Did You Know Baltimore Is Home to the First Black Wax Museum
Did You Know Baltimore Is Home To the Nation’s First Wax Museum Dedicated To Black History?
The National Great Blacks in Wax Museum, located in Baltimore, Maryland, is a powerful cultural institution dedicated to preserving and honoring Black history through immersive storytelling. Founded in 1983, the museum began as a small grassroots effort in a downtown storefront on Saratoga Street. Today, it spans nearly 30,000 square feet at 1601 East North Avenue, occupying a renovated firehouse, a Victorian mansion, and former apartment buildings.
The museum features more than 100 lifelike wax figures and historical scenes that chronicle the African American experience. Among its most impactful exhibits is a full-scale replica of a slave ship, which confronts visitors with the brutal reality of the 400-year Atlantic Slave Trade. Other exhibits highlight the role of youth in shaping history and spotlight the contributions of notable Marylanders to African American culture, politics, and activism. Co-founder Dr. Joanne Martin has emphasized the importance of this work, noting that without tangible representations, history can feel distant or unreal, rather than a lived struggle.
The museum was founded by Dr. Elmer Martin and Dr. Joanne Martin, who initially traveled with a small collection of wax figures to schools, community centers, and malls. In its early years, the project relied entirely on personal funds and community donations, even requiring personal sacrifices to survive. National recognition in 1983 helped secure grants and funding, leading to a permanent home in 1988. In 2004, the U.S. Congress officially recognized the museum as the nation’s first wax museum dedicated to Black history, cementing its national significance.
