10 Best Civil Rights Sites in Atlanta

Center for Civil and Human Rights is a historic landmark in Atlanta that connects the human rights movement to the civil rights movement. Launched in 2007, its mission is to instill a better understanding of the fundamental rights of all humans. It’s the perfect spot to begin your exploration of the city’s storied past with a focus on Atlanta’s role in the civil rights movement like no other.

It includes a Civil Rights Gallery where visitors can take part in interactive experiences, and it even includes an oral history booth for sharing your own stories of civil and human rights. Exhibitions depict the courageous struggles of those who dedicated their lives to achieving equal rights for all.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was born in his parents’ bedroom on January 15, 1929, in this 2-storey Queen Anne-style home. This is where he lived, played, and dreamed until the age of 12. Built in 1895, it was the home of his maternal grandparents, AD and Jennie Williams, who purchased it for around $3,500 in 1909.

Open for free, 30-minute interpretive tours led by the National Park Service, you’ll be able to walk in MLK’s footsteps to envision what his early years were like through expert insight. It sits within the 35-acre Martin Luther National Historic Site, a park with multiple other buildings related to the life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr.

The African American Panoramic Experience Museum tells the rich and frequently untold stories of African American and African history and culture from the Black Perspective. Most often referred to as the APEX Museum, this popular site on the Civil Rights Trail is housed within a century-old building constructed by African American masons. 

This is a place to gain understanding and appreciation of the African American experience as well as their social contributions via artifacts, exhibits, and presentations that span from ancient African civilizations to contemporary events.

The King Center, officially known as the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, serves to preserve Dr King’s legacy. It was founded by Coretta Scott King soon after her husband’s assassination in 1968.

The museum contains the Freedom Hall where guests can learn more about his work as well as the crypt where he and his wife now rest. The most moving part of the center, the tomb lies adjacent to an eternal flame and is surrounded by a reflecting pool.

The International Civil Rights Walk of Fame sits along the promenade that leads to the National Park Service’s Visitor Center at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Historic Site. Here one can literally stand in the footsteps of the country’s civil rights icons.

The parade of 2'x2' granite markers is embedded with the interactive memorial footprints that were created using shoes that were contributed by the inductees. They include legendary names like Rosa Parks, poet Maya Angelou, President Jimmy Carter, and Reverend Jesse Jackson.

Ebenezer Baptist Church was built in 1909 and is the heart and soul of the Sweet Auburn historic district. It was the very church where Martin Luther King Jr. was baptised and later preached along with his father, getting his start in public speaking.

He served as co-pastor until his death in 1968 while Rev. Martin Luther King Sr. retired after 44 years of service on 1st August 1975. As the congregation has grown significantly since, services are now hosted in a bigger building across the street. Even so, the historic church has been restored and is open to the public as a living legacy of MLK, Jr.

The Herndon Home was the residence of Alonzo Herndon who was born into slavery in 1858 yet managed to become the first black millionaire in Atlanta. He was also one of the wealthiest African Americans in the entire country having founded the American Life Insurance Company. His home was designed by Adrienne McNeil Herndon, his first wife, an activist and actor.

A National Historic Landmark, it now serves as the Herndon Home Museum, dedicated to raising awareness of Herndon’s legacy and the contributions of the city’s African American Community. Herndon’s company is still located on Auburn Avenue and remains the number-one insurer of group life benefits for African Americans.

The Oakland Cemetery is one of the largest and most historic cemeteries in Atlanta. It is the final resting place of many African Americans who played a part in shaping the city’s history, including civil rights heroes. Founded in 1850, it’s less than a mile from the heart of downtown and also features a botanical garden, sculpture garden, wildlife habitat, and a public park.

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day and during Black History Month, special tours are hosted by the Historic Oakland Foundation that brings visitors to some of those notable figures. Among them are the founder of Morris Brown College, Bishop Wesley John Gaines, and Carrie Steele Logan who's known for establishing Atlanta’s first black orphanage.

Atlanta History Center connects history, culture and people, with innovative exhibits on the civil rights movement, African American heritage, the Civil War, and Southern folk art. But it’s a lot more than a building, as the property features 33 acres of trails, gardens, and interactive exhibits, along with costumed character guides that provide a walk back through time.

Here you’ll experience the history and not just read about it. The kids are sure to love it too as it includes the 1840 Smith Family Farm, the oldest farmhouse in Atlanta. Here you can watch blacksmiths at work, try your hand at weaving, and even help take care of the sheep.