How to Visit the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis

The National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis has transform the site of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination into an educational museum that chronicles the fight for equality in the United States. The cars parked outside and left untouched since that fateful day in April remind every museum visitor that this is sacred ground.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Find the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tenn., at 450 Mulberry Street. Call for information at [phone], or check the website for driving directions. Parking is free at the museum.
2. Check out the museum starting at 9 a.m. on Mondays and Wednesday through Saturday. On those days, the doors close at 5 p.m. On Sundays, the museum has shorter hours of operation, opening at 1 p.m. and closing at 5 p.m. The National Civil Rights Museum is always closed on Tuesdays.
3. Be aware that summer hours are longer. Summer hours run the same days and start at the same time, but in the summer you can enjoy the museum until 6 p.m.
4. Schedule a group tour for 20 or more by calling [phone] ext. 241. You must book 2 weeks in advance to receive a group discount.
5. Pay the admission fee at the door. If you're a member, or age 3 and under, you can enter free. For ages 4 to 17, admission is $8.50. A student with a valid ID or a senior citizen enters for $10 and adults pay $12. If you're in town on a non-holiday Monday, the museum is free from 3 p.m. until closing. The museum is open on holiday Mondays, but doesn't offer free admission.
6. Read the walls and see the exhibits. Sit on the bus near a statue of Rosa Parks. See the bombed bus of the freedom riders. Spend some time reflecting in the preserved room of Dr. King and learn more by visiting the expansion across the street built in 2002. In the building where James Earl Ray allegedly fired that infamous shot, you'll find an exhibition called "Exploring the Legacy." Here you learn more about the case against James Earl Ray and find information on other civil rights movements around the globe.

Tips & Warnings

• All the museum staff are volunteers, so be nice to them and thank them for donating their time and efforts.
• The museum is text-heavy. Because there's so much reading, this museum may not be as captivating for extremely young children.

Who Can Help: