The museum is OPEN for tours of the Legacy Building. Renovation affects only the Lorraine Motel exhibits.
During regular hours, visitors are now allowed access to the Lorraine Motel balcony outside Room 306 where Dr. King stayed.
Limited time–only during the renovation phase currently underway until early first quarter 2014. The museum reserves the right to close balcony tours due to inclement weather, programming, preservation, or safety concerns.
During the remodeling, the Museum will allow SPECIAL public access— for the first time since it opened in 1991—to the balcony outside Room 306. This was where Dr. King was standing on April 4, 1968 when a bullet fired from a rooming house across the courtyard struck him down at the age of 39.
Construction is underway and expected to last until early first quarter 2014.
There is still quite a bit to see at the National Civil Rights Museum right now. The tour is about 1 to 1.5 hours long.
THE LEGACY BUILDING, which encompasses the old boarding house across the street, WILL REMAIN OPEN FOR TOURS DURING RENOVATION. A timeline encapsulates in chronological order the history presented in the Lorraine exhibits up to the 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. On the second floor of the Legacy Building, the history continues with the investigation of the assassination, the case against James Earl Ray, and ensuing conspiracy theories. The first floor exhibits illustrate the Movement’s impact on human rights efforts globally and end with a call to action for all to continue the legacy of the American civil rights movement.
For 2013 the tour is expanded to include Freedom’s Sisters, a dynamic multimedia exhibit that highlights 20 nineteenth and twentieth century African American women who have contributed to the freedom of all Americans. Their stories of courage, commitment and struggle in the name of freedom helped shape the spirit and substance of civil rights in America.
Admission prices during renovation:
Adults – $10.00
Seniors & College Students with ID – $9.00
Children 4-17 – $8.00
Children 3 & under, Active Military, and Museum Members – Free
Groups of 20+ receive $1 discount off admission prices within a single transaction (no individual ticket purchases).
Click here for hours of operation.
This site is where the story comes alive for visitors at the National Civil Rights Museum. It is where those who were alive then come to remember what they fought for. It is where those who weren’t born yet learn why.
Seeing room #306 at the Lorraine Motel lets visitors experience firsthand what it was like for the brave men and women who fought for freedom and equality. We see visitors’ faces as they register the pain, the injustice and rejoice in every victory earned along the journey. We share their tears as they realize why leaders like Dr. King gave everything for the world we live in today.