National Museum of African Art

The Smithsonian National Museum of African Art is a unique fixture on the National Mall, in that only the entrance is above ground and the actual galleries lay below. The collections feature artwork from all regions of Africa, but the majority of pieces are sub-Saharan.

The museum was borne out of the collection of a single art enthusiast, Warren Robbins, who purchased several pieces in the early 1960s and displayed them in his home. The interest in his private collection led to the creation of this national monument to African art.