How to Plan a Visit to Martin Luther King's Birthplace

Martin Luther King, Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia. Visiting Dr. King's birthplace will also bring you in close proximity to the church where he preached, his gravesite and the King Center, a site devoted to Dr. King's life and works which draws more than half a million visitors a year.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Reservation for a guided tour
• Comfortable walking shoes
• Transportation to and within Atlanta

Find the Spot

1. Head to 501 Auburn Avenue in Atlanta, Georgia, site of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birth. The neighborhood is called "Sweet Auburn" and it's where Dr. King and his relatives lived and preached.
2. Take exit #248c from Interstate 75/85 and park around the corner from the home on John Wesley Dobbs avenue.
3. Be issued a free ticket for your tour of the birth site which will tell you when to show up for your tour. This allows you to visit other nearby sites without having to stand in line.

Take Your Place on the Tour

4. Arrive early on weekends and holidays as tour groups are limited to 15 people and can fill up quickly. The tour guides don't take reservations so it's strictly first come, first served.
5. Plan extra time to see such nearby destinations as his gravesite and the famed King Center with its well stocked library of civil rights documents.
6. Be aware that the tour of Dr. King's birthplace takes about half an hour. The site is closed to visitors on the Christmas and Thanksgiving holidays and on New Year's Day. Tours begin at 10 a.m. and continue until 5 p.m. In the summer the tours begin at 9:30 in the morning and go until 5:30 in the afternoon.
7. Plan your visit to Dr. King's birthplace and to the nearby King Center for a weekday if you prefer a more leisurely, uncrowded atmosphere.

Stay Overnight

8. Make a reservation at one of the several hotels within walking distance of the King Center if you are planning an overnight trip to Atlanta.
9. Consider the Holiday Inn, the Sheraton Hotel or the Hilton Hotel all of which are within a mile of the King Center on Auburn Avenue.

Tips & Warnings

• Be aware that you cannot visit the birthplace of Martin Luther King on your own. You must be on a tour led by a ranger.