In November 2016, I managed to get a reservation to visit the Smithsonian’s newest museum in Washington, D.C.: the National Museum of African American History and Culture. I lined up on a cold, damp day in the shadow of the Washington Monument with hundreds of others who were eager to see what this new place was all about.

Established by an act of Congress in 2003, hundreds of scholars, artists, historians, and educators had been planning the exhibits and display space for years, even as the building itself was being erected on the National Mall. The only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, history, and culture, it opened to the public on September 24, 2016, as the 19th museum of the Smithsonian Institution.

I have always loved history and thought I had a decent understanding of where African Americans fit into our nation’s story. But as I walked the suggested path through the museum’s history halls, I felt like my eyes were being opened to threads that connected names and dates and events in ways that I had never seen before. I suddenly recognized connections between the slave trade and the country’s economic achievements that I had never seen before. I had always known about the injustices of Jim Crow laws, but I had never actually read any of the text of those laws before that visit. I was stunned by the sweep and the impact.

And I learned of heroes who I had never heard of before, such as Robert Smalls, read poetry from Phyllis Wheatley and Maya Angelou, heard recordings of inspiring speeches and groundbreaking music, admired art and design. I left that day stunned and inspired. I’ve returned several times since that initial visit and have always learned something new, made a new connection, been awed by artistry and achievement.

Do yourself a favor and make sure you visit this stunning museum. It is a treasure house of history and culture, art and music, biography and geography. You will understand our country better after a visit here.

The museum was designed and built by David Adjaye and Philip Freelon. Its design includes many symbolic elements.