Museum of Durham History, at 500 W. Main Street between Downtown Durham and Brightleaf Square, is free to visit.
It’s open Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. It’s open late for Durham Third Friday.
Events with Museum of Durham History
Opening Event: “Booker T. Spicely: Citizen, Soldier, Martyr, Hero”
Friday, August 22, 2025
6 to 8 p.m.
Free
On Friday, August 22, at 6:00 PM, the Museum of Durham History will unveil a new outdoor banner exhibit, Booker T. Spicely: Citizen, Soldier, Martyr, Hero, in partnership with the Booker T. Spicely Committee and with corporate support from Your Part-Time Controller (YPTC).
This exhibition tells the powerful story of Private First-Class Booker T. Spicely, a Black soldier stationed at Camp Butner during World War II. In July 1944, while visiting Durham, Spicely was ordered by a white bus driver to move to the back of the bus. Though he complied, Spicely spoke out, noting that he was fighting for democracy overseas. Moments later, the bus driver shot and killed him—an act that became one of many tragic incidents during the Jim Crow era in which African Americans lost their lives while demanding equal rights at home.
The exhibit places Spicely’s story within the broader context of similar injustices faced by Black Americans during World War II. Originally funded by the City of Durham’s Cultural & Public Art Program, the full exhibition was also on display earlier this summer at the Hayti Heritage Center. The Museum of Durham History is honored to extend its reach by installing the story on striking outdoor banners along the Museum’s sidewalk frames, allowing passersby in Downtown Durham and the Brightleaf District to view them at any time, day or night.
Geer Cemetery Pop-Up Event
Saturday, August 23, 2025
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Free
On Saturday, August 23, be sure to visit the MoDH for an all ages pop-up event from the Friends of Geer Cemetery focusing on artifacts and genealogy.
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More Events
Check out our list of free and cheap events in Raleigh and the rest of the Triangle this weekend, or our full event calendar in the Triangle, or just look at few upcoming events here:
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