Heritage

46 Joy Street, Beacon Hill - Boston

Located at 46 Joy Street in the historic North Slope of Beacon Hill, the Museum of African American History (MAAH) stands as a powerful monument to the community that led the charge for freedom and equality in the 19th century.

Far from being just a quiet neighborhood of cobblestones and brownstones, this area was once the epicenter of the American abolitionist movement.

Two Buildings, One Revolutionary Legacy

The museum occupies two distinct, highly significant historic structures:

• The Abiel Smith School (1835): This was the first building in the United States constructed for the sole purpose of educating African American children. Today, it serves as the museum's primary gallery space, housing rotating exhibits that explore the struggles and triumphs of Boston's Black community.
• The African Meeting House (1806): Just steps away is the "Black Faneuil Hall." Built almost entirely by Black laborers and artisans, it is the oldest surviving Black church building in the country. This sanctuary wasn't just for prayer; it was the political war room of the abolitionist movement.

Voices That Changed the World

Walking through the pews of the African Meeting House, you are standing in the same space where history was quite literally "plotted and debated." This is where:

• William Lloyd Garrison founded the New England Anti-Slavery Society in 1832.
• Frederick Douglass and Maria Stewart delivered impassioned speeches calling for the immediate end of slavery.
• The Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Infantry Regiment-the first all-Black regiment from the North-was recruited during the Civil War.

Did You Know? The museum was founded in 1963 by activist Sue Bailey Thurman. It continues her mission today by reminding us that the fight for human rights didn't just happen in the South-it was organized and energized right here in Boston.

The Black Heritage Trail®

The museum is the physical and spiritual anchor for the Black Heritage Trail, a 1.5-mile walking tour that winds through Beacon Hill. While the museum itself holds the archives and artifacts, the trail connects it to private homes, schools, and underground railroad sites that housed freedom seekers.