Brown V Board of Education National Historical Park

Ranger Lawson and Ranger Jeff welcomed me from the moment I stopped into this historic building. Ranger Lawson directed me towards the exhibits and made himself available if I needed.The exhibits were amazing. The videos and interactive media were all functioning. DYK there were actually five cases that were combined and argued in front of the Supreme Court in 1954, combined they were known as the historic Brown vs Topeka Board of Education that ended segregation of schools in the U.S. in 1954.The Hall of Courage is an interesting exhibit that shows videos of discrimination on both sides. It attempts to mimic the feeling that folks back in the 1950s and the Jim Crow South had to deal with. The building also has a recreation of a kindergarten in Topeka during the 1950. Where teachers believed that play was the highest form of learning. So children could let their minds run free and creativity develop their curious minds.The Legacy Room has plenty of exhibits. I particularly liked the Wall of Courage, that highlight post-Brown heroes, and the Protest in Music exhibit that had songs from Marvin Gaye, Bob Marley, Bob Dylan, to Public Enemy. I'm so happy to have had the opportunity to learn more about the case and be on the grounds where the one of the cases originated. This location presents the information well, and visitors cannot help but feel proud about the event.

I was on my way from Abilene to Kansas City, so I stopped here and by the Kansas state Capitol. This is the school at the epicenter of Brown v. Board of Education, one of the lawsuits initiated by Thurgood Marshall in order to overturn segregation.The ranger was welcoming and super nice. The gift shop attendant was helpful. The exhibits are laid out nicely and are well organized. Each exhibit demonstrates the before, during, and after periods of the Brown decision.There is a moving portion where you walk down a hallway of video footage of white people screaming vitriol at the black students attempting to integrate the school. Powerful.There is also a 20-25 minute video.Unique historical stop very close to the state Capitol. You could easily do both in three to four hours or so.

Simply amazing exhibit and heartbreaking at the same time at the original Monroe Elementary School.

No need for a long review. If you can't come to this place, free of charge, and see the cultural significance coupled with the significance to today's America... you need to self reflect. You are among history throughout this place. Orginal chairs, water fountains, bricks, etc, is what you are walking into here. Just take a look and see for yourself what is here.

Important and well run historical site, excellent rangers and facilities. Very glad that I was able to bring my child.

Wonderful museum housed in the original Monroe Elementary school building. Parents of six students that attended the school in 1949 participated in the brown vs Board of Education lawsuit. This led to a breakthrough ruling about separate educational facilities for black students being inherently unequal. The museum has so much information about that historic court case, what led up to it and where we've come since then.

We came by here on the way to AAU Junior Olympics from Texas. Being a history teacher, I wanted to educate myself a little more on this really important Supreme Court case. First I want to compliment the staff and park rangers who run this place and educate the visitors. Whoever came up with the fun interactive activities is a genius and I will be stealing some of your ideas for my class. The park rangers are knowledgeable and some of the friendliest rangers I have ever met. Jeffrey took the time to talk to us and help my son with his Junior Ranger activities, and talked to my son about being a park ranger. I wish I remembered the names of the other nice gentlemen that were working there, but everyone was great. My compliments also to whoever set up the museum in the way that you did. I loved how you utilized each room in the schoolhouse to tell different aspects of the fight to end segregation in the school system. Also, if you are knowledgeable about Kenneth and Mamie Clark's doll tests, they have one of the four dolls on display in a display case. I just read a book on the history of the tests they did, and this added to what I learned from the book. Overall, this place was just amazing. It was very clean (even the bathrooms), welcoming, and educational. They actually had quite a few people visiting when were there too. If you have an appetite to learn, and are willing to drive into Topeka, you must visit this place.

I have been taking trips to all the National monuments, parks, rivers, and other historic sites. Usually love the informative people the great exhibits and learning about each location and the great history changing events. Was disappointed to see a whole room with a wall of current events/political opinion pieces about things going on presently not historic and it just had an awkward negative controversial feel to it. That was made worse by an uncomfortable debate/confrontation going on in the doorway. I guess that's the atmosphere they are going for. Also it smells horrible in the building, so much so that I went through too fast.

Way back in 1954, the Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, even if the segregated schools are otherwise equal in quality. A unanimous decision that the policy violated the Fourteenth Amendment under the Equal Protection Clause. This decision paved the way for the Civil Rights movement.The Brown family, a family of black Americans here in Topeka, filed the suit after the local school district refused to enroll their daughter in the school closest to their home. Instead, they required her to ride a bus to a blacks-only school further away. Represented by Thurgood Marshall, who would go on to sit on the Supreme Court.There's lots to see here in the Monroe School, which is open to the public as a National Historic Site. An organized itinerary took me through the auditorium, an exhibit gallery showing the history to this point, another gallery showing the Civil Rights Movement that followed and the original kindergarten room that has been restored to its 1954 appearance. There is also a bookstore with appropriate materials.Well worth the visit.[Review 11425 overall, 1203 of 2019.]

There isn't a ton in terms of historical/educational locations around, and given the importance of the historical site, coming here is well worth the time. If you work in the education/legal field, you most definitely need to visit.The museum is clean, organized, and comfortable. Having the museum at one of the original schools that the case stemmed from made visiting more significant. The exhibits can evoke emotions but are informative and educational. There's a video you can watch about the history of the subject. Other than that, there are a few rooms with exhibits, which you can cover fairly quickly. You'll get a good sense of the time period and the case without feeling like it's tedious.