Melania Trump visits former slave facility on Africa trip: 'I will never forget the stories'

US first lady arrives in Ghana for solo Africa trip

Mrs. Trump arrived in the West African nation on Tuesday to open her first extended solo international tour. It's also her first visit to Africa.

While in Africa on her first international solo trip as first lady, Melania Trump visited a historic former slave holding facility in Ghana, calling the experience “very emotional.”

Trump spent about an hour on a tour Wednesday of the 17th century Cape Coast Castle, including inside the castle's dungeon for male slaves -- used as a holding area before they were sent across the Atlantic Ocean. She said the tour is “really something that people should see and experience.”

PHOTOS: US FIRST LADY ARRIVES IN GHANA FOR SOLO AFRICA TRIP

First lady Melania Trump tours Cape Coast Castle with museum educator Kwesi Essel-Blankson in Ghana on Oct. 3, 2018. The first lady is visiting Africa on her first solo international trip. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

“This is a very special place. I will never forget the stories,” Trump said at the castle. “What happened so many years ago … it’s really a tragedy.”

Trump laid a wreath near the “Door of No Return,” which leads to the ocean. She also signed a guestbook, telling reporters she inscribed an appreciation for the “warm welcome” she has received.

Prior to her tour at the Cape Coast Castle, Trump participated in the ritual of asking permission of Ghana King Osabarimba Kwesi Atta II to visit the grounds. The cultural formality took place in the “Obama Hall” at the Emintsimadze Palace.

MELANIA TRUMP ARRIVES IN GHANA FOR FIRST SOLO INTERNATIONAL TRIP AS FIRST LADY

On Tuesday, Trump visited the Greater Accra Regional Hospital in Ghana and spent some time with a baby clinic. She passed out teddy bears and baby blankets as she spoke with children and held infants.

Trump’s trip is expected to include plenty of visits to hospitals, schools and shelters as part of her efforts to focus on the well-being of children. The mother of a 12-year-old son, child welfare is a particularly important issue for the first lady, who launched her advocacy initiative "Be Best" earlier this year. As Trump says, the campaign is “shining a spotlight on successful programs and organizations that teach children tools and skills.”

Trump also met with Ghana’s first lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo, at the presidential palace Tuesday. The pair had previously met earlier this year during the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

First lady Melania Trump looks up as she walks through the "Door Of No Return" with museum educator Kwesi Essel-Blankson as she visits Cape Coast Castle in Ghana on Oct. 3, 2018. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

The women traded gifts Tuesday: a White House tray in a signed leather case for Akufo-Addo and a Kente cloth and artifacts for Trump.

Next up on her trip are visits to Malawi, Kenya and Egypt. Trump joins other first ladies – Laura Bush, Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama – who also made solo trips to Africa.

Fox News’ Paul Tilsley and The Associated Press contributed to this report.