They are currently doing renovations, but the museum was a good place to visit. The renovations will be done by the end of the year if you wanted to wait to see the updated facility. The museum showcased a variety of influential African American figures. It also showed how slaves were treated before and when they came to America. They also hold tours of the place. The wax figures looked eerily real. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who would like to learn more about black history.

I will write about the bitter and the sweet of this museum because I was just as disgusted with it as I was delighted by it. So here is the sweet, there was a lot of information to absorb in this museum from the ancient Egyptian rulers all the way up to today’s leaders such as Kweisi Mfume. I learned about some of the inventions of people of color like the ironing board. I was so impressed by their inventions because every single one is still being used in our lives today. It’s as if they saw a need and met it with imagination, purpose, and diligence! Sadly, many of their inventions were not credited to the person of color that created it but was stolen from his master or other white thieves (or perhaps for softer terms, I can say ‘plagiarizers’). I enjoyed most, learning about Hannibal the “Military Genius” whose tactics are still being used in military training facilities worldwide. I too, loved the part of the museum that provided information about Egypt, Ethiopia, the Gods and Goddesses, and my absolute favorite was the big poster on the wall with “The 42 Principles of MA’AT.” I think those principles are good for every human being to follow to live peacefully with one another. Here is the bitter, March 5, 2022, was my first time visiting The Great Blacks in Wax Museum. To be completely frank, I was not in love with it, and I had such high expectations concerning it as these reviews are great, and I’ve heard so much about it throughout my life. Unfortunately, not every display was in wax, some were in hard plastic or possibly wood, the wax ones were the most realistic. The place looked completely filthy to me, and the bathrooms were horrible. There was no soap (and the man was annoyed that I asked for some), the paper towels were so thin that they fell apart, it smelt rancid, the decorum was subpar, and the sink was broken. One of the long-time employees boasted that this museum owns the entire block however, the block is trashy and looks a lot like the abandoned homes that our inner-city children have to see while walking to their under-performing schools. Those babies don’t deserve this, our ancestors deserve better, and their legacy deserves better. I am inclined to believe that the amount of money that this museum makes, they absolutely can serve up better. I am disgusted that they charge $15.00 for general admission (they do have some discounts for groups {the best deal is rated at $10.50 per person for ten or more if the reservation is made online [$11.50 if they walk in on a random day]} students, senior citizens, AARP members, educators, military personnel, and government employees) but they don’t have clean floors, and not keeping up well with their displays, and some of the wax figures have been tampered with but haven’t been repaired or restored. Some of the words were missing from displays that were clearly not up-kept. Not only that, the experience of Africans in the slave trade, was absolutely not brought to the forefront in this museum, it does not represent the true gruesome nature of what happened on those boats. Especially the display of the white man with the three women… Things went down much worse than that display could actually convey. Ultimately, I am thankful that this exists for several reasons. However, I am very disappointed because to me, it goes right back to the very root of the problem that people of color always face, that is, we do NOT have equality and what we must charge excessive prices while we must compete with successful brick-and-mortar businesses that are seemingly always sponsored and supported! I was disappointed that The Great Blacks in Wax Museum doesn’t have their space up to par and are charging $15.00 per person but don’t have soap in the bathrooms (amongst other things). The free Smithsonian would never, but that’s because the elite of the world cares more about the Smithsonian than they ever would about a this black history museum. This truly is a multi-faceted issue that I could talk about all day but I’ll stop here

What a lovely experience to take your kids along for. Very educational and provokes many conversations while there and for later on. A collection of black history and facts all in one place is very uplifting to the community that it is in and the one it services. Always a great thing to be reminded of where you came from.

It’s an interesting exhibit. They really tried explaining the African Americans narrative from being brought on the ships to present day. It’s just a pity the building was undergoing repairs outside so we almost missed it and the wax figures some looked worn out. It’s a great place to visit to learn so much history but the place looked quite worn out in need of funding or help.

such a cool museum with a surprisingly large collection of wax figures. i hope they can raise enough money to expand the building as described on one of their flyers.

Quite the experience! The wax figures look amazingly real. Congratulations to them for receiving 3 million dollars for renovations. Looking forward to visiting again when the rendition and Renovations are completed.

A friend of mine recommended I visit this museum during my trip to Baltimore. I stopped by on a Thursday afternoon e route to my destination. This “museum” is horrible. OMG!!!!!!!! While the facade looks like it was recently renovated, the entire museum looks like an abandoned building filled with “wax figures” that look like they were made out of play-doh. Upon entry, the smell of mildew is the first thing I noticed. It smelled wet, damp and old. I thought maybe it’ll be better during the tour so I paid my entrance fee and began to walk around. It went downhill from there. I went downstairs into the slave ship “exhibit” and there were extension cords dangling, exposed light bulbs and based on what a friend of mine told me, I believe there was supposed to be some sort of narration playing in the background… there was not. Then I went to see the wax figure of President Obama. OMG!!!! It was awful. He just looked awkward and the suit didn’t fit. It was just AWFUL!!!! Shirley Chisholm AWFUL!!!!!! Harriet Tubman was so bad, I have to laugh to keep from becoming enraged. The figure of Elijah Muhammad looks like his nose fell off. Like SMH!!! Who is the curator!?!?!?!!!! This place is a disgrace and I would not encourage anyone to go there. I read in a previous review that construction was in progress with completion scheduled by end of year. Let me say this, there was no construction going on and I just left there. No repairs, no hammering, no electricians, no painters, no cleaners…. NOTHING and I was there on a weekday afternoon. They need to just close down. The bathroom OMG!!!! Looked like something in Texas Chainsaw Massacre disgusting and old. I hate to say it, but this was Just horrible. Do not go there. What a waste of time, money and energy. I was so very disappointed.

This place is a hidden gem. If I was an investor, I'd definitely invest some money into this museum. They have pictures throughout showing how they would like to expand. I pray someone with some deep pockets invest soon. On the other hand, the exhibits were great! The museum takes you through time. Definitely something our black culture needs to see. Kudos to the founders!

I never knew I needed to see what I already knew. Very intense stories are being shared here.

Old building. Has an old smell in the air. It was tight and cramp. They had a wheelchair but there was no way a person in a wheelchair could get around there. My youngest son held on to a rope banister that led to the downstairs and it unfortunately gave him a splinter. They had QR codes for the waxed figures that did not work. After my son stop crying from the splinter, he still enjoyed the waxed figures so that was all that mattered to me. But I would not visit there anytime soon. They have to update the building.

Such an eye-opening, unique experience. I'd love to see this museum expanded to more space and exhibitions. There's a free gravel parking lot nearby, which was convenient. Overall, I'm satisfied with this museum and would HIGHLY RECOMMEND to anyone!

I took a ton of photos but I don't want to ruin the experience for anyone else. Going here, you can actually feel as if you are living in the times of the people who are on display. This place was so beautiful. So many emotions came out while visiting as a black woman. I highly recommend to visit this place. Its filled with so much history. And must I add, the prices are actually low. I personally feel the prices should atleast be $50 to help with maintaining this museum. I visited here in May 2023, so not sure if prices changed since then.

Most interesting place in Baltimore, MD. Does not have handicap access to stairs, up or down. Wheelchairs are very difficult to maneuver through narrow doorways. Historically, this place rocks!

Great Meusuem, I am a person of color and did not know most of the people in the museum that were a big contribution to helping colored people succeed. Just a word of caution, the ship and downstairs show sensitive information and art works, think twice if you are going to bring a young one there. All in all props to the artists who made things work!

The concept is important, and I wish the owners luck. They have at least a million dollars of repairs needed on the exhibits, and probably more than that on the building, which smells of mildew. As others have mentioned, the people being honored are missing noses, ears, fingers. Some of the displays are held together with tape. There are some wax figures that are still in good shape, however, most of the people are being represented by plastic mannequin bodies. Most of these have chips and scrapes. It is obvious that the budget is tight here. Again, I wish them luck. The clothing on Dr. King and on President Obama looks terrible (see pics.) That is not an expensive fix. It is just a matter of taking pride in what you do. There is a layer of dust on the miniature inventions curio cabinet. It doesn't cost a lot to keep dust off the displays. The "libations" display, the one interactive piece, was mostly dried up/crusty with some skanky water at the bottom of the pitcher. I am very sorry to leave such a critical review. I wish the owners all the best. But for now, I cannot recommend that any of my friends go to this place. Other reviewers mentioned renovations to be complete by end of 2022. I did not see any evidence of any repairs or renovations mid November 2022.

Now this museum here....... when I lived in Baltimore I probably came here like every month. Now that I'm in Virginia I go whenever I can. When you say a real life experience this definitely touches the souls of many black people and others who care about the Black culture. I will definitely be back and bring as many people as I can each time I come. I am looking forward to the expansion. Hopefully this will become the most famous blacks and wax museum.

You must have a clear mind to just absorb what you may see, these things literally happened, I've never seen anything close to what the artist put in a detailed visual view, I took time to appreciate what I've seen from beginning to end. Be advised if younger visitors come, they may be jarred by some recreations. Had a profound appreciation of our brave forefathers that stood up and fought for freedoms at the very worst times in history. So glad that they've got 3 million in funds/ donations to expand on the same block. I hope to visit again when they do .

Love the place! So much history in the building does really open your eyes. Makes you want to be a better person and help others also.But building does need a remodeling job soon. Maybe we can all donate when we leave at the box so they can fix it up. Thank you guys for the history. We will be back!

Heartbreaking, devastating, uplifting, motivating, and inspirational all rolled into one. Let's get the negatives out of the way. The building that houses the museum is in a sketchy old neighborhood, sure. It is not the most sound building, structurally, it is narrow and tricky to navigate, and being a large mammal, I thought I was going to fall through the floor on more than one occasion. There is a smell of mildew that permeates the museum as well. The staff is friendly enough, though there wasn't necessarily a guide for a small group. The tour was self guided, though at times it was difficult to read the display write-up. Beneath all of those nitpicks though, you can sense the love and compassion that has gone into this project. You can feel how this museum is a part of the community it serves. The stories and history it displays are important historic accounts that can never be forgotten. The exhibits run the full gamut of Black history, and this includes a lot of horrific imagery that is overwhelming and emotionally impactful. It is a learning experience, a reminder of horrible atrocities perpetuated against our fellow human beings. But it is also a display of the indomitable spirit, the strength to rise up, to become leaders of the community, heads of state, and leaders of nations. I would be lying if I said I had knowledge of half the things I learned here. I walked away better informed and definitely changed from when I walked in.

We took our daughter to visit this museum yesterday and it was a wonderful experience. Beautiful, life like wax statues that appeared to be 'watching' us. A bus load of eager school children on a school trip were being given a tour with a knowledgable guide who explained the exhibits and was very sensitive to their ages, letting them know they were safe and that everything was a a recreation in wax. They had a slave ship you could walk through with chained wax figures and written narrations of what it was like for the captured Africans in those conditions. Towards the end we were very emotional and I cried leaving the lynching exhibition. This is a place All people need to visit, but especially people of color. I plan to refer people to this museum and return myself in the future. At this time they are asking for donations to expand, so I ask that everyone be generous and donate as will I.

The staff must be motivated to work if they want this place to stay open.

I loved it, very educational. I like how you get to see the wax figures of these important African American figures up close. The map they give you help you keep up with the time line of events. The last stop in the basement you get a sense of the violence that occurred against African Americans. It was a feeling I won't forget. I highly recommend this museum and it is a great spot to bring younger people. This place will provide some great visuals into African American history.

A must see. Extremely hard to swallow and be prepared to be feeling emotional. It is so much more then a wax museum it's like walking through history that so many would like to forget but should never be forgotten.

The place is beautiful I just feel like for certain wax figures they rushed on it like for instance the Dr King Jr statue. But the people were absolutely rude when we entered the building if you don’t like working you job don’t work there simple as that but don’t take it out on paying guests

Awesome very informative. I really appreciate what my people endured for us. 🙏

Needs to be better organized, better maintenance of building and rest rooms. The lights are dim at each display (needs improvement). In addition their is a bad odor on the lowest level. If all of these issues are resolved this museum would reach its full potential.

I hadn't been here in years. Recently visited during a college sponsored trip. Upon entry, I was disappointed with the way the young lady conducted business in the ticket booth. She was not very professional and had little kids there with her. Not irritated by her having kids there because sometimes, as parents, we don't have a choice. Also don't know if this is a perk associated with working for a family owned business. I was more dissatisfied with her professionalism. Our tour guide was an elder named Nat Williams. He was charismatic and knowledgeable combined with deep Baltimorean charm. Ask for him when you book your next tour. A few other things that could stand improvement are the upkeep of the exterior of the building, the wax figures/exhibits could use some maintenance, and the gift shop needs to be up and running.

This is someplace I'd recommend all my Caucasian friends come to get a true look at American History and the Black plight. 🇺🇸

I absolutely loved this museum and learned new information, the tour guide should get a YouTube video to bring attention and awareness to this one of a kind experience and hopefully get more funding to expand

All I can say is, wow! I went on a school trip here and it was very educational and very realistic wax people. I even picked up somethings I never knew. Also the staff are very helpful and nice. And I recommend coming here!!👍👍🙌

This place is a good place to go and learn about black history, especially if you weren't taught about it at home or school. A little dusting would be nice.

The last time I've been here I was a child now im married and brought my husband here. We have two completely different backgrounds and im glad he was here to get more educated on African American History ❤ Great Job Blacks In Wax !

We came as a group and went on the Underground Railroad tour prior to visiting the museum. Our tour guide Mrs. Janice was phenomenal as she educated us during our tour to the Hampton plantation and orchard St Church. We are able to learn about historical landmarks in Baltimore and more about African Americans and our contributions to the world. This experience was very educational and has changed me forever!

I've been to this museum twice and both visits were profound. Very educational... parts of US history that many want to forget but should never be forgotten. This visit began with a guide that spoke about the initial exhibits. He was awesome in his explanations. We were then ushered into a replica of a slave ship where me met one of the founders who gave details on this part of the museum. She was great and provided a feel for what it was like to be kidnapped and enslaved in this way... after that we were left to roam and read for ourselves. Most of the exhibits were well captioned. My issues were the crampness of the museum and the low budget feel... other than that it was very educational and interesting to see so many familiar faces in Wax.

The National Great Blacks in Wax (NGBIW) was not only fascinating, but it was also emotionally charged. The wax figures (especially the slave ship figures) brought their agony and suffering to a whole emotional level. My only concerns about some of the displays are the some wax figures had a few issues. Mostly misfitting clothing, and broken fingers/limbs. Otherwise, NGBIW is a must visit when you're in Baltimore. Also beware that the building is in the middle of remodeling. There's scaffolding at the front of the building so it looks as if the museum is closed. It's best to call before traveling there.

Very nice museum. Not in the best part of Baltimore! Be careful out this way. Got so not good directions on the best spots in the area and went down to West Lexington by mistake. I was able to reroute to another part of Baltimore. Tickets when we walked in! ($30). It wasn't as crowded when we went. It is a great thing to see the history and how much African American struggled back then. I will say it was hard seeing some of the exhibits and they do have a disclaimer saying that you are discretion is advised on the map.

Great historic experience. It's unfiltered in the depiction of over 200 years of the black experience. It can be quite graphic and disturbing but historically accurate.

A very honest look at black history. The visuals of the figures is thought provoking. Does a great job of telling a story through each step of America's history.

I strongly recommend this to People of Color (POC) with a passion for history, especially those eager to delve into the history of black people. The tour guides are polite, welcoming questions for in-depth discussions and debates. It proves beneficial for studies, particularly in the context of our diverse cultural blend.

Really a must visit that takes you through the disturbing and painful period of slavery and the abolitionist period and finishes with famous black figures in different walks of life. Though really thoughtfully and thoroughly put together the museum is in dire need of more funding to make the information more user-friendly (too many posters packed with information in font sizes that were not too easy to read, some exhibits were in need of repair or not too visible).

Great place to take family lots of history

needs upgraded desperately and immediately

Great place love the exhibits and hopefully it'll get bigger

Although a little depressing, I've learned a little about what has happened. The wax figures were great but the story behind some was not. I did not like the lynching exhibit. And the gift shop was closed.

Interesting and compelling history, the lynching exhibit was hard to get through.

This museum has terrific assets and is one you should definitely make a point to visit anytime you are in Baltimore. The slave ship and lynching exhibits are especially powerful.

I came before and It's quite nice and lovely. I plan on visiting again once this whole cvoid thing ends

Amazing and informative Museum that every young person of African descent should visit

Great experience to learn about our history

I wasn't ready for the slave ship exhibit. It is incredibly well-presented and one of the most difficult exhibits I've ever seen, similar in nature to some on display in The Holocaust Museum. However, the fact that it's from our American history makes it hard to witness in a different way. The fact that it is so hard to look at it means it must be pretty important to do so. Other exhibits in the museum are uplifting and inspirational. It's packed with information and asks a lot of the viewer in terms of the amount of content presented. This is a very impactful museum that is worthy of your support and patronage.

A true gem! I would recommend everyone go at least once, prioritize a couple of hours to go through the museum and learn about many of our pioneers!

Amazing information. It looks like the details got better over the years. The slave boat was amazing and I think everyone needs to see it!

As much as i love to show support i gotta be honest. I was very disappointed.

it was really intresting for me i loved it

Food was magnificent crabs 🦀 😋 steak salads ect

Very Educational and I'm glad I had a chance to go. 4 ⭐'s Would have gave 5⭐'s if only the Wax people look a little more realistic. 🤷🏾‍♀️

What an amazing experience. PLEASE treat yourself to this amazing experience regardless of your race or ethnicity. Take the babies!!!

Always a lovely experience. Very informative with or without guides.

(Translated by Google) There is an area that moves. He feels pride in race. They value every success or achievement achieved and represent it in their own way in the Museum. Awesome wax replicas. (Original) Hay una zona que conmueve. Se siente orgullo por la raza. Valoran todo éxito o logro alcanzado y lo representan a su manera en el Museo. Impresionante las réplicas en cera.

They need to update the building

Acknowledge the impact that African American have had on America is awesome to see.

Truly a hidden gem! Looks small on the outside but pleasantly surprised by the use of space and number of exhibits. The exhibits on slavery are raw and uncut so it may be hard for some to look at, but it's our history. Cosmetically, it's no Smithsonian, but worth the trip.

Very impactful experience; worthwhile!

I really enjoyed it but my son was scared as hell😂

Amazing fascinating place

This place is awesome! It's not the glitz and glamour you would behold at a bigger museum, but slavery wasn't about glitz and glamour now was it? This museum forces you to face facts. The many states that were involved in slavery, the amount hung in each state, the size of slave quarters, the fact that reproductive organs of slaves were kept as morbid souvenirs, the slain bodies of children. It's one of the best museums that I've visited, well worth the money.

Always a special place to go learned good history parking is so-so. ?

The artistic recreation of the slave ship is dreadful but interestingly created.Excellent informative source of information is stored for very vital historical account of our forefather. Special thanks to the founding fathers for creating such rich legacy. I employ everyone to go view, learn and experience it for themselves about their past.

This was the reality awakening I needed, reading about our history is one thing and seeing it was a whole new experience for my life's growth.

It was so interesting very enlighting I learn alot

it's been awhile sense our last visit like 4 year it time to visit again for the new exhibits. we are on our way this February 2020

There is so much history in this museum right in the heart of the city. I'm born & raised here in Baltimore and this was my 1st time visiting, I will surely be returning with my children! Great exhibits.

The Ridgley Plantation was very interesting

Its a great place to go but they really need people to go and to contribute the the continuation of our history being told.