The Muhammad Ali Center is a serious museum about a complex, extraordinary man. Opened in 2005 on the Louisville riverfront, it uses Ali's life as a lens to explore larger questions of identity, principle, and courage — his conversion to Islam, his refusal to serve in Vietnam, his boxing career, and his decades of humanitarian work all receive thoughtful treatment.
The exhibition design is excellent, with original footage, personal artefacts, and interactive installations that avoid the usual sports-museum trap of becoming a shrine to stats and trophies. The section on Ali's relationship with Louisville — the city where he grew up under Jim Crow laws, won his first Golden Gloves, and chose to be buried — is particularly affecting. Allow two hours. The building itself, designed by Gwathmey Siegel, is worth a look from outside even if you don't go in.