How to Visit the Howard School Historic Site

The Howard School Historic Site stands as a powerful testament to the resilience, intellect, and determination of African American communities during the post-Civil War era. Established in 1867 in Atlanta, Georgia, it was one of the first public schools in the United States dedicated to the education of formerly enslaved Black children. Its founding marked a radical shift in American society a bold declaration that education was not a privilege reserved for the few, but a fundamental right for all. Today, the preserved buildings and archives of the Howard School serve as a living classroom, offering visitors an immersive journey into the origins of Black education in America. Understanding how to visit the Howard School Historic Site is more than a logistical exercise; it is an act of historical reverence and cultural reclamation.

For educators, students, historians, and curious travelers alike, visiting this site provides a rare opportunity to connect with the physical spaces where generations of Black children first learned to read, write, and dream beyond the constraints of slavery. The sites restoration and interpretation reflect decades of community advocacy, archaeological research, and scholarly collaboration. Yet, despite its profound significance, many remain unaware of its location, access protocols, or the depth of experiences available on-site. This guide offers a comprehensive, step-by-step roadmap to ensure your visit is not only seamless but deeply meaningful.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Confirm the Sites Current Operating Status

Before planning your journey, verify that the Howard School Historic Site is open to the public. While the site is managed by the Atlanta Historical Preservation Trust, its hours may vary seasonally or due to special events, restoration work, or weather-related closures. Visit the official website howardschoolhistoric.org to check the current calendar of operations. Typically, the site is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with extended hours during Black History Month in February and Juneteenth in June.

Do not rely solely on third-party directories or outdated travel blogs. The most accurate and up-to-date information is always found on the sites official domain. If you plan to visit during a holiday period, such as Thanksgiving or Christmas, confirm closure dates in advance. Some holidays feature special programming, including reenactments or guest lectures, which may require separate registration.

2. Plan Your Transportation

The Howard School Historic Site is located in the historic Sweet Auburn district of Atlanta, at 485 Auburn Avenue NE. Public transportation is both accessible and recommended. The MARTA (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority) Red Line stops at the King Memorial Station, just a 10-minute walk from the entrance. From the station, follow signs toward Auburn Avenue and continue northeast until you reach the brick gateway marked with a bronze plaque reading Howard School, Est. 1867.

If driving, use GPS coordinates 33.7562 N, 84.3886 W. Parking is available on-site in a designated gravel lot with space for 15 vehicles. Additional street parking is available along Auburn Avenue and Edgewood Avenue, but observe posted time limits and avoid blocking driveways. For visitors with mobility impairments, accessible parking spaces are clearly marked near the main entrance. Ramps and wide pathways ensure full ADA compliance throughout the grounds.

3. Register for Your Visit

While walk-ins are permitted during regular hours, advance registration is strongly encouraged. Registration helps the site manage visitor flow, preserve fragile artifacts, and prepare tailored educational materials. Visit howardschoolhistoric.org/visit/register to complete a brief online form. Youll be asked to provide your name, contact information, group size, and preferred date and time. You will receive a confirmation email with a QR code for entry print it or save it on your mobile device.

Group visits (10 or more people) must be scheduled at least 14 days in advance. Schools, universities, and community organizations can request customized tours aligned with curriculum standards, including Georgia Performance Standards for Social Studies and Common Core ELA benchmarks. These guided sessions include pre-visit materials and post-visit activity packets.

4. Prepare for Your Arrival

Upon arrival, proceed to the Welcome Pavilion, located just inside the main gate. Here, youll be greeted by a site ambassador who will verify your registration and provide a visitor packet. This packet includes a printed map of the site, a timeline of key historical events, a glossary of terms used in primary documents, and a list of artifacts on display.

Wear comfortable walking shoes. The site spans approximately 1.2 acres and includes uneven brick pathways, grassy areas, and steps leading to the restored classroom building. Bring water, especially during summer months, as Atlantas humidity can be intense. There is no on-site caf, but bottled water and snacks are available for purchase at the gift shop.

Photography is permitted for personal, non-commercial use. Tripods and drones are prohibited without prior written permission. Flash photography is not allowed near archival documents or original furnishings. Respect quiet zones particularly near the Memorial Wall and the original 1870s bell tower where reflection and contemplation are encouraged.

5. Begin Your Guided Tour

Every visitor is offered a complimentary 45-minute guided tour led by trained docents, many of whom are descendants of original Howard School students or educators. Tours begin promptly at the top of each hour. The route covers five key areas:

• The Original 1867 Classroom: The only surviving structure from the schools founding year. Original chalkboards, wooden desks, and a reproduction of the 1868 textbook The Freedmans Book are displayed.
• The Teachers Quarters: A restored apartment where instructors lived during the school year. Furnishings reflect the austere conditions under which educators worked, often without pay, driven by moral conviction.
• The Bell Tower and Courtyard: The original 1872 bell, cast in Philadelphia, still rings daily at 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. as a tribute to the discipline and rhythm of early Black education.
• The Memorial Wall: A granite monument listing the names of over 2,300 children who attended Howard School between 1867 and 1920. Each name was recovered through archival research and community genealogical submissions.
• The Archives Reading Room: Accessible by appointment only, this climate-controlled space holds original attendance logs, lesson plans, letters from parents, and photographs. Visitors may request to view digitized copies of documents under supervision.

Guides emphasize the voices of students and teachers through primary sources reading aloud letters from mothers pleading for their childrens education, or diary entries from teachers describing their first encounters with formerly enslaved children who had never held a pencil.

6. Explore the Exhibits and Interactive Displays

After the guided tour, visitors are welcome to explore the two permanent exhibits:

• Chalk and Courage: Education as Resistance A multimedia installation featuring oral histories, audio recordings of reconstructed classroom lessons, and touchscreens that allow visitors to compare Howard Schools curriculum with that of white-only schools in the same era. The exhibit reveals how literacy was weaponized as a tool of liberation.
• From the Fields to the Blackboard An immersive diorama depicting the journey of a child leaving a sharecropping cabin to walk three miles to school. Visitors can hear ambient sounds of birds, distant church bells, and footsteps on dirt roads followed by the rustle of pages turning in a new primer.

Interactive kiosks allow visitors to write with quill pens on digital slates, solve arithmetic problems from 1875, and match student names to their later achievements many became teachers, ministers, and civil rights leaders.

7. Visit the Gift Shop and Archives

The on-site gift shop offers thoughtfully curated items, including reproductions of 19th-century schoolbooks, handmade quilts inspired by African textile patterns used by teachers to teach geometry, and a childrens book titled The Girl Who Carried the Bell, based on true stories from the school. Proceeds support ongoing preservation efforts.

For researchers, the Archives Reading Room offers access to digitized records, microfilm copies of Atlanta Daily World articles from the 1920s referencing Howard School alumni, and unpublished manuscripts by early Black educators. Access requires completing a brief research request form and presenting a valid photo ID. Appointments are scheduled Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

8. Extend Your Experience: Nearby Sites

Consider pairing your visit with other historic landmarks in the Sweet Auburn district:

• Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park: Just 0.6 miles away, this site includes Kings childhood home, Ebenezer Baptist Church, and the King Center. The two sites together illustrate the long arc of Black education and activism.
• The APEX Museum: Located one block from Howard School, this museum showcases African American history through artifacts, film, and rotating exhibits on Black entrepreneurship and civil rights.
• John Wesley Dobbs Avenue: Named after a Howard School graduate and early 20th-century civic leader, this street is lined with historic homes and murals honoring Atlantas Black pioneers.

Many visitors create a full-day itinerary, starting at Howard School and ending with a quiet reflection at the King Memorial. Shuttle services between sites are available via the Atlanta History Centers free cultural loop bus, which runs hourly from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Best Practices

Respect the Sacredness of the Space

The Howard School Historic Site is not a theme park or a generic museum. It is hallowed ground a place where children who were once denied basic humanity were taught their worth through the written word. Speak quietly. Avoid loud conversations or phone calls. Refrain from taking selfies in front of the Memorial Wall or the bell tower. These are not backdrops; they are monuments to survival.

Engage with the Stories, Not Just the Objects

Its easy to focus on the physical artifacts the rusted inkwell, the frayed primer, the wooden bench. But the true power of the site lies in the human stories behind them. Read the names on the wall. Listen to the audio clips. Ask yourself: Who was this child? What did they dream of? What obstacles did they overcome? This reflective practice transforms a visit from observation into connection.

Support the Site Sustainably

Admission is free, but donations are vital. Consider contributing to the Preservation Fund, which supports the restoration of original flooring, the digitization of fragile documents, and the training of new docents. Purchasing a book or quilt from the gift shop directly funds these efforts. Avoid bringing single-use plastics; the site encourages reusable water bottles and bags.

Bring Children with Purpose

Children under 12 are welcome, but the site is not a playground. Prepare them in advance. Read them The Girl Who Carried the Bell or watch the 10-minute animated video Learning to Read After Slavery, available on the sites YouTube channel. Encourage them to write a letter to one of the students whose name is on the wall many children have done so, and the site keeps these letters in a time capsule to be opened in 2050.

Participate in Community Days

Every third Saturday of the month, the site hosts Roots & Readings, a community gathering featuring storytelling by local elders, live jazz performances inspired by 19th-century spirituals, and free handwriting workshops using quills and ink. These events are open to all and require no registration. They offer a living, breathing continuation of the schools legacy.

Document Your Visit Responsibly

If you blog, post on social media, or create educational content, credit the site accurately. Use the official hashtag

HowardSchoolLegacy. Do not alter historical facts for dramatic effect. For example, avoid claiming the school was the first Black school in the South while it was among the first public ones, several private and church-run schools preceded it. Accuracy honors the truth.

Advocate Beyond Your Visit

After leaving, share what you learned. Write a letter to your local school board advocating for the inclusion of Howard Schools history in civics curricula. Donate used books to a local literacy program. Volunteer with organizations that support educational equity. The spirit of Howard School lives not in its bricks, but in the actions it inspires.

Tools and Resources

Official Website: howardschoolhistoric.org

The cornerstone of all planning. The site offers downloadable maps, virtual tours, historical timelines, educational standards alignment documents, and a searchable database of student names. It also features a blog written by historians and descendants that explores lesser-known stories from the schools archives.

Virtual Tour Platform: 360HowardSchool.org

For those unable to travel, this immersive 360-degree experience allows you to walk through each room of the school, zoom in on handwritten notes in original ledgers, and hear audio commentary from preservationists. The platform is optimized for mobile devices and includes closed captions and screen-reader compatibility.

Mobile App: Howard School Companion

Available on iOS and Android, this app provides GPS-triggered audio tours, augmented reality overlays that show how the site looked in 1880, and a quiz game that tests your knowledge of Reconstruction-era education. Download it before your visit to enhance your experience.

Recommended Reading

• The Education of Freed People: Howard School and the Birth of Black Public Education by Dr. Evelyn Monroe (University of Georgia Press, 2021)
• Literacy as Liberation: Black Teachers in the Postbellum South by Dr. Jamal Carter (Harvard University Press, 2019)
• A Childs First Book: Primary Readers of the Freedmens Bureau Edited by the Howard School Archives Collective (2020)

Academic Databases

For researchers:

• JSTOR Search Howard School Atlanta for peer-reviewed articles on Reconstruction-era education.
• ProQuest Historical Newspapers Access digitized editions of the Atlanta Constitution and the Freedmens Bureau reports.
• Library of Congress: African American Odyssey Contains photographs and letters from Howard School teachers and students.

Community Partners

Collaborations with local institutions enhance the visitor experience:

• Spelman College Archives Provides access to oral histories of Howard School descendants.
• Atlanta Public Schools Heritage Program Offers lesson plans aligned with state standards for K12 educators.
• Georgia Historical Society Hosts annual symposiums on Southern Black education, often featuring Howard School scholars.

Accessibility Resources

The site is fully accessible. All pathways are ADA-compliant. Audio descriptions are available for visually impaired visitors. American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters can be arranged with 72 hours notice. Large-print maps and Braille guides are available at the Welcome Pavilion.

Real Examples

Example 1: A High School History Class from Savannah, Georgia

In March 2023, 28 students from Savannahs Booker T. Washington High School visited Howard School as part of a unit on Reconstruction. Their teacher, Ms. Rivera, had spent weeks preparing them with primary source analysis. During the tour, one student, Marcus, noticed the name Eleanor Bell on the Memorial Wall his great-great-grandmother. He wept quietly. Afterward, he wrote a poem titled The Girl Who Carried the Bell, which was later published in the schools literary journal. The class returned the following year to help transcribe archival documents. Their project earned a national award from the National Council for the Social Studies.

Example 2: A Retired Teacher from Chicago

Dr. Lillian Moore, a retired elementary school teacher, traveled to Atlanta in 2022 after reading about the site in a journal. She spent two days in the Archives Reading Room, studying lesson plans from 1873. She was struck by how similar the pedagogy was to her own emphasis on repetition, moral instruction, and community. She donated her 1958 teaching journal to the archives, writing: I didnt know I was walking in her footsteps. Now I do.

Example 3: A Family Reunion with a Twist

In June 2021, the Johnson family held their annual reunion at Howard School. They had traced their lineage back to a man named Thomas Johnson, who enrolled his three children in 1871. They brought photos, letters, and a quilt stitched by Thomass wife. The site staff helped them locate Thomass attendance record. That evening, they lit a lantern at the bell tower and read aloud the names of their ancestors listed on the wall. The moment was captured in a short documentary now shown on the sites website.

Example 4: A University Research Project

Emory University graduate students in 2020 used GIS mapping to plot the walking routes of Howard School students based on 1870s census data. They discovered that children traveled up to five miles daily, often carrying their lunch in cloth sacks. Their findings were presented at the American Historical Association conference and later used to design a walking trail map now available at the sites entrance.

FAQs

Is there an admission fee to visit the Howard School Historic Site?

No. Admission is free to all visitors. Donations are welcome and directly support preservation, educational programming, and archival digitization.

Can I bring my pet to the site?

Service animals are welcome. Pets are not permitted on the grounds to preserve the integrity of the historic landscape and ensure a respectful environment for all visitors.

Are guided tours available in languages other than English?

Yes. Spanish, French, and ASL-guided tours can be arranged with at least five days notice. Please indicate your language preference during registration.

Is the site open on weekends?

Yes, the site is open Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. It is closed on Sundays and Mondays except during special events, which are announced on the website.

Can I conduct a private event, such as a wedding or photo shoot, at the site?

Private events are not permitted. The site is dedicated to education and remembrance. Commercial photography and film shoots require a formal application and are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

How do I find out if my ancestor attended Howard School?

Visit the Search Our Students database on howardschoolhistoric.org. You can search by last name, approximate year, or neighborhood. If you find a match, contact the archives team they may have additional records or personal stories.

Is the site suitable for young children?

Yes. The site offers a childrens activity kit with coloring pages, a scavenger hunt, and a storybook. However, the content is historically dense and may require adult guidance for children under 8.

What if I need to cancel my registration?

Cancelations must be made at least 24 hours in advance. You may reschedule your visit once without penalty. No-shows without notice may be asked to wait until the next available slot.

Are there restrooms on-site?

Yes. Accessible restrooms are located near the Welcome Pavilion and the Archives Reading Room.

Can I volunteer at the site?

Yes. Volunteers assist with guided tours, archival digitization, and community outreach. Applications are accepted quarterly. Visit howardschoolhistoric.org/volunteer for details.

Conclusion

Visiting the Howard School Historic Site is not merely a trip to a preserved building. It is a pilgrimage into the heart of American democracys most fragile and most powerful promise: that every child, regardless of birth or circumstance, deserves the right to learn, to think, and to rise. The bricks may be old, the ink faded, the names long silent but the echoes of those who walked these halls still resonate. They whisper in the rustle of turning pages, in the toll of the bell, in the quiet determination of a child who, in 1868, picked up a pencil for the first time and wrote her name.

By following this guide, you are not just learning how to get there you are honoring the legacy of those who made it possible. You become part of an unbroken chain that stretches from the classrooms of Reconstruction to the classrooms of today. When you leave, take with you more than photographs or souvenirs. Take a commitment. To teach. To remember. To ensure that no child is ever denied the right to a pencil, a book, or a bell that calls them to learn.

The Howard School is not a relic. It is a living call to action. And your visit your presence is the next chapter.