This exhibition is dedicated to telling the complete story of American Slavery. Using immersive environments and engaging interactive displays, visitors will be transported into a multisensory, emotional experience that explores the richness of African cultures, the devastation caused by the trans-Atlantic slave trade, the horrors of the Middle Passage, the hypocrisy of American slavery, the transcendent achievements of African American survivors, and the enduring legacy all Americans share.
Visitors gain empathy through the experience of psychological capture. Multilayered interpretation presents information in age-appropriate exhibits tailored to families. Visitors are challenged to discover their own truths relating slavery and its legacy, starting with the museum’s extensive Center for Learning library, archives, collection, and educational programs.
The Henley Company is the Creative Director of planning, design and audiovisual production for the exhibition. We are collaborating closely with the fabricator, Lexington, and the architect, Pei Partnership, in the design and development of the exhibits.
Lyn Henley: Creative Director, Exhibit Planner,
Debra Skelton: Researcher, Writer
Michael Palumbo: Exhibit Designer
Completed: in progress
Cost: $30,000,000 ($500/SF)
Size: 60,000 square feet
Owner: National Slavery Museum, Fredericksburg,VA 22401
Exhibits follow an immersive experience on the Middle Passage
Full-scale replica of slave ship interpreted in the atrium