The Black Hair Experience Atlanta: The 1st Fun Tribute to Black Hair
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Ngl, my sister put me onto The Black Hair Experience. If you didn’t already know, my sister is a certified cool cat who lives in Los Angeles. She came across The Black Hair Experience pop-up for Los Angeles and told me I needed to come visit so we could go together.
Unfortunately, it was right when I was leaving for my two month sabbatical around the American South. So…what did I do?
I went without her #erp
There are just a few locations at the moment, but I just so happened to be visiting the location where it all started – Atlanta. I mean…Atlanta IS Black culture, so I couldn’t NOT stop by. It wasn’t my first time in Atlanta (or even my second), but is was my first time in Atlanta as an adult (with money), so once I get all of my thoughts sorted, I can’t wait to publish more posts about my time in Atlanta. But first – let me tell you about this place.
Table of Contents
What is The Black Hair Experience
Okay, so let’s get into the basics. What is it? What do you do? Etc etc.
So in the most straight-forward of explanations, The Black Hair Experience is a pop-up selfie museum themed around Black hair and experiences stemming from having Black hair.
If you don’t know what that means…mmm…you don’t have Black hair. Point blank period.
Now, selfie-based museums aren’t a new thing. The most popular probably being the Museum of Ice Cream back in 2016, though 29Rooms in New York City was probably among the first in 2015. Since then, there have been others like The Color Factory, Candytopia, teamLab Borderless, and 3D museums such as the Alive Museum in Seoul, South Korea.
Selfie-museums, also referred to as “Instagram” museums, aren’t really museums in the traditional sense (educational, non-profit, etc), but more so rather built as art galleries or installations that visitors can pose with the art so that they are part of the installation. So selfie-museums usually have colorful backdrops, optical illusions, oversized props, or themed rooms as part of their interactive art space.
With all of that information, you can probably deduce that The Black Hair Experience also has these same characteristics, but specifically focused on all things “Black hair.”
Locations for The Black Hair Experience
Currently, there are three open locations for The Black Hair Experience, but with more on the horizon! I’ll briefly list them each here. The Black Hair Experience is currently only in the United States of America.
- Atlanta, Georgia
- DMV (larger D.C. area)
- Los Angeles, California
- Austin, Texas
- Houston, Texas – coming soon
- New York City, New York – coming soon
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – coming soon
- Charlotte, North Carolina – coming soon
That said, because of the quasi-temporary nature of selfie-museums, a certain location may not be around forever. So I suggest visiting when you have the opportunity! Each location also might have unique backdrops, which is more than enough reason for me to visit more than one!
Entrance Price and Times
This is probably the section you’ve all been waiting for. GIRL HOW MUCH IS IT?!?!? Tickets to The Black Hair Experience in Atlanta are $28.00 USD per person. I haven’t seen different prices for children or elders, soooo…if you are someone in your party is looking for a discount, you might have to call and ask about that. VIP admission is $48.00 USD and includes a swag bag. I didn’t do the VIP option tho so idk what’s included 😭
The Atlanta location specifically is officially open on traditional weekends, Saturday and Sunday, 10am-8pm. They may open during other times, so keep an eye on their social media page if weekends don’t work for you.
Also on that note, opening times are VERY dependent on location. In fact, they ARE different. The Los Angeles location is open Friday-Monday. Plus, with a pandemic and all, opening times for ANY attraction can change frequently. So please look up the specific location you are visiting for the most accurate times.
Alright now back to Atlanta. If you look up the location on Google Maps (tho I recommend Waze), it might give you a little bit of a wonky location. It will get you to the general area, but the building numbers are off/not updated. My suggestion would be to park in the on-site parking garage of the shopping center (The Black Hair Experience Atlanta validates the parking pass heyyooo!!). Instead of heading straight across from the parking garage (what google maps will tell you), it’s actually located on the corner of the same block. There is also street parking but…why pay?????
How Much Time to Budget
I would say at least budget an hour if you want to have fun and take pictures – and that’s if it’s not too busy (more on that later). The tickets do not have a specific time window or limit, just an entrance window. So if you arrive bright and early at 10am (that’s bright and early for me), you could technically stay all day until closing. But, unless you’re an influencer, you probably won’t spend more than two hours.
Okay, what if you go with a group of people? Same deal. I’d budget for about two hours for groups 6 people or under – just so everyone gets their shot and you can coordinate group pictures.
If you are an influencer and are trying to get the most content for your visit, I’d say aim for about three hours. There are changing rooms and whatnot (more on that later too!), so you can really spend some time getting the shot. BUT, with that in mind, The Black Experience in Atlanta isn’t TOO big, there were about ten or so backdrops, plus a little extra on the walls/floors you can pose with, so it’s not like there’s a ton to get through.
What to Expect
Okay, so it’s finally time to check out The Black Experience. What’s it going to be like? Well, I can’t answer for everyone, but I can give you my perspective and some things I noticed that might be useful for your trip!
Depending on when you visit, you may or may not have to sign a “Covid-19” waiver, but with the CDC saying “🖕🏽🖕🏽”, who knows how long that’ll be required (anywhere really. We BeAt CoViD!!!!). Then once you’re in, you’ll get a SUPER short intro from the person who scans your tickets.
I’m talking super short like “bathrooms are in the back, have fun :)” kind of intro. Very low interaction, you can really just go off and do your own thing. Now with that said, all of the backdrops are essentially in one room. Aside from the bathrooms/changing areas, there are no walls or dividers.
Meaning you can see everyone posing for their pictures, and everyone can see you.
This isn’t inherently a bad thing, seriously, NO ONE is critiquing you or judging you (we’re all visiting to take pictures!), but if you are shy or nervous in front of others, that is something to be aware of in advance. Besides, sometimes it can work to your advantage so you can use someone else’s poses in your own pictures! (I’d also recommend checking out their IG page for inspiration!)
Okay, going back to the influencer side of things – there’s ARE changing rooms!! So feel free to bring a suitcase full of your hottest looks and highest heels. However, at The Black Hair Experience in Atlanta, there were no ring lights in front of the backdrops, so if you want, you might want to bring your own. I’m not a ring light gal, but I thought the lighting in the building was already pretty good.
Oh! There is also a mini section in The Black Hair Experience in Atlanta where you can purchase hair and beauty items from small Black-owned businesses! Just as an extra boost, I’ll shout out some of them here!
- Nani Bodycare
- Summa Skin
- Hoop Mobb
- By Jamei Lauren
- and of course check out Miiriya, a collection of Black owned vendors!
Overall Thoughts
Compared to a few other selfie-forward museums and attractions I’ve been to, The Black Hair Experience in Atlanta felt very low-key. WHICH I LIKED. For example, at Candytopia, you’re kind of all put together in a group and you move through the exhibits together, which makes it a little weirder to take pictures when you have to go one at a time with a group of strangers.
The Black Hair Experience in Atlanta also felt big enough that we weren’t all on top of each other, which might have to do with the way they space out their timed tickets. There were about three other groups and I never had to wait around until a backdrop opened up. Everyone got to have a turn at each backdrop without delays.
If I remember correctly, the music playlist was good, it wasn’t too cold OR too hot (especially because y’all know I be jumpin around for pictures haha) and the energy was up. The environment at The Black Hair Experience in Atlanta was very comfortable, very encouraging, and very fun.
I enjoyed being surrounded by Black people being cute and nostalgic in our collective Black hair experiences. Especially since I live in Oregon, it’s been a while since I visited an attraction that celebrated Blackness.
Can I Visit If I’m Not Black?
Speaking of.
If you aren’t Black…can you visit The Black Hair Experience?
Erm, well, physically YES YOU CAN VISIT. Like, the ticket checkout counter will not ask you for your Fenty foundation shade. You aren’t going to get curl pattern checked at the door.
The secret password to get in isn’t the n-word.
Or is it?
Nah, I’m joking I’m joking.
Or am I?
All joking aside (👀), the question on your mind isn’t CAN you visit The Black Hair Experience, but rather should you?
Only you can truly make that decision for yourself, but the point of a selfie-museum is to put yourself into the art. You are focusing yourself in the picture and in the theme. You are connecting and relating to the content.
Now, be honest with yourself. If you aren’t Black – what do you know about sitting on the floor in front of the couch while your parental figure greases your scalp and wraps your hair for the night? What do you know about your ear tip getting burned while granny is trying to press your hair for Easter?
Ask yourself, would your hair probably fall out if you got braids? Did your parents have to think about chemically straightening your hair so that you wouldn’t be teased or bullied or have less opportunities? Did you have people uninvitedly stick their fingers in your hair and compare it to animals? Have you been forced to cut your hair or barred from an activity because of your hairstyle?
The CROWN Act was JUST passed in 2019 to prevent discrimination at the workplace and in schools based on “race” based hairstyles such as braids, locks, twists, and knots. And even then, it’s not a federal law. Do YOU need a law to prevent YOUR hair from being discriminated against?
Erm…if the answer is no, then maybe this particular selfie-museum isn’t for you. And you know what? That’s okay! There are other selfie-spots out there for you! I personally wouldn’t go to a selfie-museum that was focused on a piece of culture that I wasn’t apart of because…what am I going to do?? I wouldn’t even understand how to pose with the backdrops!!
But yanno, I get it. Sometimes you get roped into things. For example, my boyfriend, who is not Black and does not have Black hair. He looked at a backdrop and asked me “What is Essence? Why are there metal combs on the stove?”
Bless his heart.
You know what he did the entire visit? Smiled and took pictures of me haha. While he enjoyed the atmosphere, he didn’t feel the need to take pictures of himself because..it wasn’t for him. You know how silly he would look in a Black beauty supply store backdrop???? So moral of the story, know when something isn’t for you. Do whatever you want tho, ultimately. Just don’t come crying to me when your pics look goofy.
Feel free to pick up some hair and beauty products from the shop though, it’ll treat ya skin gooood!
Conclusion: The Black Hair Experience
Overall, I had a great time at The Black Hair Experience in Atlanta and I’m glad my sister gave me the idea to visit so I could do it without her hahah.
Kidding.
It’s a super lowkey activity and a great spot to get some friends together for some pictures and laughs. I’d love to go to another one with friends this time! Erp, and my sister I guess. In my opinion, definitely worth it to stop by and I hope The Black Hair Experience is able to expand to even more locations!
So what’s your take away? Would you want to visit The Black Hair Experience? Or have you already? Let me know in the comments below! Also…WHY IS MY DRESS THE EXACT FABRIC AS THAT COUCH?!?!?
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