The African American Museum in Dallas, located in Fair Park, preserves and presents African American artistic, cultural, and historical materials. Founded in 1974 as part of Bishop College’s Special Collections and independent since 1979, it is identified as the only museum of its kind in the Southwestern United States. Its 38,000-square-foot building, funded by private donations and a 1985 city bond, was designed with natural materials and motifs evoking pre-industrialized African cultures. The museum houses galleries, a research library, and educational spaces, with collections spanning African and African American art, archives, and one of the nation’s largest collections of African American folk art.