How to Visit the King Library in Atlanta

The library in the King Center in Atlanta hosts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. The King Center is home to exhibits about the life and goals of Dr. King, copies of Dr. King's papers and volumes about his life. It is also the final resting place of his body. The Center is close to landmarks that evoke the life of Dr. King, such as the church where he gave many of his speeches and his childhood home.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Transportation to Atlanta

Find the King Center

1. Head toward 449 Auburn Avenue, N.E. Atlanta, Georgia. From the Atlanta airport, take the I-85 north and then the I-75 north to the Auburn Ave. exit.
2. Know that the King Center and its attendant library and gift shop are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in spring, fall and winter and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the summer (Memorial Day to Labor Day).
3. Browse the library's extensive collection of Civil Rights movement records. The King Center acknowledges that it is the largest collection of Civil Rights and Martin Luther King papers in the world.

Continue the Dream

4. Make a donation to the King Center during your visit or commit to a life of non-violence. The King Center can help people connect with community projects in their area.
5. Visit the home where Martin Luther King, Jr. was born and the church where he and his relatives were pastors during your time in Atlanta. Since this city was Dr. King's home, you'll find many landmarks of his life and the Civil Rights movement.
6. Consider volunteering every year on Martin Luther King Day. As you visit the library, you will see that the King Center emphasizes this annual day of memorial to be a "day on, not a day off," in furtherance of social change.

Utilize Library Resources

7. Browse the books by and about Dr. King, watch the video cassettes about his life and movement and engage in other multimedia offerings at the King Library at the King Center in Atlanta.
8. Watch the monitors that show Dr. King addressing crowds with his famous rhetoric. Many visitors say that this is the most moving, profound aspect of the King Center and library.

Tips & Warnings

• The King Center can be crowded during the summer months and near Dr. King's birthday. Plan on arriving early if you will be visiting during the more popular times.