National Museum of African American History and Culture opens in DC

The long-awaited National Museum of African American History and Culture opened in Washington, DC on Saturday, attracting presidents, civil rights icons, artists and celebrities.

The museum opened its doors after a dedication ceremony by President Barack Obama. Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush also attended the opening, according to CNN.

"This national museum helps to tell a richer and fuller story of who we are," Obama said in his dedication. "By knowing this other story we better understand ourselves and each other. It binds us together. It reaffirms that all of us are America, that African-American history is not somehow separate from our larger American story."

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Obama was joined by civil rights hero Rep. John Lewis, Oprah Winfrey and 7,000 others at the museum's inauguration.

Lewis fought for the museum in Congress for years, and Bush signed a bill ordering its creation in 2003. The museum was proposed as long as a century ago by black veterans of the Civil War.

The museum itself is filled with artifacts and history from the lives of African-Americans throughout US history -- everything from Harriet Tubman's shawl to the uneven bar grips Gabby Douglas used at the 2012 Olympics.

The museum is free, but passes have to be reserved in advance. Right now, they're reserved through December, with a few tickets available when the museum opens every morning.