National Civil Rights Museum

The National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee, occupies the former Lorraine Motel at 450 Mulberry Street — the site where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968. The museum opened in 1991 and has undergone multiple expansions, presenting one of the most comprehensive chronicles of the American civil rights movement from the 18th century through the 21st century across approximately 28,000 square feet of exhibition space. The permanent galleries trace the history of African American struggle for equality through immersive environmental installations, preserved historic artifacts, and multimedia presentations. Key exhibits include a Montgomery, Alabama transit bus visitors can board — recreating the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott — alongside a Greensboro lunch counter recreation, a Freedom Riders bus installation depicting the 1961 firebombing, and original documentation from voting rights litigation. The galleries move chronologically from the antebellum period through Reconstruction, the NAACP's formation, the sit-in movement, Freedom Rides, the March on Washington, and forward to the movement's contemporary legacy. Room 306, where Dr. King spent his final night, is preserved intact behind glass on the museum's second floor, positioned precisely as it appeared on April 4, 1968. The assassination balcony and sight line across Mulberry Street are visible from the gallery windows. The Bessie Brewer's Boarding House across the street, now incorporated into the museum complex, contains exhibits on the assassination investigation and James Earl Ray's trial and imprisonment. Docent-led tours deepen the contextual understanding of the exhibitions considerably and are available on most days. The museum is closed on Tuesdays; weekday mornings from Wednesday through Friday offer the most contemplative visit experience.