Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site

450 Auburn Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30312, USA

Address:	450 Auburn Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30312, USA
Phone:	+1 404-331-5190
Site:	nps.gov
Rating:	4.7
Working:	9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 6

Faith Bygrave

My experience at Martin Luther King Historic Site was amazing and thought provoking. There is no cost for admission which makes it really accessible. At first, it was confusing on where to go to enter the site. But a park ranger helped me and guided me on where to go in the site. The park ranger also helped me by giving me a map. The site is self-guided but there are sporadic tours that are available if you would like to wait for them. There are 4 different parts of the site which are MLK’s home, his church, his neighborhood firehouse, and his burial site. All are fairly easy to travel to and have little distance between them. As a student, I recommend that other students go to all the sites and pick up pamphlets along the way to maximize your experience. The first site I visited was the firehouse. The firehouse had a volunteer who told stories about Dr. King’s childhood activities there. It helped to bring the firehouse to life. Next, I went to MLK’s house. The only way to get access inside the house was to receive a free ticket from the visitor center. The tour times were far apart so I was not able to go inside. On the other hand, I was able to sit on the porch steps and explore the building that King lived in which was very moving. The Freedom Hall museum was my next stop. It was an unexpected and surprising part of the visit because it had a beautiful collection of the personal items of Martin Luther King and Coretta Scott King. As a student, it was great to see how these two figures and their legacies were tied together in this space. It was my favorite part of the site visit because it included artifacts of figures who represented what King stood for like Rosa Parks and Mahatma Gandhi. When I left Freedom Hall, I was able to see the King burial site and the Eternal Flame. I liked the symbolism of the water and the flame together. To end the visit, I visited the Ebenezer Baptist Church where King was the pastor. King’s sermons played out throughout the church as I walked in. It was a great way to end the tour of the entire King site. As a non-native of Atlanta, it was great to see all of these places that I learned about come to life. I knew that coming to the MLK Historic site would be a beautiful experience. In addition to the experience, I loved that I learned some details that many documentaries and articles do not discuss like King’s trip to India and his Grammy win for Best Spoken Word Recording. Despite the directional issues, my experience at the site was a special one and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to learn about the unconventional as well momentous things about King.

Candelaria Brown

The Martin Luther King National Historic Center This is a very profound and heart touching place to visit. The Historic Compound is a group of Historical Site not far from one another. You can do this on your own by simply following a map. For example, you can visit the house where this great man was born in. It was built in 1895. From there you can visit the Ebenezer Baptist Church. It is only a block away. Not far is the King Center for Non Violence. Ms. Coretta King started the Center after her husband was assassinated. There is also the visitor center and the Gandhi Promenade. All of these historical venues are full of facts, photographs and historical information. And each site requires time and effort. Do not rush and truly pace yourself. I spent about five hours and felt satisfied with all that I saw. Do not forget to visit the Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King tomb in the Sweet Auburn district. Walk the Freedom Hall and mediate how much freedom cost. I admired this man and it was an honor to visit these places. They are a part of a History that should not be ignored – travel and let History tell you truth and share.

Dan Kimbrough

An amazing experience. Id visited once about 10 years ago when they were closed, but you could still visit the reflecting pond. This time I got the whole experience and it was fantastic. If you havent been, you need to go. There are 3 parts/blocks to the whole park, make sure you get to each. The first part is about the civil rights movement, marches, sit-ins and so on. It also contains a section on Jimmy Carter and his work for civil rights. The second is the reflecting pool Corretta and Dr. King are laid to rest. There is a (not so) eternal flame, gift shop and small museum as well. The third block is the Ebenezer Baptist Church where Dr. King attended. Its been fully restored and is breathtaking. Standing where he stood gives you goosebumps. They also have a young man who has the intonation and cadence of Dr. King down pat and he delivers part of the "I Have a Dream" speech...it gave me chills. All three sections have some sort of visual/movie happening on a rotating basis and tons of information about Dr. King and other civil rights leaders. Its an amazing place for a historical visit or just to connect and reflect.

Daesha Williams

This place is beautiful and very touching. Its a great compliment to go to Memphis Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel and then come here - that what we did. Youll find MLK and his wifes burial site here, and there is also the king center where you go to get tickets for the house tour. The house tour was chilling - being able to walk through and see the EXACT place the King family lived their lives was breath taking. Across the street youll find the historic Ebenezer church. If you dont know what that is, look it up now. The church reminded me so much of my own home church and just one of those down home African American church feels to it. It smelled and feeled just like my own churches from home. Beautiful experience. I would advice going early in the morning if youre there during the popular summer crowds - for an introvert like me it was a lot more relaxed unless you dont mind a large crowd of people. If youre lucky youll hear a young gentleman who does a MLK imitation speech and he sounds so much like him. Again, the place is amazing and I think its a must for anyone to visit.

Tim Binford

The MLK Jr. National Historic Site is one of the places, like Ellis Island, that every American needs to see. We must understand the events of our past in order to understand the causes of our present discontents. The history of the Civil Rights movement is covered, ranging over arcs of time from slavery, to the lynching era, to the "Jim Crow" laws, to the Freedom Riders, to the March on Washington, to the present day struggles by many Americans for simple recognition and respect. Dr. Kings soaring oratory is contrasted with his tactical leadership, as told in first-hand accounts by the leaders of the Civil Rights movement of the issues, and violence, that they faced as they sought to form a "more perfect union."

Kacey Ratterree

I was here last week with two nieces from the UK. We had one evening and almost a full day in Atlanta. (The evening was a Braves game of course and - the Braves won!). One thing they wanted to see was your site. It was an incredible experience. The parking was free (unheard of) and the buildings and exhibits were top quality. The film was moving and historical. The Ebenezer Church and reenactment of "I Have a Dream" were amazing, like listening to Dr. King himself. But most of all, your staff people were warm, welcoming and knowledgable, and we had the sense that they LOVE their jobs! Now how many federal sites can offer that? The visit took about an hour and a half, most enjoyable. Highly recommend!