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Journey Along the Civil Rights Trail

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9 Day USA Tour of the American South from Memphis to Atlanta

9 days, 1 country and 6 cities

Accommodation

8 Breakfasts, 1 Welcome Reception, 3 Lunches, 2 Dinners

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Travel to the American South and immerse yourself in its music, art, food and stories, while meeting locals, exploring the sights, and hearing moving first-hand stories from the Civil Rights Movement. Meet activists, visit museums, devour delicious cuisine and pay your respects on this vibrant cultural journey. 

Looking to book in a group of 9 or more?

Deals, savings and exclusive private touring options available plus if you need a different date or itinerary change we can create a custom trip. Contact us for more details

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9 days itinerary trip from Memphis to Atlanta visiting 1 country and 6 cities

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About this trip

Sightseeing highlights.

Explore Memphis, Selma & Birmingham with a Local Specialist, Key stops along the Mississippi Delta

View Mississippi Blues Trail, Mississippi Freedom Trail

Visit National Civil Rights Museum, Stax Museum of American Soul Music, Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, Edmund Pettus Bridge, Clarksdale, Greenwood, Jackson, Legacy Museum in Montgomery, Tuskegee, Atlanta

Travel highlights

Specific transfer information can be found here:

Airport Transfers

An expert Travel Director and professional Driver

Cherry-picked hotels, all tried and trusted

All porterage and restaurant gratuities

All hotel tips, charges and local taxes

Breakfast daily and up to half of your evening meals

Must-see sightseeing and surprise extras

Audio headsets for flexible sightseeing

All transport and transfers shown

Luxury air-conditioned coach with Wi-Fi in most countries or alternative transportation (such as rail journeys)

Optional Experiences and free time

On occasion, hotels of similar standard and location may be utilized.

MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experiences

Every one of our tours includes at least one conscious travel experience that supports one or more of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS). Look out for yours within the day-by-day trip itinerary.

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Net-zero by 2050

Travel knowing our 4-point climate action plan will ensure net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Support Local

Your tour directly supports local communities by visiting family-run businesses, UNESCO sites and places of cultural significance.

Sustainable Practices

Every part of our business, from trip design to how we run our offices, aligns to our 5-year sustainability strategy which ensures a positive impact on people, the planet and wildlife.

Philanthropic Efforts

Our not-for-profit, the TreadRight Foundation, invests in nature-based solutions to address climate change.

You’ll make a positive impact to people, planet and wildlife on this tour

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EXPERIENCE THE CULTURE CONNECT WITH HEROS PRESERVE THE HISTORY HONOR THE LEGACY

Civil rights trail tours   multi-day tours - destination management  , strategic partners.

 Multi-Day 

Curated black pilgrimages.

THE HBCU CIVIL RIGHTS EXPERIENCE 

7 DAY - COLLEGE  TOURS

Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee

Morehouse, Clark Atlanta, Tuskegee, Alabama State, Miles, Oakwood,

Alabama A&M, Fisk, Tennesse State, Meharry Medical School

At A Glance: Travel to the American South to visit some of the top HBCU- Historically Black College Universities in America

Immerse yourself in the history, music, art, food, and stories of each of these specially selected southern universities, while meeting students, civil rights activists exploring the campus, and hearing moving first-hand stories from the Civil Rights Movement.

While visiting these Black Institutions of higher learning, devour delicious southern cuisine and pay your respects to the ordinary children students, and women who changed the world through their activism and commitment to social justice, and education.

Groups that book 10 or more at one time get a 10 % discount on the total group booking.

Contact us for more details.

7 DAY STUDENT TOURS

Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana

 Tuskegee, Alabama State, Jackson State, Grambling

Southern, Xavier, Dillard

At A Glance: The Black Excellence College Tour will visit America’s top Historically Black Colleges and Universities to display the best of what makes these institutions distinct, dedicated to ensuring that students who attend the best HBCUs will return the favor by making a difference in their respective communities at large.

The Black Excellence College Tour is committed to providing college students with the tools and strategies needed for optimal academic performance. This tour will provide a solid understanding of the history, culture, and Traditions that have shaped the schools’ collective legacy and a framework for comparison that will help students choose the right HBCU.

Contact  us for more details

MANY RIVERS TO CROSS

THE JOURNEY TO EQUALITY

7 DAY CIVIL RIGHTS HISTORY TOUR

Atlanta, Tuskegee, Montgomery, Selma, Birmingham, Memphis

At A Glance :

In this gripping journey of a lifetime, you will be transported through time and space to the front lines of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. You will journey south into the very heart of the civil rights movement and gain a deeper understanding of the historic and continued struggle for racial equality in the United States.

Take an emotional journey on the Civil Rights Trail, visit the sacred grounds of The Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, tour the moving Legacy Museum, and march alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.

This Pilgrimage will pay homage to the four young girls killed in the bombing at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, and ride with the Freedom Riders on their fearless mission to end segregation.

Our expert guides will shed light on these historical moments while encouraging meaningful conversations with locals and fellow guests. Engage with your fellow pilgrims as they engage with the truth while learning how to carry the torch of civil rights into the future. 

WOMEN OF STRENGTH

7 DAY CIVIL RIGHTS TOUR  

BACKBONE OF THE MOVEMENT

Nashville, Memphis, Jackson, Montgomery,  Selma, Birmingham

At A Glance:

Experience the resiliency and determination of the brave women who worked tirelessly throughout the Civil Rights Movement to gain racial justice and equality in America. This journey takes you to six cities, where you'll see significant sites where key parts of this historic movement unfolded both in cities, schools, and houses of worship.

This Homage will include in-depth discussions of black women leaders and activities such as Rosa Parks, Ida B Wells, Ella Baker, Daisy Bates, Fannie Lou Hammer, and many others.

By "walking in the footsteps" of these remarkable women, you'll discover how the achievement of our most basic civil rights—including voting rights, equal educational opportunities, and desegregation—was accomplished in large part due to these indefatigable and courageous women. 

Private Groups that book 15 or more at one time get a 10 % discount on the total group booking.

GULLAH GEECHIE

HERITAGE PILGRIMAGE

8 DAY CULTURAL IMMERSION TOUR

Charleston, Georgetown, Sea Islands, Hilton Head,

Savannah, Jacksonville

THE LOWCOUNTRY

7 DAY CULTURAL

LOWCOUNTRY FOOD TOUR

Savannah, Hilton Head, Charleston, Myrtle Beach

At A Glance:  

The Lowcountry is where mighty rivers fall into the sea to make their last dive.

Nowhere in America did the cooking of master and slave combine so gracefully as it did in the Lowcountry kitchen.

From Shrimp N Grits, Crab Cakes, Stone Grown Grits, Carolina Gold Rice, Whole Pork BBQ, Fried Fish, Collard Greens, BBQ Oysters, Boiled Peanuts, Pimento Cheese and Sweet Tea, The Low Country is where you can get it all.

On these authentic African-inspired food experiences, we will travel from Charleston to Savannah tasting and eating food grown and caught in the coastal regions and waters of South Carolina and Georgia—, LowCountry cooking is a hodgepodge of international influences: African, French, English, and Caribbean alike.

Our Lowcountry Food Tour will begin in the South Carolinian portion of the Lowcountry—Charleston—which is indisputably the capital of the Lowcountry (thanks to its 500,000 acres of wetlands, salt marshes, swamps, creeks, lakes, ponds, and former rice fields). 

Come with us and on this slow Lowcountry Food Crawl from Charleston, Hilton Head, and Savannah, and let's taste it all!...and I mean All OF IT!

A t A Glance :

Experience the culture of the Gullah Geechee—the original inhabitants of the SeaIslands off the Southeast coast of the United States. Native Africans were brought to America as slaves, who merged with and created a new culture that is unlike any other. Gullah Geechee people are known for preserving more of their African linguistic and cultural heritage than any other African-American community in the United States.

The Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor is a 400-mile stretch along the southeastern coast from Savannah, Georgia to Jacksonville, Florida. Explore a variety of gorgeous sites in the Gullah Geechee Corridor our expert tour guides will reveal several unique and beautiful places that help preserve an incredible culture. This is an experience you don't want to miss!

WHY THEY SING THE BLUES

The Mississippi Blues Trail

12 DAY MUSIC HISTORY TOUR

Nashville, Muscle Shoals, Memphis, Clarksdale, Cleveland,   Indianola, Jackson , New Orleans

Why They Sing the Blues is an unforgettable journey into the land that spawned the single most important root source of modern American popular music- The Delta Blues.

This 12-day journey tells the untold stories of Southern bluesmen and women and how the places where they lived and the times in which they existed–and continue to exist–influenced their music. The tour will take you to Nashville, Memphis, Clarksville, and all through the Mississippi Delta down to Jackson and New Orleans where you will Hear Live music, walk the city streets, visit the radio stations, see the cotton fields, visit Blues museums to learn why musicians such as Robert Johnson Howlin Wolf, Muddy, Waters, BB King, and countless others sang the blues way down in the Mississippi Delta.

Whether you're a die-hard blues fan or a casual traveler in search of an interesting trip, you'll find facts you didn't know, places you've never seen, and you'll gain a new appreciation for the area that gave birth to the blues .

Detroit, Clevland, Cincinnati, Dayton, Nashville, Memphis

Get Down With The Funk!

A t A Glance  

Experience the Land of Funk on our Black Music History Tour — one of the most exciting and authentic multi-day tours in all of North America. Our expert guides will take you on a musical journey through the heart of America, following in the footsteps of black music pioneers to explore how their influence is present throughout all aspects of American culture.

You’ll get an insider’s look into the musical heritage and highlights of Black Music, visiting legendary music studios, iconic venues and even hearing from some music legends themselves! Travel with us to legendary sites across 8 cities including Detroit, Cleveland, Dayton Cinninatti Nashville, and Memphis, to learn stories through music. From Motown to The Rock roll Hall of Fame to Dayton and Cincinnati, The Funk Capitol, and on to  Nashville and  Soulsville in Memphis TN.

We invite you on a breathtaking journey through the heart of American music, exploring the true Rythem of America, American Soul and Funk Music 

FANTASTIC VOYAGE

To The Land of Funk

10 DAY MUSIC HISTORY TOUR

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Civil Rights Trail Tours

The 17 United Nations Global Goals for Sustainable Development (SDGs) are a call to action for governments, businesses, and society to address today’s most pressing sustainable development issues. While recognizing the interconnectedness and importance of achieving all the Global Goals, The Media Arts Institute of Alabama and Civil Rights Trail Tours identified 6 Global Goals where we can have the most impact through our tours and projects.

Sustainability In Tourism

COPYRIGHT THE MEDIA ARTS INSTITUTE 2024 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED- 2007-2024

Get Tickets

Experience the National Civil Rights Museum with the convenience of our Timed Entry Online Tickets. Secure your visit ahead of time and enjoy the following benefits:

Effortless Planning: Plan your visit with ease by selecting a specific time slot that suits your schedule. No need to worry about long lines or wait times.

Guaranteed Entry: With Timed Entry Tickets, you have the assurance of guaranteed entry at your chosen time, ensuring a seamless and stress-free start to your museum experience.

Optimized Visitor Flow: Enjoy a more personalized and immersive experience as timed entry helps manage the flow of visitors, allowing you to explore exhibits at your own pace without overcrowding.

On average, a museum visit lasts 1.5 to 2 hours. Guests starting their visit within the final hour should anticipate a condensed experience.

Summer Hours Extension: From Memorial Day Weekend to Labor Day, we're extending our hours for an enhanced visitor experience.

Renovation of the Legacy Building

May 1, 2023, is the last day for visitors to see the existing Legacy Building at the Boarding House exhibitions, which feature the King assassination timeline, investigation artifacts, and conspiracy theories around the plot to kill King . The two-year project impacts the museum campus west of Mulberry Street, including expanding the historic boarding house and the Founders Park green space.

The permanent exhibitions and changing exhibitions in the Lorraine Building will continue providing a rich history of the Civil Rights Movement up to the 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and its impact on today’s social issues. Hours of operation and admission will remain unchanged, and an outdoor ticketing kiosk will be added during peak seasons.

Policies acceptance is required to confirm tickets.

Museum Holidays

We may make adjustments to the holiday calendar as needed. Traditionally, the museum and administrative offices are closed on the following holidays:

• New Year's Day
• Easter Sunday
• Thanksgiving Day
• Christmas Eve
• Christmas Day

The museum is open on the following holidays, however, administrative offices are closed:

• Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday
• Memorial Day
• Independence Day

Inclement Weather

It is the policy of the Museum to safely and effectively operate its activities and services as scheduled. When emergency situations arise, or when there is inclement weather, the President of the Museum will determine whether or not to keep the Museum open. In the event of inclement weather, he or she may base these determinations on the status of government facilities – in other words, if federal offices are closed, the Museum will be closed.

If the decision is made to close the museum, guests with paid reservations for online tickets will be notified with communication via email or telephone call. The latest and more updated information concerning museum operations due to inclement weather will be found in the homepage alerts.

The National Civil Rights Museum is located at 450 Mulberry Street, Memphis, TN 38103. We are in the heart of the South Main District in downtown Memphis.

Free parking is available for museum guests. To enter the visitor lot, turn north on Mulberry Street from G.E. Patterson Avenue.

Camera/video & Media Policy

Photography within the museum exhibitions is permitted as long as NO FLASH is used. NO Video is allowed on the museum campus or its interior exhibits without prior authorization. Guests are encouraged to post images of museum experiences to social media pages and tagging the museum @ncrmuseum on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Media personnel, photojournalists and bloggers must be credentialed at least 48 hours in advance .  Send requests to the communications office at  [email protected] .

Security Screenings

All guests entering the National Civil Rights Museum are subject to a screening process.  The National Civil Rights Museum reserves the right to inspect all guest’s packages, purses, backpacks, fanny packs and other bags prior to entering the museum. Sharp objects more than 2.5 inches long, weapons and illegal contraband will not be permitted in the museum. Please leave and secure any unnecessary articles in your vehicle to expedite your entry.  Oversize bags brought into the museum must be checked with security.  Animals are not allowed in the museum, except for service animals.

Family Guide

The National Civil Rights Museum seeks to open a dialogue about the story of African Americans who experienced and resisted discrimination — a history that spans slavery through the modern Civil Rights Movement, nonviolent protests to armed self-defense. To reveal the full story, the museum contains sensitive materials that may be frightening or troubling to children and adolescents. Review our family guide for suggestions on ways to discuss sensitive topics with young visitors.

Group Reservations

Groups of 20 or more are eligible for a discounted admissions rate.

Facility Rental

The museum is an exceptional location for your convention, meeting, or corporate holiday party.

Visitor FAQs

Still have a question? We’ve got answers.

Museum Hours for Today Today: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Check out these stories

Civil rights itinerary, get an in-depth look at atlanta’s past.

In the early 1960s, Atlanta became the cultural catalyst for the American civil rights movement. As activists found their center within the Sweet Auburn District, the city built a legacy. Explore these attractions for an in-depth look at Atlanta’s past.

“Atlanta is known for its rich African-American culture,” said Kathleen Bertrand, former ACVB senior vice president of governmental and community affairs. “Visitors to Atlanta may find history, cultural attractions and the spirit of the black family in the many churches, restaurants and attractions in Atlanta.” 

MUNICIPAL MARKET

Wake up with a cup of coffee paired with sweet and savory bites from  Sweet Auburn Bread Company . For produce and unique eateries, visit the historic  Municipal Market , also known by locals as Sweet Auburn Curb Market.

Address: 209 Edgewood Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30303

SWEET AUBURN HISTORIC DISTRICT

The  Sweet Auburn District  was Atlanta’s first African-American business district. Take a self-guided tour of Sweet Auburn historic district and explore the historic landmarks.

Address: encompasses a mile and a half of Auburn Avenue Estimated Time: 45 minutes

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK

Also in this district is the  Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park with the King Birth Home,  Ebenezer Baptist Church , a visitor center and the tombs of Dr. King and his wife, Coretta Scott King.

Address: 450 Auburn Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA. 30312 Estimated Time: 1 hour

INTERNATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS WALK OF FAME

Behind the visitor center is the  International Civil Rights Walk of Fame , where the shoe prints of civil rights heroes such as Rosa Parks, Andrew Young, Thurgood Marshall and others are embedded in a memorial.

Address: a 2-minute walk from Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Park Estimated Time: 1 hour

APEX MUSEUM

Visit the  APEX Museum  (African-American Panoramic Experience) to hear stories of early African-American pioneers who helped transform Atlanta.

Address: 135 Auburn Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30303 Estimated Time: 45 minutes

NATIONAL CENTER FOR CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS

Near Centennial Olympic Park, the  National Center for Civil and Human Rights  connects the American civil rights movement to today’s global human rights movements. 

Address: 100 Ivan Allen Jr Blvd NW, Atlanta, GA 30313 Estimated Time: 1 hour

BUSY BEE CAFÉ

Enjoy traditional soul food at  Busy Bee Café . Must-try items include fried, smothered or oven-roasted chicken, pork chops, Southern style veggies and banana pudding for dessert. Or head for  Sweet Georgia’s Juke Joint , located Downtown on Peachtree Street, and sample sumptuous Southern staples such as fried green tomatoes and beef brisket.

Address: 810 M.L.K. Jr Dr SW, Atlanta, GA 30314

HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

The Atlanta University Center, the world’s largest consortium of  historically black colleges and universities , has educated many famous leaders.  Clark Atlanta University , established in 1867, houses one of the nation’s finest collections of African-American art.  Morehouse College  is the alma mater of Spike Lee, Samuel L. Jackson and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Spelman College  spotlights African-American artists, exhibiting contemporary works, folk art and more at its Museum of Fine Art.

Address: 156 Mildred St SW, Atlanta, GA 30314 Estimated Time: ranges from 1 to 3 hours

HAMMONDS HOUSE MUSEUM

Visit the  Hammonds House Museum , which features artists of African descent with more than 350 works in the permanent collection.

Address: 503 Peeples St SW, Atlanta, GA 30310 Estimated Time: 1 hour

HERNDON HOME

Tour the 1910  Herndon Home . The home is a tribute to the family of Alonzo Herndon, founder of Atlanta Life Insurance Company and the city’s first African-American millionaire.

Address: 587 University Pl NW, Atlanta, GA 30314 Estimated Time: 1 hour

THE WREN’S NEST

Tour  The Wren’s Nest , home of Joel Chandler Harris, author of the Uncle Remus stories. Harris’s narratives became the first serialized storyline of walking, talking animals. Preserved with the original 1880s furniture, structure and fixtures, the house also hosts storytelling on some Saturdays.

Address: 1050 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd, Atlanta, GA 30310

PASCHAL’S RESTAURANT

Starting in the 1960s, civil rights leaders and strategists came together for savory cooking at Paschal’s Motor Hotel and Restaurant, now closed. Today,  Paschal’s Restaurant  in Castleberry Hill still hosts Atlanta’s leaders for breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days a week.

Address: 180 Northside Dr SW, Atlanta, GA 30313

TRUE COLORS THEATRE COMPANY

Check the schedule of  True Colors Theatre Company . The company is committed to staging groundbreaking African-American plays.

Address: 915 New Hope Rd, Atlanta, GA 30331

Discover More

Get to know Atlanta, and discover the best things to do around the city.

Visiting Sweet Auburn

Civil rights legacy, cultural experiences not to miss in atlanta, history & heritage in atlanta, 2 days in black-owned atlanta, atlanta attractions for families.

How to plan a Civil Rights Road Trip

While the key battles of the modern Civil Rights movement focused on the Deep South, monuments, memorials and museums honoring the struggle can be found across the country.

A civil rights road trip will generally take several days, and cover hundreds of miles. Don’t rush. For many travelers, the joy of these journeys are the unexpected conversations you’ll have, and the people you’ll meet.

In each of the cities, we offer guidance on the top sites and their history, putting the story of the civil rights movement into context. Independent travelers can make the trip easily.

However, guided tours can bring the history to life. In most major locations, you can get a tour from a local resident, who often participated in the civil rights movement themselves.

Finally, if you just want to leave the tour planning to someone else, find information about multi-day group tours here .

However you plan to visit, here are the major civil rights road trip routes to consider:

Dive into the Deep South

The classic Civil Rights Trip takes travelers from Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthplace in Atlanta through Montgomery , Alabama’s famed “ Lynching Memorial ,” to Selma and Birmingham . From there, it’s a few hours through Mississippi to Memphis , site of King’s assassination.

This just scratches the surface. If possible, you’ll want to add visits to places like Tuskegee , home to the famed Airmen, who battled in World War Two and the infamous syphilis study, along with extra time in Mississippi , to see sites associated with the brutal killing of Emmett Till, and the modern, moving Mississippi Civil Rights Museum in Jackson.

Southeast spur

Others start a southeast trip in Washington, D.C. home to the stunning Smithsonian African-American History museum and the King memorial, and then traveling to the Moton School in Farmville , site of one of the most inspiring student protests in the movement. Head south to Danville, Virginia , home to to largely forgotten Blood Monday attack, one of the most vicious police crackdown on protesters. Then it’s an easy drive to Greensboro , North Carolina, site of the famous Woolworth’s sit-ins.

Mid-South flashpoints

The civil rights battle wasn’t limited to the Deep South. One great thing about the U.S. Civil Rights Trail is that it has introduced visitors to historic sites they may never have known about.

For example, Nashville played an out-sized role in civil rights history, although it doesn’t often make the list for many travelers. But it’s a great city and can easily be combined with visits to Memphis , site of King’s assassination, and one of the top civil rights museums in the country, and with Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas , where the National Guard had to integrate the school. From there, it’s just a few hours to the Greenwood Rising Museum, which commemorates the vicious Tulsa Massacre of 1921.

This trip easily combines with visits to sites in Mississippi and Alabama .

The ultimate Civil Rights Journey

If you can invest over a week and more than one thousand miles of driving, it’s possible to take in all the major sites. For much of the route, you’re following the path of the Freedom Riders.

You’d start in Washington, D.C., with its museums and monuments, and head to Farmville, Virginia for the Moton Museum, then dip into Greensboro, North Carolina, for the Woolworth counter that kicked off the sit-in museum.

Then it’s a straight shot south to Atlanta to take in the major Martin Luther King Jr. sites, before heading to Montgomery, Selma and then Birmingham, Alabama. After that, it’s time to head to Jackson’s stunning Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, before heading up to Greenwood for sites associated with Emmett Till.

After that, it’s an easy drive to Memphis for the Lorraine hotel, site of King’s assassination.

Of course, you could add even more, adding Little Rock’s Central High School; the University of Mississippi in Oxford; and the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, the Tulsa Massacre museum in Oklahoma, and even the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site in Topeka, Kansas.

In short, there’s history to be found across the country.

If you book travel or make a purchase through one of our partner or affiliate links, we may receive a fee or commission.

Alabama Tourism Department

The official site for industry professionals, civil rights trail itinerary.

Experience Alabama’s civil rights history.

You can fly into Birmingham’s airport to begin this exciting tour. The airport services American, Delta, Continental, United Express, Southwest, and US Airways/America West. By car, Birmingham is accessible by I-65, I-20 and I-59.

Start your tour at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, an interpretive museum that depicts the struggles of the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s. You will be enchanted by old and new exhibits that tell the story of a people and a movement. Across the street, visit the historic 16 th Street Baptist Church, bombed by Klansmen in 1963, killing four little girls. Stroll through Kelly Ingram Park where sculptures depict the reality of the police dogs and fire hoses that were turned on demonstrators who gathered here to protest segregation laws.

Highlights include:

• The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.
• Across the street, historic 16 th Street Baptist Church, a famous civil rights landmark that was bombed by Klansmen in 1963, killing four little girls.
• Across the street from the church, Kelly Ingram Park features sculptures depicting the reality of the police dogs and fire hoses that were turned on demonstrators who gathered at the park in the 1960s.
• Tour historic 4th Avenue North, location of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame.

Attractions Contact Information:

Birmingham Civil Rights Institute One of the South’s finest museums offers photos, videos, audio and exhibits that take visitors inside the integration movement. See the cell where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote the famous “Letter from the Birmingham Jail.” (205) 328.9696 www.bcri.org

16 th Street Baptist Church Visit the church that suffered the deadliest moment in the history of the civil rights era. On Sept. 15, 1963, four girls preparing for Sunday school were killed by a bomb in the church basement. (205) 251.9402

Accommodations: The Tutwiler Hotel Hampton Inn & Suites – The Tutwiler has been selected for both the Mobil Travel Guide Four-Star and AAA Four Diamond awards. Built in the 1920s, The Tutwiler Hotel is a showplace in the heart of Birmingham’s vibrant business and financial districts. 2021 Park Place North (205) 322.2100 www.thetutwilerhotel.com

The Historic Redmont Hotel – Located in the heart of Birmingham’s financial and historic districts, this historic hotel is the city’s oldest operating hotel and is now its newest. Multi-million dollar renovations have transformed this property into a classic grand hotel. 2101 5th Avenue North (205) 957.6828 www.theredmont.com

The Hotel Highland at Five Points South -The Hotel Highland at Five Points South is Birmingham’s premier boutique hotel nestled in historic Southside. 1023 20th Street South (205) 933.9555 www.thehotelhighland.com

Cobb Lane Bed and Breakfast – National Historic Registered 1898 Inn favorably reviewed by The New York Times, Victorian Homes, Birmingham magazine, and Portico, and recipient of Birmingham Historical Society award. 1309 19th Street South (205) 918.9090 www.cobblanebandb.com

Dining: Highlands Bar and Grill – The Highlands baked grits are listed in the “100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama Before You Die” brochure. 2011 11th Avenue South (205) 939.1400 www.highlandsbarandgrill.com

Hot and Hot Fish Club – The tomato salad and pickled okra are listed in the “100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama Before You Die” brochure. 2180 11th Court South (205) 933.5474 www.hotandhotfishclub.com

Jim ‘N Nick’s Bar-B-Q – The cheese biscuits are listed in the “100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama Before You Die” brochure. 1908 11th Ave South (205) 320.1060 www.jimnnicks.com

Niki’s West Steak & Seafood Restaurant – The vegetable buffet is listed in the “100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama Before You Die” brochure. 233 Finley Avenue West (205) 252.5751 www.nikiswest.com

Travel to Selma across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, where the civil rights march began in 1965 and where law enforcement personnel confronted voting rights marchers on Bloody Sunday. The marches and other protests around the state eventually led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Visit the Brown Chapel AME Church, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. launched the voting rights march. Tour the National Voting Rights Museum & Institute, which houses memorabilia honoring the attainment of the right to vote. Downtown, see the Old Depot Museum with artifacts from Native American days up through the voting rights era. In the afternoon, visit antebellum mansion Sturdivant Hall, designed by a cousin of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. See the Old Live Oak Cemetery, where Alabama and America’s first black congressman, Benjamin Sterling Turner, is buried.

Attractions Contact Information: Brown Chapel AME Church First AME church in state (1866); headquarters for blacks during the voting rights movement. Church is also the starting point for Selma-to-Montgomery marchers. (334) 874.7897 www.selmaalabama.com

Edmund Pettus Bridge A symbol of momentous changes in Selma, Alabama, America and the world. The bridge is the site where on March 7, 1965, voting rights marchers were violently attacked by law enforcement personnel. It is also where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led marchers across the bridge on the journey toward voting rights just 14 days later on March 21, 1965. (800) 45.SELMA

Old Depot Museum This is an interpretive history museum in an 1891 railway depot. See artifacts from pre-history American Indians through the voting rights era; Civil War room, black heritage wing, military room (pre-WWI to the Persian Gulf), Victorian firehouse, antique railcars. (334) 874.2197

Voting Rights Trail Interpretive Center This National Park Service center at the midpoint of the trail displays photographs and memorabilia. Center is located between mile markers 105 and 106 on U.S. 80. (334) 877.1983 www.nps.gov

National Voting Rights Museum & Institute This modest museum showcases items and participants’ stories related to the voting rights movement. (334) 526.4340 www.nvrmi.com

Accommodations: St. James Hotel – The hotel anchors the Water Avenue Historic District and offers spectacular views of the river and the historic Edmund Pettus Bridge. Opening Spring 2020

Dining: Tally- Ho Restaurant 509 Mangum Avenue (334) 872.1390

Depart for Montgomery and follow the Selma-to-Montgomery Trail. Be sure to stop at the Viola Liuzzo historic marker, between Lowndesboro and Montgomery near mile marker 111. It is placed near the spot where Mrs. Liuzzo was shot and killed by four Klansmen while she was giving black marchers a ride back to Selma following the Selma-to-Montgomery march. Visit the Selma-to-Montgomery Trail Interpretative Center at White Hall to learn more about the marchers and the trials they encountered. In Montgomery, visit the Legacy Museum. This 11,000 square-foot museum is built on the site of a former warehouse where enslaved black people were imprisoned. Stop at the Rosa Parks Museum and feel what it was like to be arrested for not moving to the back of the bus. Also, visit the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, the nation’s first memorial dedicated to the legacy of enslaved black people, people terrorized by lynching, African Americans humiliated by racial segregation and Jim Crow and people of color burdened with contemporary presumptions of guilt and police violence. The site includes a memorial square with 800 six-foot monuments to symbolize thousands of racial lynching victims in the United States and the counties and states where this terrorism took place. Take a break for lunch in downtown Montgomery. Stand in the pulpit at Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. preached. Afterward, visit the Alabama State Capitol, the birthplace of the Confederacy and the final stop along the Selma-to-Montgomery march. Nearby, see the Civil Rights Memorial. Travel only a few blocks and visit the Dexter Parsonage Museum to tour the residence once occupied by Dr. King and his family.

• Follow the Selma-to-Montgomery Trail over the Edmund Pettus Bridge where law enforcement personnel confronted voting rights marchers.
• Selma-to-Montgomery Trail Interpretive Center – the National Park Service museum is at the midpoint of the Selma-to-Montgomery March and offers photos and memorabilia.
• The Legacy Museum  and National Memorial for Peace and Justice – Explore America’s history of racial injustice and its legacy
• Rosa Parks Museum – Feel what it was like to be arrested for not moving to the back of the bus.
• Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church – See where Dr. King started his ministry.
• Dexter Parsonage Museum – Tour the residence in Montgomery formerly occupied by Dr. King and his family. See actual furnishings from the time when Dr. King’s family lived in the home.
• Alabama State Capitol – See the birthplace of the Confederacy and the final stop along the Selma-to-Montgomery March.
• Civil Rights Memorial – The memorial designed by national artist Maya Lin is one block south of the church where Dr. King was pastor.

Attractions Contact Information: Alabama State Capitol Jefferson Davis was sworn in as President of the Confederate States of America on Feb. 18, 1861. A star on the Capitol steps marks the inauguration. (334) 242.3935

Civil Rights Memorial Designed by Maya Lin, the memorial features water flowing over a marble table inscribed with names of 41 people who were killed in the struggle for the equal and integrated treatment of all people, regardless of race, during the 1954-1968 Civil Rights Movement. The wall is inscribed with an excerpt from the Book of Amos quoted in the historic speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (334) 956.8200

Selma-to-Montgomery Trail Interpretive Center The interpretive center is the first of three proposed along the Selma-to-Montgomery National Historic Trail. The museum exhibits interpret various events, including the confrontation of seminarian Jonathan Daniels; the slaying of Viola Liuzzo, a white woman who assisted the marchers by transporting them to Selma; and the establishment of “Tent City,” the temporary dwelling comprising of tents, cots, heaters, food and water, which benefited families dislodged by white landowners in Lowndes County. (334) 877.1983

The Legacy Museum and National Memorial for Peace and Justice The Equal Justice Initiative, the Montgomery-based non-profit organization that challenges racial injustice and mass incarceration of blacks, sponsors these two memorials that spotlight the history of lynching during post- Civil War Reconstructions and Jim Crow eras. (334) 386.9100

Rosa Parks Museum and Children’s Wing State-of-the-art museum depicting events that started the bus boycott and early Civil Rights Movement. Interactive multimedia presentation. (334) 241.8615

Dexter Parsonage Museum Visit the house where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his family lived from 1954 until 1959 when they moved to Atlanta. Today, visitors can still see the scars from the bomb left on the front porch one night during the bus boycott. (334) 261.3270 www.dexterkingmemorial.org

Accommodations: Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa at the Convention Center – This downtown hotel boasts stunning architecture highlighted by modern amenities, a spa and a rooftop pool. 201 Tallapoosa Street (334) 481.5000 (1.877) 545.0311

Hampton Inn – Located in the heart of downtown Montgomery next to the Hank Williams Museum in the city’s freshly redeveloped historic district. 100 Commerce Street (334) 265.1010

Red Bluff Cottage Bed and Breakfast – Located high above the Alabama River in the downtown historic Cottage Hill District. Enjoy a spectacular view of the State Capitol from the breezy verandah, or just unwind from your day’s activities in the peaceful gazebo. 551 Clay Street (334) 264.0056 www.redbluffcottage.com

Dining: Martin’s – Martin’s fried chicken is named as one of the “100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama Before You Die” brochure by the Alabama Tourism Department. 1796 Carter Hill Road (334) 265.1767

Railyard Brewing Co. 12 West Jefferson Street (334) 262.0080

Travel to Tuskegee and Moton Field, home of the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site. Tuskegee Airmen were among the best fighter pilots of World War II. Visit the Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site, which includes The Oaks, home of Booker T. Washington; the George Washington Carver Museum; and the historic Tuskegee University campus. Later, see the Tuskegee Human and Civil Rights Multicultural Center with its photography and videos about the infamous Tuskegee Syphilis Study as well as a timeline through Alabama history. Overnight in the area.

• Moton Field and Tuskegee Army Airfield, where the Tuskegee Airmen, famed black aviators, learned to fly.
• The Oaks, home of Booker T. Washington.
• George Washington Carver Museum, dedicated to the work of the famed scientist on the historic Tuskegee University campus.
• Tuskegee Human and Civil Rights Multicultural Center. See photos and videos on the infamous Tuskegee Syphilis Study.

Attractions Contact Information: Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site View exhibits, enjoy guided walks and see Moton Field, where the Tuskegee Airmen trained for flight. (334) 724.0922

George Washington Carver Museum Visit the Tuskegee University campus to see George Washington Carver’s research on peanuts, sweet potatoes and other crops that revolutionized Southern agriculture. View highlights in the life of Booker T. Washington, one of the most prominent black Americans of the 20th century. (334) 727.3200

The Oaks See the 1899 home of Tuskegee Institute president Booker T. Washington designed by black architect Robert Taylor and students. (334) 727.3200

Tuskegee Human and Civil Rights Multicultural Center See how the Tuskegee civil rights story unfolded. View exhibits that tell of the region’s dynamic multicultural history, including the infamous Tuskegee Syphilis Study. (334) 724.0800 www.tuskegeecenter.org

Accommodations: Tuskegee Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center – This hotel blends the stately Georgian architecture and Southern grandeur of the past with the modern amenities and comforts of the present. 1 Booker T Washington Boulevard (334) 727.3000

Dining: On-site restaurant at Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center.

Civil Rights Museum Tour of America

We connect americans with the civil rights movement of the past., about our tours.

We offer a eight day bus trip to major civil rights locations in the US. The tour finishes with a leadership academy and formal dinner.

We offer a range of memorabilia in our online store to commemorate our tours and key moments within American civil rights history.

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Alabama Civil Rights Legacy

Alabama, the cradle of the civil rights movement, offers a deeply moving and educational journey through its pivotal role in shaping the course of American history. The state, rich with historical landmarks, is an essential destination for anyone looking to immerse themselves in the stories and struggles that fueled the fight for equality. With the innovative Civil Rights app, visitors can explore Alabama's civil rights landmarks, from the Rosa Parks Museum to the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, or walk the iconic Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma. Experience the profound lessons of courage, sacrifice, and perseverance that continue to inspire us today. Alabama's civil rights history is a testament to the enduring spirit of those who dared to challenge the status quo, making it a must-visit for all who seek to understand the depth and complexity of America's journey toward justice.

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The Legacy Lives! Hear it

Hear stories of the movement and their morals for today.

The Alabama Civil Rights Trail Podcast features real stories of real people who were there. They were the foot soldiers who held the front lines of the Movement. They were the freedom riders and protestors. They sat when people ordered them to leave. By telling their stories, they’ll be remembered and shared. And with the help of historians and other experts, we can learn why the events and actions from decades ago remain so relevant today.

Available wherever you get your podcasts.

Alabama Civil Rights Trail Podcast

Upcoming events.

Before planning your trip, be sure to check out upcoming events!

George Washington Carver Arts & Crafts Festival

Montgomery Travel Exhibit

Tri-State Expo Juneteenth Educational Parade & Celebration

The legacy lives here.

Explore these attractions and more when you visit our civil rights destinations.

Birmingham Civil Rights Institute

Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site

Rosa Parks Museum and Childrens Wing

Civil Rights Memorial Center

Freedom Rides Museum/ Historic Montgomery Greyhound Bus Station

Sixteenth Street Baptist Church

Find an alabama civil rights experience.

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Smack in the middle of Alabama’s Black Belt stand multiple buildings, none of which look like they go together. But they do. All part of Auburn University’s Rural Studio, these homes, event centers, play structures and community buildings – some built using tires, wooden pallets or hay bales – comprise a philanthropic and educational effort by...

Alabama Road Trip App for iOS & Android

Alabama Civil Rights Trail App

Telling the story of Alabama’s role in the Civil Rights Movement and the impact these places, people, and events continue to have.

U.S. Civil Rights Trail

The fight for American civil rights spanned decades, cities and states – from Topeka, Kansas, to Memphis, Tennessee, from Atlanta, Georgia, to Selma and Birmingham, and all the way to Washington, D.C. Chart the course of the Civil Rights Movement through the Civil Rights Trail that begins with the site of school integration and takes you to the scene of Bloody Sunday and finally the Supreme Court of the United States.

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About the Tour

Atlanta is a city of heroes. A city steeped with block after block of historic buildings and places where Black people struggled and prospered to make Atlanta the citadel for Black America & the cradle of the Civil Rights movement. From the first Black millionaire Alonzo Herndon who build Atlanta Life Insurance Company to famous college presidents, like Morehouse’s Benjamin Mays, to the incredible Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Atlanta was always ahead of its time.

Civil Rights Tours Atlanta is about you — taking you to the places where history was made by those who made history. Our tour will launch from in front of the grave of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the King Center, 449 Auburn Avenue NE, Atlanta Georgia 30312 ( MAP ) and transform for our guests on a comfortable video equipped bus — displaying a city where every step throughout the last century was significant in changing the face of America.

This will be the only Atlanta Civil Rights tour that will take you to the site of the famous Atlanta Student Movement Rush Memorial Church, to the graves at South-View Cemetery of Daddy King & John Wesley Dobbs. On stops you will view up close the house Dr. King lived at the time of his assassination and Coretta raised her four children.

You will witness the birth house of Dr. King, the Ebenezer Baptist church he co-pastored with his father and the Old 4th Ward where he grew up. Also a chance to stand in front of the crypt of MLK & Coretta Scott King. You will see the old Paschal’s Restaurant where in the front dining room the morning politicos helped elect Atlanta first black mayor Maynard Jackson.

For three hours you will be on a tour like no other. Every location will evoke a time and period of Civil Rights, including Ralph Abernathy’s West Hunter Street Church, the mural of John Lewis on Auburn Avenue and the office on Auburn Avenue where MLK, Abernathy, Andrew Young and Hosea Williams made decisions that changed the world.

Tours leave from in front of the grave of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the King Center, 449 Auburn Avenue NE, Atlanta Georgia 30312 ( MAP ) every Saturday at 11 am. and you will be treated by tour guides that were part of the Civil Rights movement. Sunday thru Thursday we offer custom tours to schools, corporations, various conventions, to be able to include something special for each group.

Plug in now to our site and share the bounty of what Civil Rights Tour Atlanta is all about.

Some of the locations on the tour

• King’s last house 234 Sunset Ave NW (pictured right)
• Magnolia Ballroom
• Hunter Street (MLK now) Historic street anchored by the old Paschal’s Restaurant
• Morehouse College
• Rush Memorial Church
• South View Cemetery
• SCLC & SNCC Freedom house and King’s old house
• Auburn Avenue
• King Center & King Crypt
• King Memorial (US Parks Service)
• Ebenezer Baptist Church
• King Birthplace
• Edgewood Avenue – Sweet Auburn Market
• State Capitol & City Hall

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Tours start from in front of the grave of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the King Center, 449 Auburn Avenue NE, Atlanta Georgia 30312 | MAP IT For questions about, to get more info on or to book our public tours: Buy tickets online or call us at (404) 386-0992. Click here for custom tours or contact us for press and other inquiries or call us at (404) 386-0992.

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Please note: Guided tours are temporarily on hiatus. 

Tuscaloosa Civil Rights History Trail

“If you cannot march, you can make sand­wiches. If you cannot make sandwiches, you can drive your car. If you cannot drive, you can help with office work. Everybody can do something. WHAT WILL YOU DO TO HELP US WIN FREEDOM?” This is the story of ordinary citizens taking extraordinary action in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Self-Guided Tour

June 10, 2019, we officially opened the Tuscaloosa Civil Rights History Trail. The Trail is a self-guided tour in downtown Tuscaloosa with eighteen different stops. Guided group tours are also available. For more information, read about the different stops shown below. We hope to see you all visiting soon.

Introduction: Tuscaloosa Civil Rights History Trail

Stop 1: Capital Park 2800 6th Street

Stop 2: Lynching and Old Jail 2803 6th Street

Stop 3: Druid Theatre & Hollywood 2400 Block of University Blvd.

Stop 4: The Mob at the Flagpole 2420 University Blvd.

Stop 5: Woolworth and Sit-Ins 2319 University Boulevard

Stop 6: First Black Legislator - Shandy Jones 2328 6th Street

Stop 7: Kress Building and Bus Boycott 2223 University Boulevard

Stop 8: Paul R. Jones Museum 2308 6th Street

Stop 9: Alston Building & the KKK 2400 6th Street

Stop 10: Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center 620 Greensboro Avenue

Stop 11: County Courthouse and Marchers 714 Greensboro Avenue

Stop 12: Greensboro Avenue Churches 800 Greensboro Avenue

Stop 13: Bluefront District 811 23rd Avenue

Stop 14: Bailey Tabernacle CME Church 1117 23rd Avenue

Stop 15: Hunter Chapel AME Zion Church 1105 22nd Avenue

Stop 16: First African Baptist Church 2621 Stillman Boulevard

Stop 17: Murphy-Collins House 2601 Paul W. Bryant Drive

Stop 18: Howard-Linton Barbershop 1311 TY Rogers Jr. Avenue

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The Tuscaloosa Civil Rights History and Reconciliation Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.

Mailing Address: P O Box 71103, Tuscaloosa, AL 35407

Generously supported by:

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• Arrive in Detroit, MI
• Underground Railroad Living Museum
• Detroit Wall
• Bus Tour of Detroit
• Tuskegee Airmen Museum
• Henry Ford Museum
• Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History
• Detroit Institute of Art
• Motown Historical Museum
• Depart Detroit, MI for home
• Charles H. Wright Museum

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Opinion: Civil rights tour helps remember struggle for equality, right to vote

A week ago, I traveled with a group from Givens Estates on a civil rights tour. We started in Birmingham with stops at Bethel Baptist (Fred Shuttlesworth’s congregation back in the 1950s, where he was bombed on a 1956 Christmas day), the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, Kelly-Ingram Park (some of the best outdoor sculpture depicting the 1963 events of Birmingham), and the 16th Street Baptist Church (where four little girls were killed on Sept. 15, 1963.)

Then we left for Selma, a talk from a lifelong member of Brown Chapel AME in the back room they now use while the historic sanctuary is under reconstruction to fight termites and mold. Brown Chapel was the meeting place and the beginning and ending spot of the march on Bloody Sunday, March 7, 1965. Our speaker was there for all of the activity. After dinner, we walked across the Edmund Pettus Bridge as the sun set.

The next day we explored Montgomery’s Legacy Museum and the lynching memorial in the morning and visited Dexter Street King Memorial Baptist Church (the only church that Martin Luther King Jr. served as senior pastor) and the parsonage where the King family lived and the Jan. 30, 1956, bombing occurred when Mrs. King and their first child were at home. Early the next morning we were able to walk through the new (official opening will be Juneteenth) sculpture park, which honors 10 million enslaved people from our country’s past, the third endeavor of the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), under the strong leadership of Bryan Stephenson.

It was a busy four days, which included our approximately 1,000-mile round-trip travel from and to Asheville. We paused on the years 1955 (bus boycott), 1963 (church bombing) and 1965 (march for voting rights). Each of these separate and now historic spots holds the stories and the lives of people who lived out their days in these three major cities of civil rights activities. This was at least my eighth trip to visit these places with a group, and maybe another half dozen visits when I taught courses on the history and literature of the civil rights movement for over a decade. Visiting these places reminds me of the struggle for equality and the right to vote. Being there reminds me not ever to take my own privileges for granted.

This trip reminded me, however, that the three huge EJI contributions to the story of slavery to mass incarceration simply overwhelm the tiny historic places of the decade of the Civil Rights movement itself. Each of them is new, artistically brilliant, technologically impressive, staggeringly emotional. Each has deeply sacred overtones. Specifically, the lynching memorial (officially, the National Memorial for Peace and Justice) has signs posted that overtly tell the visitor to be quiet. This is a sacred space, they intone. But any sentient being knows this without the signs of instruction.

Only three years in a new building, blocks from the original Legacy Museum, this new larger story lifts up slavery-to-mass incarceration with such verve that a visit demands your time. For example, on entering the massive doors into a more massive room, you stare into a wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling moving picture of the ocean — you see nothing but water, you hear nothing but the sounds that waves make as they crash into one another. And then you see a line of type reminding you it was 12,000 miles from one continent to another. Your head rolls as you imagine the millions that came in a “tight pack” or “loose pack” across the Atlantic. It is hard to move away from just watching the water, feeling the water. But, at length, you must move on for the story continues in just the next room.

It is possible to take this trip and see only the EJI memorials — here you walk away staggered by the enormity of it all, both the terror and the horror of the story that is part of the larger story that we are. And this is where I find myself — will the specifics of that mid-20th century decade soon no longer matter? How does this little David stand up against the new Goliath?

More: Opinion: Four young men in Greensboro started the sit-in movement

More: Opinion: Remembering a child's trips to Africa, building a library, school and friendships

Margaret Earley Whitt is a retired college professor and lives in Gerton.

Discover the U.S. Civil Rights Trail

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The Home of Leaders and Martyrs of the Civil Rights Movement

The capital of Alabama represents an important place in the fight for voting rights, with the Alabama State Capitol Building having served as the end point of the third march for voting rights from Selma. But there’s much more to Montgomery’s significance than what occurred at the iconic Capitol. In this city, not only can you visit museums and memorials commemorating the Civil Rights Movement, but you can also follow in the footsteps of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., see the site of Rosa Parks’ arrest and see the courthouse of Judge Frank M. Johnson Jr. That these three notable leaders were in Montgomery further marks the city as a significant site of Civil Rights Movement activity.

Experience history through the city’s churches that helped nurture and unite the Civil Rights Movement and the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Visit First Baptist Church on Ripley Street , Holt Street Baptist Church , City of St. Jude , or Dr. King’s church, Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church.

Here you’ll find testaments to those who came before, furthering the truth that  what happened here changed the world .

A HISTORIC LEGACY

Related stories, risking it all and riding for freedom.

Riding for Freedom

Marching for the Vote

Step into history as you tread the same path voting rights activists took in 1965 during the marches from Selma to Montgomery.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Celebrate the Life and Message of Young Dr. King

In Memoriam: Rep. John Lewis

Learn more about one of the most courageous activists of the Civil Rights Movement.

Featured Sites

Holt Street Baptist Church Museum

Montgomery, Alabama

Civil Rights Memorial Center

Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist C...

Dexter Parsonage Museum

Frank M. Johnson Jr. Federal Building...

Freedom Rides Museum

Rosa Parks Museum

The Legacy Museum: From Enslavement t...

Pre-planned itinerary.

When you’re ready to experience the history of the United States Civil Rights Trail firsthand, download a state itinerary. These guides have information about the sites you can visit in each state as well as directions and other useful tools to help you successfully plan your trip.

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