Black History Month is celebrated in the US and Canada in February, and many places that are great to visit with kids year-round stage special events and exhibits during Black History Month.
Depending on ages of kids and interests, families might focus on music history (visiting, for example, the birthplace of the blues), or visit museums and other destinations that celebrate civil rights history. Check out ideas in several regions, below.
1. Atlanta, Memphis
Beale Street Historic District. Photo courtesy of Official Memphis site.
Atlanta is a city where it's easy to introduce kids to some important history. For example, the neighborhood where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. grew up is now a Historic Site (see more below) that includes a Junior Ranger program, for kids. Memphis, meanwhile, has Beale Street, the historical center of African American commerce that became the birthplace of the blues; Beale Street has a Walk of Fame that honors top musicians.
2. Atlanta: Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site
Photo credit: James H. Karales / Getty Images.
3. American South Road Trip
Mississippi - Shack Up Inn - photo © Sheila Scarborough.
This excellent guest article chronicles a family trip that started in Montgomery Alabama, rolled on past the Big Muddy (Mississippi River) and onto Memphis, with much fun sight-seeing -- and some serious historical sight-seeing-- on the way.
4. New York State Celebrates Black History Month
Harriet Tubman Home, Auburn, NY - photo courtesy of Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance.
Read about special events and places to visit in 11 vacation zones: visit the home of Harriet Tubman, walk the Underground Railroad in Rochester, try a Black Poetry Experience for Kids in Plattsburgh, check out month-long exhibits at the Long Island State Park... and more. See also more about Black History in NY State, at iloveny.com.
5. North Carolina's Black History
Photo courtesy of International Civil Rights Museum & Center, Greensboro, NC
Check the North Carolina Tourism site, for articles on Cultural Heritage and special places to visit during February. For example: North Carolina's Black History highlights places to visit, such as The Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture, in Charlotte; Roanoke Island Freedmen’s Colony, a historic National Underground Railroad “Network to Freedom” site; Pea Island Life-Saving Station at the Outer Banks.
6. Hilton Head Island Annual Gullah Celebration
Hilton Head Island is a popular family getaway, and during the month of February families can explore the "living history" of this unique culture. The Gullahs are African-Americans brought to the Low Country as slaves, who've preserved much of their language and heritage, with storytelling, cuisine, music, crafts, and other traditions.
7. Charleston, South Carolina, During Black History Month
Check visitor information at the Charleston CVB site, for highlights to visit during Black History Month. Charleston has several museums and tours that focus on African-American history: for example, Gullah tours give a chance to explore this unique culture. See also more about Charleston's African-American Heritage.
8. Many More Black History Month Events
The Soul of America site highlights historically black districts in many cities and top black museums in America, and has an National Calendar of Events with listings for February Black History Month.
