Located about an hour from both New Orleans and Baton Rouge at the intersection of Interstates 12 and 55, Hammond is becoming one of the newest suburbs of both cities.  It is the largest city in Tangipahoa Parish and home to Southeastern Louisiana University.

Hammond's top attraction is the Tangipahoa African American Museum and Veterans Archives.  This museum tells the story of African-Americans in all their permutations; from family life to Civil Rights, arts and entertainment to inventions, sports, medicine, architecture, politics, religion, law and technology. The museum is dedicated to preserving, maintaining and educating the public on the history of African-American ancestors in the State of Louisiana and Tangipahoa Parish in collaboration with other entities of cultural interest throughout the United States of America and abroad through artistic endeavors.

Among the museums collections are twenty-three 8' by 5' mural paintings on each side of the hall depicting the plight of African-Americans from life in Africa to slavery to modern day America.

There are three main buildings. The north building has a dinner theater and storage, while the middle building contains the main displays of African-American heritage. The south building offers a spacious banquet hall together with multipurpose conference facilities.

The Officers and Board of Directors of the Tangipahoa African American Heritage Museum are comprised of volunteer members of the community who believe in the mission of preserving and sharing our culture and heritage.  According to Delmas Dunn, museum president, "Since we opened our doors, thousands of people have visited our museum to learn more about our African-American Heritage. We feel we have one of the most comprehensive collections of murals, artifacts, photographs and artwork in the southeastern area of the United States. We invite you to visit us soon and experience our rich and proud African-American heritage."

In total, the museum has 8,200 sq. ft. and features eight exhibit rooms on everything from the Underground Railroad to Sports Heroes and an active Genealogy Lab.

The museum, which originated in the 1980s, is fully capable of hosting events.  The Dinner Theater seats 200, the Heritage Center seats 500 and the Annex can hold up to 50 people. The facility also boasts a restaurant, along with a recording studio, heritage garden, and plans to install a Viet Nam memorial wall.  Catering is available at the Museum, which is open Monday through Friday 10-4, and Saturday by appointment only for groups of 10 or more.

In addition to its popularity as a venue for small meetings and conferences, the Tangipahoa African American Museum and Veterans Archives is the perfect backdrop for the region's growing family reunions business.  Tangipahoa Parish offers more than 1,200 hotel rooms, five bed and breakfast establishments and eight campgrounds. The largest venue is the Quality Inn & Conference Center in Hammond.  This property has 171-rooms with a 4,131-sq. ft. ballroom that can be configured in a variety of settings. 

For more information visit the museum's website at www.taahm.org or call (985) 542-4259.