Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site, United States

In 1881, Booker T. Washington arrived in Alabama and started building Tuskegee Institute both in reputation and literally brick by brick. He recruited the best and the brightest to come and teach here including George Washington Carver who arrived in 1896. Carver’s innovations in agriculture, especially with peanuts, expanded Tuskegee’s standing throughout the country.

Tuskegee University is a private, historically black university (HBCU) located in Tuskegee, Alabama, United States. It was established by Booker T. Washington. The campus is designated as the Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site by the National Park Service and is the only one in the U.S. to have this designation. The university was home to scientist George Washington Carver and to World War II’s Tuskegee Airmen.

In 1965 Tuskegee University was declared a National Historic Landmark for the significance of its academic programs, its role in higher education for African-Americans, and its status in United States history. Congress authorized the establishment of the Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site.

The Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site was established by the Secretary of the Interior on November 13, 1977. The site preserves historic structures on or near the campus of Tuskegee University, “The Oaks,” the home of Booker T. Washington; the George W. Carver Museum and Grey Columns, an antebellum mansion adjacent to the campus.

The National Historic Site includes The Oaks, Booker T. Washington’s home and the George Washington Carver Museum. As the landmark designation did not define a limited area, the district is believed to have included the entire Tuskegee University campus at the time.

The George Washington Carver Museum

Exhibits, interpretive programs, and a book sales area are available to the public..

Free Ranger-guided tours of “The Oaks”, are available Tuesday through Saturday at 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Due to preservation needs of the home and in order to provide the best visitor experience, tours are limited to 25 visitors maximum. Tours begin at the George W. Carver Museum on the campus of Tuskegee University.

If you have physical limitations, call a Ranger at 334-727-3200 and a Ranger to meet you at the Oaks.

There is no charge to visit the Oaks.

To schedule tours for groups of 15 or more call a park ranger at 334/727-3200 or email.

Historic Campus

The Tuskegee University campus has been designated as a Historic District. The tour includes buildings that were built by Tuskegee Institute students and designed by Robert R. Taylor, the first African American graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A map of the District and limited campus tours are available from the Carver Museum.

Accessibility

The George Washington Carver Museum is wheelchair accessible. Ground floor access is available from the parking deck. Upper level access is available via ramps.

The Oaks is wheelchair accessible to the first floor only via chair lift.

Annual George Washington Carver Arts and Crafts Festival

The George Washington Carver Arts and Crafts Festival was created in recognition of Dr. Carver’s first love, art. This is a day-long festival that encourages artistic expression by means of music, dance, paintings, sculpture, crafts, vendors and other family-oriented activities.