Dr. King’s life is an inspiration to everyone to stand up against racism, discrimination and anti-semitism and speak out. To dare to dream for a better present and future. To take actions to end discrimination. We should all learn more from history so we are not doomed to repeat it.
Martin Luther King Jr. was a true leader that lead the civil rights movement. He did not believe violence was going to help make the changes the south and the US as a whole needed. Even though he spent time in jail and was beaten up he always promoted his nonviolent philosophy to achieve change.
Martin Luther King Jr. was born and raise in Atlanta, Georgia. He was born on January 15, 1929. In fact, he lived the majority of his life in Atlanta and it is also his final resting place. MLK Jr. was murdered on April 4, 1968 for leading this movement and promoting change.
Did you know that at age 35 he became the youngest person ever to receive the Nobel Peace Prize?
Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Park Visitor Center
The best place to learn about the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park. This 35 acres historical park is home to The King Center, Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, Martin Luther King Jr. Birth Home, outdoor monuments, and recreation areas.
Here you can uncover the vast exhibits and information about King’s work for civil rights. The multimedia displays include newspaper accounts, audio visual testimonials and lifesize displays.
The Historical Park is located at the Sweet Auburn Historic District in downtown Atlanta. Location: 450 Auburn Ave. NE, Atlanta, GE
Make sure to walk through the “I Have a Dream” International World Peace Rose Garden and give your tribute to Gandhi and other civil rights icons.
King built his call for nonviolent resistance through the teachings of Gandhi at seminary school. In the park you will find a statue of the famous Indian leader along with the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame.
The Rose Garden is a beautiful spot to visit year round, but is especially colorful in the late spring and summer when the bushes are in bloom. The park represents the ideology of peace, mixing the rose, the official flower of the United States, with an artistic representation of the life and work of Dr King.
If you are with kids or even if you are not, check out the Children of Courage exhibit in the Visitor Center. It provides a wonderful and more hands on experience to bring the history to life. The goal of this exhibit is to remind ourselves that children and students are often the driving force behind change.
The King Center and MLK Grave
Take a moment to pause and reflect while visiting the final resting place of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his wife Coretta Scott King. Behind their tomb is an eternal flame, embodying the continuing efforts to realize Dr King’s dream.
Back inside the Visitor Center is the Courage to Lead exhibit that parallels Dr King’s life with the greater civil rights movement and how he became one of its prolific leaders calling for equal rights for all.
Historic Fire House
Ebenezer Baptist Church
The Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church is also part of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park park. It is the church where MLK was baptized and it is the same church where Dr. King’s father was a pastor and where he later became a co-pastor. In this same church is where his funeral was hosted after being assasinated.
Birth House
The two story, Queen Anne style home, Martin Luther King Jr. Birth Home is where he was born on January 15, 1929 and spent the first 12 years of his life. It is open to the public and it is free to enter. You must reserve a spot for the limited 30 minute ranger- led tour of the home well in advance, as it is often booked full.
Tours are filled on a first-come-first-served basis. To reserve your free tour you must do it in person at the King Center Visitor Center. We recommend to go there first thing in the morning to try to get a tour for that day. Only 15 people are allowed on each tour and they only run between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. daily.
Outside the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park:
Morehouse College, Atlanta
Atlanta is not only the childhood home of Dr King, it is also home to his alma mater, Morehouse College, a prestigious historically black college.
Morehouse College is home to The King Collection, which includes about 10,000 items representing most of Martin Luther King’s work and personal life. The King Collection is not always on public view, but if you can get there when it is, you will be inspired and impressed.
Also make sure to visit the Morehouse College Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel, an enduring religious memorial to Dr. King.
Center for Civil and Human Rights, Atlanta
The National Center for Civil and Human Rights is located at the heart of downtown Atlanta next to the Centennial Olympic Park. The center highlights heartbreaking stories and exhibits from the civil rights era, including personal letters and family photos from the Dr King family. The center as a whole connects the civil rights movement to the greater human rights challenges that are faced across the world in a real eye opening manor.