Nov. 2, 2024 - Mar. 2, 2025 | Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library
About the Exhibit
Plan Your Visit
The Negro Motorist Green Book and Green Book in D.C. exhibits are open whenever the library is open. Click on items in the accordion menu to learn more about what you can experience both at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library and at eight neighborhood libraries across the District
Sign-Up For a Guided Tour
Dive into the stories of The Green Book with a guided tour of The Negro Motorist Green Book and its complementary exhibit The Green Book in D.C.: A Particular Place for Particular People. Tours are held four times weekly, on Wednesdays at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. and on Saturdays at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. At the end of the tour, visitors will be directed to additional displays and activities inspired by The Green Book throughout the library. Click the link above to sign up for a tour today.
Guided Tour Schedule
- Wednesdays | 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
- Saturdays | 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Participate in the Interactive Stamp Rally
DC Public Library staff have curated a series of compelling installations on the 2nd and 3rd floors of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library. Explore them with a fun Stamp Rally! Pick up a map in the Great Hall of the library, visit each installation, and then stop by nearby library service desks to get your stamp to complete the rally.
Visit the Pop-Up Shop
This exhibit showcases hundreds of beautiful, never-before-seen photos of Black life here in the District during the Green Book and historical artifacts that have been transformed into special keepsakes, journals, postcards and more. Visit the pop-up shop today to see what is on offer.
Pop-Up Shop Hours
- Wednesdays | 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
- Saturdays | 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Visit a Neighborhood Library Capsule Exhibit
Learn more about the role of the Green Book at the Green Book in D.C. exhibit with a capsule version of the exhibit at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library at eight neighborhood libraries, including:
Upcoming Events
Family Movie Day: The Watsons Go to Birmingham
Saturday, Dec. 1, 2 p.m. AND Sunday, Dec. 15, 2 p.m.| Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library
Based on the bestselling book, The Watsons Go to Birmingham, the film chronicles the ordinary interactions and everyday routines of the Watsons, an African American family living in Flint, Michigan, and how they are drastically changed after they go to visit Grandma in Alabama in the summer of 1963.
Green Book Sites of Washington, D.C.
Between its debut in the Green Book and the guide’s final edition, D.C. became a bustling, majority-Black city, attracting Black travelers to galleries showcasing Black artists, a diverse restaurant and nightclub scene, glamorous hotels, and the fellowship of its growing Black middle-class community.
D.C.’s unique role as the nation’s capital meant opportunities for Black workers to earn family-sustaining wages in federal jobs, and federal laws furnished some sanctuary in the Jim Crow era. Many Black Americans visited family who had moved to D.C. during the Great Migration, or to explore tourist sites, including the National Mall, many of which were open to all.
However, traveling to, from, and within D.C. was difficult for Black Americans, and the Green Book offered an essential tool for safe and dignified journeys. Its pages listed more than 150 businesses and organizations supplying a spectrum of services—from Apex Beauty College to the “Ys”. Orbiting largely around Howard University, they formed a nexus of vibrant culture in an atmosphere of safety and security.
Books for Kids and Teens
Books for Adults
The Negro Motorist Green Book was created by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service in collaboration with Candacy Taylor and made possible through the generous support of Exxon Mobil Corporation.
The Arts & Exhibits Program is made possible in part through the generous support of the DC Public Library Foundation.
Green Book in D.C. was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
