National Civil Rights Museum

This museum is an extremely important element regarding the topic of Civil Rights. Visitors can learn about hundreds of years of history through interactive exhibits, displays, and films.

The National Civil Rights Museum was opened in 1991 and is dedicated to educating the public to one of the most profound and important movements that has taken place in the United States. This museum is constructed around the Lorraine Motel, which is where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968. This museum is the ideal place to learn all about the Civil Rights Movement – not only the history of it, but why it still holds extreme significance in everyday life today. There are exhibits, programs, and opportunities to get involved within the community through this center.

There are 260 different objects and artifacts, 40 films, and other interactive displays throughout the museum. Some of the exhibits at the National Civil Rights Museum include A Culture of Resistance, which depicts the impact that slavery has had on the world over the years, Standing Up By Sitting Down: Student Sit-Ins 1960, which is an interactive exhibit regarding the 1960 student sit in protests that changed the course of history, and The Year They Walked: Montgomery Bus Boycott 1955-1956, which is a bus display with audio that highlights the bus boycotts that women led in Montgomery during these years. This museum is emotional and touching to say the least, and should certainly not be bypassed during any length of stay in Memphis. The museum is closed on Tuesday and Wednesday, but open from 9-5 the other days of the week. Admission is $18 for adults, $16 for students, $15 for those aged 5-17, and free for members, active military, and those that are 4 and under.