African American Civil War Memorial Park

Address: African American Civil War Memorial, U Street / Vermont Ave NW vicinity, Washington, D.C., USA

Website: https://aacwm.org/

Hours: Memorial accessible public space; museum hours vary (check museum website)

Admission: Free (memorial); African American Civil War Museum nearby charges admission (check museum site)

The African American Civil War Memorial commemorates the service of the United States Colored Troops and other Black men and women who served and supported Union forces during the American Civil War. The site combines a figurative bronze sculpture and an inscribed memorial plaza with an adjacent museum.

The monument plaza lists and honors the names of those who served and is paired with the African American Civil War Museum, which houses artifacts, documents and interpretive exhibits about recruitment, military service and the wartime experience of African Americans. The memorial and museum serve as focal points for education and remembrance.

The memorial was established in the late 20th century and is managed by local organizations and partners; it is a frequent stop on historical tours of the Shaw and U Street neighborhoods. It is located in northwest Washington, D.C., within walking distance of major public transit routes.

• Number commemorated: The memorial honors roughly 209,000 Black soldiers and sailors who served in Union forces during the American Civil War; that number is memorialized on-site.
• Location context: The site is in the Shaw/U Street area of Washington, D.C., and is often visited together with nearby historic neighborhood sites and museums.

What to See#

• Memorial sculpture and plaza: A bronze memorial sculpture group honoring the United States Colored Troops, set within a plaza that lists the names and recognizes their service.
• African American Civil War Museum: The adjacent African American Civil War Museum presents documents, uniforms and exhibits about the service of Black soldiers and civilians during the Civil War era.

The memorial is near the U Street Corridor and the U Street/African-Amer Civil War Memorial/Cardozo Metro station on the Green/Yellow lines. The site is walkable from downtown D.C.

• Visit the museum next to the memorial (African American Civil War Museum at 1925 Vermont Ave NW) for deeper historical context and artifacts.
• The memorial's plaza is compact - take time to read the names and inscriptions on the wall for personal histories.
• Pair the visit with the nearby U Street corridor for a sense of the neighborhood's Black heritage.