"National Civil Rights Museum" Civil Rights Museum Tip by emilienoelle

This museum has been built out of the the Lorraine Motel, the motel where Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot and killed on April 4, 1968. It is a national monument to the civil rights movement. The very spot where Dr. King died, as well as the room where he stayed, have been preserved as a memorial exactly as they were when he last was there.

The museum is a shining treasure chest of civil rights history, highlighting how inadequately this subject is covered in most ,if not all, American classrooms. The exhibits are mostly solemn and require patience and thought. This is definately not a place for small children. For myself, many of the exhibits required an emotional toll, though the experience and knowledge I aquired there was well worth this price.

Across the street from the main building is the boarding house where King's assassin, James Earl Ray, stayed, laying in wait for him. You can see the very window from which the bullets were fired as well as memorabilia from Ray's personal history and criminal past.

Among the striking things during my visit to this museum was that my husband and I were the only white people in the building except for one man who was an Orthodox Jew. Native Americans, African Americans, and Hispanics were all around us, and although one can obviously understand the interest these people had in the exhibits, I found it unfortunate that more white people were not taking the time to visit. This history is the history of us all. It affects everyone living in the US today. Knowledge truly is empowering. I encourage anyone visiting Memphis to make this one of your essential stops.

Admission $6, gift shop

Address: 450 Mullberry St., Memphis
Directions: downtown, accessable from street car line.
Phone: 901-521-9699
Website: http://www.civilrightsmuseum.org