We will be open on the day of Commencement (5-8-26).
Admission is free and open to the public.
View our hours at the bottom of the page.
Step into a world where art and history meet and explore the oldest African American Museum in the country. Learn about the lives of Native Americans who attended Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute or dive into rich African culture and tradition in our first floor galleries. Immerse yourself in 200 years of African American fine art in our second floor galleries and see which new and exciting exhibits are featured in our changing galleries. So much discovery awaits your visit!
The purpose of the Hampton University Museum is to collect, preserve, study, exhibit, and interpret artifacts and works of traditional art. Art which illustrates the cultures, heritages and histories of African, Native American, Oceanic and Asian peoples, as well as the works of contemporary African American, African and American Indian artists and three-dimensional objects which relate to the history and significance of Hampton University are the Museum’s focus.
Multiplicity in Motion invites viewers to explore the depth and breadth of a single artistic vision expressed through multiple works. This exhibition challenges the notion of singularity by presenting a series of pieces that, while distinct, are interconnected through the artist’s evolving ideas, techniques, and perspectives.
Organized by the Gibbes Museum of Art, Charleston, SC, this exhibition is inspired by Dr. Edda Fields-Black’s 2025 Pulitzer Prize Award-Winning Book
Before Henry Ossawa Tanner became world-famous for his incredible religious paintings that often incorporated dramatic glowing light, he was outdoors painting nature scenes. These early paintings deserve way more attention than they get.
William Henry Johnson was a painter associated with the Harlem Renaissance. As a young man, he was trained in the European classical style of painting. While in Europe he moved beyond the classical style as modernism became the trending movement. Upon returning to America, Johnson once again transitioned his painting style — this time into the folk-art tradition.
In 1943, at the height of World War II and a time when racial segregation permeated nearly every aspect of American society, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City staged an unprecedented exhibition.
