One of the essential American museums, built around the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968. The permanent collection traces the full arc of the American civil rights movement from slavery through the 1968 assassination with exceptional depth — interactive exhibits, primary documents, and reconstructed scenes that make the history immediate rather than distant. Allow at least three hours. The museum also extends across the street into the rooming house from which the shot was fired.
National Civil Rights Museum
Civil rights history at the site of MLK's assassination
A story
The museum is built into the Lorraine Motel, where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on 4 April 1968. Room 306, where King was staying, is preserved as it was that evening. The balcony where he was shot is visible from the street.