Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture is always free — general admission never costs anything. Free timed-entry pass required for everyone, all ages. Advance passes released 30 days ahead, rolling; same-day passes online only, by 8:15am ET daily; up to 9 passes per person. Veterans, active-duty personnel and first responders skip the pass — show ID at the door with up to 4 guests Verified on Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture's own page, last checked 2026-09-14.
| Free day | Always free |
|---|---|
| Who qualifies | Everyone |
| Reservation | Free timed-entry pass required for everyone, all ages. Advance passes released 30 days ahead, rolling; same-day passes online only, by 8:15am ET daily; up to 9 passes per person. Veterans, active-duty personnel and first responders skip the pass — show ID at the door with up to 4 guests |
| What's included | Entire museum; open daily 10am-5:30pm (Mondays from 12pm; last entry 4pm) |
| Regular adult price | $0 — always free |
| Source | nmaahc.si.edu · checked 2026-09-14 |
NMAAHC doesn't need savings math — the ticket line is free for everyone, every open day. The only costs left are the extras — special exhibitions, parking and food are where the day's budget actually goes.
Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture doesn't need a calendar — general admission is free every day it's open, which changes how you plan compared with a free-day museum. There's no crowd spike to dodge and no reservation race — though note the entry mechanics: free timed-entry pass required for everyone, all ages. Advance passes released 30 days ahead, rolling; same-day passes online only, by 8:15am ET daily; up to 9 passes per person. Veterans, active-duty personnel and first responders skip the pass — show ID at the door with up to 4 guests. The date that matters here isn't an admission date at all: it's whichever ticketed special exhibition you might want to add, since those (entire museum; open daily 10am-5:30pm (Mondays from 12pm; last entry 4pm)) run on their own schedules and prices.
Regular tickets ($0 — always free) are on nmaahc.si.edu — the official site is the place to buy; resellers only add fees. Already a member somewhere else? Our reciprocity lookup checks whether that card covers admission here.
National Gallery of Art (always free) · Smithsonian Museums & National Zoo (always free) · Smithsonian's National Zoo (always free) — or see the full free museum days in Washington guide.
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Always free, but every visitor — regardless of age — must have a free timed-entry pass. Advance passes are released 30 days ahead on a rolling basis, and a batch of same-day passes drops online by 8:15am ET every morning. The old weekday walk-up entry no longer appears on the official page.
Free timed-entry pass required for everyone, all ages. Advance passes released 30 days ahead, rolling; same-day passes online only, by 8:15am ET daily; up to 9 passes per person. Veterans, active-duty personnel and first responders skip the pass — show ID at the door with up to 4 guests
Entire museum; open daily 10am-5:30pm (Mondays from 12pm; last entry 4pm)
$0 — always free. Time the visit right and that's the amount you keep.
Yes — general admission is free for all visitors, every open day, no residency requirement. Entire museum; open daily 10am-5:30pm (Mondays from 12pm; last entry 4pm).