Exterior of 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham.

Alabama Civil Rights Legacy

Alabama, the cradle of the civil rights movement, offers a deeply moving and educational journey through its pivotal role in shaping the course of American history. The state, rich with historical landmarks, is an essential destination for anyone looking to immerse themselves in the stories and struggles that fueled the fight for equality. With the innovative Civil Rights app, visitors can explore Alabama's civil rights landmarks, from the Rosa Parks Museum to the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, or walk the iconic Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma. Experience the profound lessons of courage, sacrifice, and perseverance that continue to inspire us today. Alabama's civil rights history is a testament to the enduring spirit of those who dared to challenge the status quo, making it a must-visit for all who seek to understand the depth and complexity of America's journey toward justice.

Discover the Rich Heritage of the Alabama Civil Rights Legacy

Experience the pivotal moments, from the Selma to Montgomery marches to the courageous expeditions of the Freedom Riders.


Struggles and Triumphs: Alabama’s Role i...

Alabama has a rich and complex history within the Civil Rights Movement and has served as the focal point for pivotal events that shaped the fight for equal rights that shaped our nation.

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48 Hours in Birmingham

This year, in conjunction with other Birmingham civil rights champions, the city will recognize the 60th anniversary of the Birmingham Civil Rights Movement.

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Hit the Road To Explore Gee’s Bend

In the Southwest rural corner of the state of Alabama, there is a small parcel of land called Gee’s Bend. Gee’s Bend is surrounded by the Alabama River and it is only accessible by ferry.

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Civil Rights: Tracing Selma to Montgomer...

After winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 and in 1965, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. began focusing his attention on Black voter registration in Selma, Alabama.

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Experience Alabama's Civil Rights Trail.

In two 25-minute episodes of Travels With Darley , Darley Newman takes viewers to some of the most historic sites along Alabama’s Civil Rights Trail where she interviews those who participated in the movement as well as those who are making an impact in shaping the Alabama of today.

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Visit Alabama’s African American Histori...

Alabama played a critical role in shaping civil rights history. Key events that forged the state’s significance in how the movement advanced forward are forever ingrained in our lives, as a people and as a state.

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MLK Day is a day for quiet reflection.

Next Monday, we celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday. The state of Alabama played a critical role in the Civil Rights Movement.

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New Civil Rights Trail Book: History of ...

Lee Sentell, director of the Alabama Tourism Department, launches new book about the U.S. Civil Rights Trail.

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Podcast Tells History of the Civil Right...

The Alabama Tourism Department's new Civil Rights Trail podcast takes you behind the scenes of the Civil Rights Movement. The three-part series will introduce listeners to the people, places and events that played a role in the movement and which ultimately shaped a nation.

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Tour the Alabama Civil Rights Trail

The U.S. Civil Rights Trail features locations from 14 states that continue to play an important role in the fight for civil rights. Alabama is home to 30 stops along the U.S. Civil Rights Trail, and each one tells the stories and retraces the steps of civil rights trailblazers...

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Featured Locations & Events

The Legacy Lives! Hear it

The Alabama Civil Rights Trail podcast adds a new dimension to how this history is told.

Hear Stories of the Movement and Their Morals for Today

The Alabama Civil Rights Trail Podcast features real stories of real people who were there. They were the foot soldiers who held the front lines of the Movement. They were the freedom riders and protestors. They sat when people ordered them to leave. By telling their stories, they’ll be remembered and shared. And with the help of historians and other experts, we can learn why the events and actions from decades ago remain so relevant today.

Available wherever you get your podcasts.

Alabama Civil Rights Trail Podcast

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The Legacy Lives Here

Explore these attractions and more when you visit our civil rights destinations.

People looking at statues at Birmingham Civil Rights Institute

Birmingham Civil Rights Institute

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Toy airplane at Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site

Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site

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Inside view of Rosa Parks Museum and Childrens Wing

Rosa Parks Museum and Childrens Wing

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Fallen memorial at Civil Rights Memorial Center

Civil Rights Memorial Center

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Outside view of Freedom Rides Museum/ Historic Montgomery Greyhound Bus Station

Freedom Rides Museum/ Historic Montgomery Greyhound Bus Station

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Street view of Sixteenth Street Baptist Church

Sixteenth Street Baptist Church

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Find an Alabama Civil Rights Experience

Explore civil rights locations you should visit the next time you're here.
Guides Tours Or Ri...
Birmingham area
Birmingham, AL
Not provided

Historic Site
1510 5th Avenue North
Birmingham, AL 35203
Formerly the A.G. Gaston Motel, facility provided Birmingham's only first-class lodging for African-...

Historic Site
915 South Jackson Street
Montgomery, AL 36104
Alabama State University is located in historic Montgomery, Ala., on a beautiful 172-acre campus fea...

Historic Site
144 West 4th Street
Anniston, AL 36201
The Anniston Civil Rights Trail recognizes and remembers key events, significant sites and people in...

Historic Site
1031 Gurnee Avenue & Old Birmingham Hwy./AL Route 202
Anniston, AL 36201
Murals in the alleyways of the old Greyhound and Trailways Bus stations depict scenes from when the ...

Historic Site
112 South Bayou Street
Mobile, AL 36602
Church organized 1842, now one of oldest African-American institutions in Mobile. Originally named L...

Museum
520 16th St. N
Birmingham, AL 35203
This museum experience is self-directed journey through the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s on to...

Historic Site
Broad Street & Water Aveue
Selma, AL 36703
This famous Civil Rights landmark represents a pivotal point in Voting Rights as law enforcement off...

Historic Site
1566 Marie Foster Street
Selma, AL 36703
A 1386 square foot, single family home where Rev. Dr Frederick D Reese and family resided in, which ...

Historic Site
801 6th Avenue, University of Alabama campus
Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
Foster Auditorium is the site of the June 11, 1963 "Stand in the Schoolhouse Door", a pivotal point ...

Hotel Or Motel
492 Wildwood Circle North
Homewood, AL 35209
Not provided

Historic Site
3167 CR 27
Tuskegee, AL 36083
1903 two-room school, built by students under direction of Dr. Booker T. Washington, houses expositi...

This museum provides an educational experience for children with disabilities and is a project of th...

Historic Site
500 17th Street North
Birmingham, AL 35203
Site symbolizes the essence of the Civil Rights Movement. Protesters organized for marches here when...

Visitor Center
Temporarily Relocating
Montgomery, AL 36104
The Montgomery Visitor Center is currently in the process of relocating. Our knowledgeable staff can...

Historic Site
702 Greensboro St./Hwy. 14 E
Eutaw, AL 35462
An extension fo the Alabama Civil Rights Freedom Farm Museum, the site contains 3 civil rights house...

The Selma Interpretive Center serves as a welcome center for the Selma to Montgomery National Histor...

Administered by the National Park Service. The site is comprised by two interpretive centers, one i...

Museum and gallery focusing on African American history.

Hotel Or Motel
100 Hospitality Lane
Millbrook, AL 36054
Not provided

Museum
4900 Meridian Street North
Huntsville, AL 35811
Repository of African-American history and culture. Dialogue between present and past through archiv...

Hotel Or Motel
5837 Monticello Drive
Montgomery, AL 36117
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Museum
104 S. Elm
Tuskegee, AL 36083
A museum of Tuskegee, Alabama's remarkable history, along with the multicultural history of Macon Co...

Historic Site
1200 West Montgomery Road
Tuskegee, AL 36088