Slave History Museum, National museum in Marina Beach, Calabar, Nigeria
The Slave History Museum occupies a fifteenth-century warehouse structure near Marina Beach and documents the trade through life-size recreations and original artifacts. Its collection includes restraints, chains, and period trading goods that illustrate the scale and methods of this commerce.
Calabar became a major Atlantic trade port from the 1600s through the 1800s, with the settlement of merchant communities who controlled the system. The building was preserved to ensure this period was not forgotten.
The displays show how people were processed and held before departure, reflecting the tragic reality of the trade as it unfolded in this port city. Visitors see the routes and methods that connected the local community to this dark chapter.
The museum is open to visitors daily and staff members provide guided tours that help explain the displays and their context. It sits in a central location near other attractions, making it convenient to include in a local visit.
The structure itself served as a barracoon with holding cells where people were confined before boarding vessels. Walking through these same spaces gives visitors a direct sense of the confinement and conditions people endured.
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