Black History is Everyone’s History.
A mission to show truth
A primary motivation for establishing America’s first African American history wax museum was to “use education, history, and example to help culturally disadvantaged youth overcome feelings of alienation, defeatism, and despair.”
The National Great Blacks In Wax Museum spans the rich history of African Americans across the continents and time, from Ancient Africa, the Middle Passage, and Slavery, through civil rights and today.
Since its opening, the Museum has become a prominent, nationally recognized institution. It has also evolved into a powerful compendium of wax figures. The Museum houses about 150 figures of people from the past-like, like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, and the present-like President Barack Obama.
A slave ship replica stands first and foremost in the Museum. Within it, a life-size re-creation of the dark belly of a 19th-century slave ship shows figures in the dank ship’s hold, their bodies crushed, but not their spirits.
Exposure to the Museum and its programs ensures that youth and adult patrons learn more about their American heritage and gain deeper insights into significant contributions to civilization by people of African descent.
The Museum’s mission is to stimulate an interest in African American history by revealing the little-known, often neglected facts of history; use great leaders as role models for youth; improve race relations by dispelling myths of racial inferiority and superiority; support and work with community groups, schools, and other organizations to provide opportunities for youth to pursue careers in the museum industry; and promote economic development in the East North Avenue corridor.
Meet Dr. Elmer and Joanne Martin
As the founders of The National Great Blacks In Wax Museum, Elmer and I knew the importance of having a dream and the gratification of having one’s dream fulfilled. Our dream took form in 1980 when we purchased four wax figures with the money we had saved to make a down payment on a house. We carried the figures to schools, churches, shopping malls, and almost anywhere people would allow us to set up an exhibit. Little did we know that by 1983, we would have a small storefront museum in downtown Baltimore, twenty-two wax figures, and the good wishes and support of many loyal friends. The possibility that in 1988 we would be celebrating the grand opening of a 10,000-square-foot facility on East North Avenue seemed almost unimaginable. But we always knew that a higher power than the two of us was guiding this effort.
Our Guiding Beliefs
Black truths stimulate interest in Black people.
Develop community and culture through historical programming.
The museum improves Northeast Baltimore.
The Museum’s mission is to stimulate an interest in African American history by revealing the little-known, often neglected facts of history; use great leaders as role models for youth; improve race relations by dispelling myths of racial inferiority and superiority; support and work with community groups, schools, and other organizations to provide opportunities for youth to pursue careers in the museum industry; and promote economic development in the East North Avenue corridor.
The heart of Baltimore
We had always dared to dream, to believe that if we could just “keep the faith,” things would work out. My late husband Elmer’s simple philosophy was that community development and cultural development go hand-in-hand. This was the guiding principle on which The Great Blacks In Wax Museum was founded. It was the driving force behind our decision to relocate the Museum in 1988 to a fragile community in East Baltimore so that the institution could serve as a catalyst for bringing a challenged community back to life.
We depend on donations to continue operating and expanding our many exhibits, events, and programs. Please help us continue to enhance and enrich the lives of our visitors, children, and community.
The National Great Blacks In Wax Museum is a 501(c) 3 private nonprofit cultural and educational institution. A 12-member Board of Trustees guides the Museum. Because it is a wax museum committed solely to studying and preserving African American history, it is among the United States’ most dynamic cultural and educational institutions.
Showcasing All of Black History
Recorded in wax are all the noble ways African Americans have participated in the building of this country, from soldiers in the Civil War to members of the Freemasons. From the Western frontier to polar exploration to the space race, African Americans are highlighted for their contributions. The wax figures that find their place in The National Great Blacks In Wax Museum capture for posterity the emotions and strength that inspired us to establish the Museum: Hope for a community and for the future.
More Than A Museum:
The Campaign for The National Great Blacks In Wax Museum
The Museum is opening a new facility spanning an entire block of East Baltimore. Our multiphase, $76 million campaign will enable us to develop an even greater institution for the 21st century.
In memory of our visionary Co-Founder, Dr. Elmer P. Martin.
What People Are Saying
“It was a unique educational experience, but during my second visit—as 2020 comes to an end—I see the exhibitions through more mature and woefully woke eyes.”
—Tracy Hopkins, RoadTrippers
“For more than three decades, the National Great Blacks in Wax Museum has been one of the underappreciated cultural gems of Baltimore…Nor does the museum shy away from making moral comparisons between the events of America's past and their legacy in contemporary life.”