Frequently
Asked
Questions

Reserved time tickets are available now and can be purchased here. If you are a Member, please remember to use your promo code when purchasing your reserved ticket. If you are a Member and have not received your promo code, please contact our Membership Team at [email protected].

Yes! Visitors can receive a local discount by registering their account on our ticketing page. You can find the registration link in the upper right corner of the website page. Once registered, please sign in to purchase your tickets. Please note: once the transaction is completed, we are unable to refund any unapplied discounts.

IAAM participates in the “Museums for All” Program. Visitors who receive food assistance (SNAP/EBT) can gain reduced admission of $2.00 per person. IAAM also offers a Military and Senior Discount. Military tickets are available for active duty and veterans. We ask that you show proof of service upon arrival. Our senior rate is for adults 62 and older. Visit our Plan Your Visit page for pricing.

Ticket prices, hours of operation, and information on scheduling group visits can be found on our Plan Your Visit page.

SNAP/EBT card holders do not need to make reservations in advance. You can arrive at your desired date and time, Tuesday through Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. To receive discounted admission tickets, please bring proof of eligibility to the gate. One card is good for up to four (4) people. For ticket prices, please go to our Plan Your Visit page.

Beginning on Tuesday, June 27, 2023, the Museum will be open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. The last entry time is at 4:00 P.M. We are closed on Mondays, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day.

We recommend planning to spend approximately 1.5-2 hours experiencing the interior of the Museum. The African Ancestors Memorial Garden also contains monuments, features, and opportunities for reflection, which may extend your visit by about 30-60 minutes.

Yes, please proceed to our Education homepage and complete the form. Our staff will be back in touch soon.

Admission includes all exhibits in the interior of the Museum, including special temporary exhibitions and the Center for Family History. The African Ancestors Memorial Garden is open to the public and free to visit at any time.

For your safety and to ensure an excellent visitor experience, tickets are timed entry and redeemable for entrance only at the time and date specified. Once inside, you are welcome to explore the museum at your own pace.

Yes, the IAAM is fully ADA-compliant. Elevators and other accessibility features are indicated on our Visitor Guide floor plan.

In order to ensure an enjoyable and safe visit for everyone, late entry is not guaranteed. Those wishing to enter at a later time may be able to exchange their ticket(s) for a later entry time on the same date, by visiting the Admissions counter or calling our ticketing office. Exchanges are subject to available capacity in our timed entry system.

Yes, special group rates and tours are available. Please complete the Large Groups form on our Plan Your Visit page, and a member of our staff will be back in touch soon.

Yes, our gift shop is located in the lobby adjacent to the box office counter. It is open during regular museum hours.

You can apply your general admission ticket to a membership in person or by emailing us at [email protected] with your order number and all of your contact information (name, email address, phone number, mailing address). Someone from our team will give you a call to take payment over the phone.

Please note, you can only apply tickets on a one-to-one ratio (i.e. one ticket can go towards an Individual Membership, two tickets can go towards a Dual Membership, etc.)

No, our Charter Membership program is closed. We invite you to join our Annual Membership program now and join in the journey to continue to build and grow the impact of IAAM’s mission.

Annual membership helps support the Museum so we can amplify African American history and culture for generations to come. Benefits include unlimited general admission to the museum galleries, gardens, and exhibits (including access to the Center for Family History). Annual members also receive free or reduced admission to select Museum public programs, including special members-only activities, workshops, and ticketed events. Visit our Membership page to see our membership levels and benefits.

Unfortunately, we are not able to accept payment for membership through a donor advised fund as those contributions are 100% tax-deductible and membership provides benefits that have value associated with them (making a portion of it not tax-deductible).

Our new Annual Membership program has launched with special benefits designed to enrich your IAAM experience. We have a membership option for everyone. Click here to explore our membership tiers. All memberships are valid immediately upon purchase.

Memberships are valid for one year through the end of the month. For example, a membership purchased on August 15, 2023, will be valid until August 30, 2024.

Email us at [email protected] or call 843-872-5352 Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The International African American Museum is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization (EIN 203398254). Our general memberships ($250 level and below) are not tax-deductible. A portion of our Museum Circle levels are tax-deductible and those start at the $500 level and up. Visit the Membership page for more information.

1. Reserve tickets
2. Select your preferred date and time of your visit by using the “other date” and “other time” options to change to your desired arrival time.
   • If you are a South Carolina resident, please register and/or sign in using the links in the top right-hand corner to receive your special pricing on any additional tickets you may want outside of your complimentary tickets.
3. Select the “Add to Cart” button
4. Enter the code you received in the “Discount Code” box to redeem your complimentary tickets.
5. You should see the discounted price beside “Total.”
6. If you have not already entered it, please enter your contact information.
7. Select “Check Out”
8. You should then be directed to a confirmation page confirming that your reservation has been successful.
9. You will then receive an acknowledgement email containing a link to your eTicket(s)
   • Please have your ticket ready on the day of your visit. You may either show them digitally on your device or print your ticket.

Please email us at [email protected] and we will assist with your ticketing concerns.

Being a Charter Member means being a founding member of our organization and one of our most dedicated partners in bringing the museum to life and for that we are forever thankful! Charter Membership includes one-time use complimentary passes, as well as being included in any future Charter Member specific programs and communications.

Please note that while your recognition as a Charter Member is a lifetime designation, our annual membership program will enable you to continue receiving membership benefits. Annual membership also helps support the Museum so we can amplify African American history and culture for generations to come. Visit our Membership page to see our membership levels and benefits.

Please note that while your recognition as a Charter Member is a lifetime designation, we recently launched an annual membership program that will enable you to continue receiving membership benefits. You can renew at the Annual Membership level by clicking here and you will receive a new membership number.

Please see below to make sure your membership is connected to your Charter Membership.

Please make sure you are Registered and Signed In using the email address associated with your Charter Membership.

• • Visit the IAAM ticket page and click the Sign In or Register button in the top right corner of the page
  • When registering your account:
    • Please enter in your credentials exactly as you have it on your membership!
  • You only need to register once. After this, you will select Sign In.

You will receive a new Membership ID number, but your account will be linked to your Charter Membership.

The Charter Member cards that we sent out are a keepsake. A physical representation that you are a founding member of our organization. These cards will not be used for entry into the museum. If you would like us to send you a new one, please email your name, number and mailing address to [email protected].

Annual members receive digital cards (so you don’t have to worry about misplacing or forgetting your card in the car!). We do not offer physical cards. For more information about your digital card, please visit our Digital Card FAQ page.

First, make sure to check your spam/junk folder in your email. If you still cannot find your tickets, please send us an email at [email protected].

To get your member tickets, you must be Registered and Signed In.

• • Visit the IAAM ticket page and click the Sign In or Register button in the top right corner of the page
  • When registering your account:
    • Please enter in your credentials exactly as you have it on your membership!
  • You only need to register once. After this, you will select Sign In.

All discounts are added at the end of the transaction (after adding the tickets to your cart). If you still cannot reserve your tickets, please email [email protected] to speak with a customer service representative who will assist with your ticketing concerns.

At this time, some mobile users are experiencing issues with logging in on their mobile device. If you turn your phone sideways (landscape instead of portrait), you should see the Sign In and Register buttons in the top right corner of the screen.

Please click here to reset your password.

You do not need to reserve tickets for one-time use guest vouchers. Please have your guest(s) check-in at the front desk upon arrival with your name and membership number (provided in your welcome email). You do not have to be present for your guests to visit.

At this time, due to limited capacity, we require members to reserve tickets in advance of their visit to guarantee entry.

We do allow guests to visit without a ticket reservation, but entry cannot be guaranteed. This means if we are at capacity, we may not be able to allow entry if you arrive without reservations.

Yes! You can reach out to us at [email protected] in advance of your visit and we will help you reschedule or cancel your visit.

Members at the Dual level or higher receive complimentary or member admission price, discounts in the gift shop, and discounts on ticketed events to over 1,000 museums and institutions across the U.S. that participate in the North American Reciprocal Museum (NARM) Association. Click here to see a list of participating institutions. Please note that ‘Family’ benefits are specific to each institution (e.g. If you visit an institution that has ‘Family’ benefits defined as two adults and two children then those are the ‘Family’ benefits you will receive when you visit with a ‘Family’ membership). Be sure to contact the institutions you plan to visit in advance to find out about your specific reciprocal benefits to avoid any confusion. If you have additional questions, please click here for a list of FAQs.

Email us at [email protected] Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Please visit our Object Donation page to inquire about donating artifacts to our collection. Click on the Object Donation button and then select and complete the Collections Object Donation Form.

To inquire about donating records to the Center for Family History, please visit our CFH Archives Submission page. Click on the CFH Contribute Online button and then select and complete the CFH Archives Submission Form.

To learn more about the spaces we have available for special events rentals, please visit our Private Event Rentals page.

Metered parking is available first-come, first-serve along Concord Street in front of the Museum. Additional parking is available at the Parking Garage (operated by the City of Charleston) located at 24 Calhoun Street, Charleston, SC 29401 which is approximately 0.4 miles from the Museum (around a 4 minute walk). Parking is $1 per half hour with an $18 maximum.

Yes! Both Uber and Lyft are available and will drop you off at the front of the _­

We are located at 14 Wharfside Street, Charleston, South Carolina 29401.

Please submit all media inquiries using the Request Media Form located near the bottom of our Media Inquiries page.

Current employment opportunities can be viewed here.

Join our email newsletter to stay informed about special exhibitions, public programs, and events at the IAAM. You can submit your email in the footer below.

We can also be found on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

The Museum appreciates its growing family of volunteers who play a vital role in many aspects of our mission. To inquire about becoming a volunteer, please visit our Contact Us page. Complete the General Inquiry form, selecting Volunteering in the drop-down menu under I’m Interested In.

You may be asked to complete an intake survey to share your skills and interests and facilitate your placement.