Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site

Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site is a National Historic Site located in Topeka, Kansas. On May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court decided in the case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka to officially end segregation in schools. The museum at the school here gives visitors a chance to learn about the history behind segregation and the court case. The site was established in 1992 and opened to the public on May 17, 2004, the fiftieth anniversary of the ending of the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka court case. The school where the museum is closed in 1975 after enrollment heavily declined.

Visitor information
There is no fee to visit Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site. It is located at 1515 SE Monroe Street in the state capital of Kansas, Topeka. There are five portions in the building available to the public, including Race and the American Creed, Education and Justice, The Legacy of Brown v. Board of Education, Expressions and Reflections, and the book store. At the entrance will be a park ranger who will briefly explain the history behind the site.

The main attraction is Race and the American Creed, which is in the large auditorium in front of the entrance. Inside the auditorium is a film called Race and the American Creed which will play separately on seven different screens. Statues are placed throughout the auditorium which bare different meanings and will light up at different parts of the movie. In Education and Justice, a gallery across from the auditorium, visitors will learn more about the history behind the court case and the people that were involved. A film is also plays here, and several computers are scattered throughout. In Education and Justice is the Hall of Courage which shows the hurtful things that people said to African Americans and is meant to evoke the sense of being discriminated against. In The Legacy of Brown v. Board of Education, visitors will learn even more about the history behind the court case as well as watch a video called Pass It On. Finally, in Expressions and Reflections, people are able to reflect back on what they learned. This last room is stationed in the former kindergarten room.

The bookstore at the national historic site contains books on the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka court case, on segregation and the journey to equality, on African Americans, and on the National Park Service in general.