This Segregation-Era Motel Now Holds 40,000 Square Feet of Civil Rights History in Memphis

The National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel

The Lorraine Motel balcony in Memphis draws your eye right away. But the National Civil Rights Museum that now fills this space tells a bigger story than just one tragic day. From bus boycotts to lunch counter sits, the whole building brings history to life.

Here’s what makes this place so special.

Walk Over Atlantic Slave Trade Routes in the Round Gallery

As you enter “A Culture of Resistance,” you’ll step onto a floor map showing how people were moved across the Atlantic. The walls around you display tools, chains, and sales records next to tales of folks who fought back.

Touch screens let you dig into each topic at your own pace. This round room helps you get how pushing back against unfair treatment has been woven into America from the start.

Take a Seat on the Bus Where Rosa Refused to Move

Hop on a real 1950s city bus in “The Year They Walked” exhibit. When you sit down, you’ll hear the bus driver’s voice telling Rosa to give up her seat.

Through the windows, you’ll spot life-sized figures walking instead of riding, showing how folks kept the boycott going for 381 days. Photos show the women who walked miles to work each day and set up car pools that moved 30,000 people daily.

You can sit in the exact spot where Parks made her brave choice that sparked a movement.

Sit at the Actual Lunch Counter Where Students Made History

Put your hands on the same type of counter where brave students sat in 1960 and asked to be served like anyone else.

The “Standing Up By Sitting Down” display shows figures at the counter with angry folks next to them, while news clips play showing real students being dragged away.

Photos reveal how these sit-ins spread to 55 cities in just two months. You can listen to first-hand tales from the young people who risked it all for a simple meal and a slice of respect.

Step Into the Burned Bus That Carried Freedom Riders

Check out the shell of a Greyhound bus like the one that carried the Freedom Riders in 1961.

Inside, you can watch real clips of the attacks these brave folks faced when they tried to use “whites only” areas in bus stops.

The bus shows the marks from a bomb thrown by an angry crowd in Anniston, Alabama. Touch screens share the stories of each rider, many just 18-22 years old.

Photos show their busted faces after mobs beat them, but they kept going for six months until bus stops had to drop their unfair rules.

Join the Crowd at the Lincoln Memorial in 1963

The March on Washington room puts you right in the mix with 250,000 people who showed up to push for change.

You can see the signs folks held and hear bits of the talks given that day. Maps show how people came from all over, many riding days on buses to be there.

This huge event put major heat on the folks in power to pass civil rights laws, and the room makes you feel like you’re right there as Dr. King shares his dream with the world.

Discover Why Garbage Workers Went on Strike in Memphis

Find out why Dr. King came to Memphis in his final days. You’ll see a real garbage truck like the one that killed two Black workers, setting off the strike.

Life-sized figures wear the famous “I AM A MAN” signs that became a cry for being seen as human.

Photos show how 1,300 men walked off jobs that paid just $1.80 per hour after years of awful pay and risky work.

Touch screens tell their stories and play news bits from the 65-day strike that shook up the whole city.

Peek Into Room 306 Where Time Stopped at 6:01 PM

The most moving part of your visit will be Room 306, kept just as it was when Dr. King spent his last hours there.

From the door, you can see the bed still unmade, coffee cups on the dresser, and an open bag. The clock on the wall reads 6:01 PM – when the shot was fired.

From this spot, you can look out to the spot on the balcony where he was hit. Most folks need a moment here to take it all in – it’s a frozen slice of time that changed our nation.

Listen to Dr. King’s Final Words in a Quiet Space

Just past Room 306, you can sit in a small theater to hear the full “Mountaintop” speech that Dr. King gave the night before he died.

His words “I’ve been to the top of the mountain…I may not get there with you” seem to hint at what was coming. The cozy seats let you take in his last full talk – one that was full of hope, not fear.

Many folks find they need a quiet moment here to process what they’ve heard.

Touch the Two Water Fountains That Were Never Any Different

The Jim Crow Era area shows how laws kept Black and white folks apart in daily life.

You can see split bathrooms, water spots, schools and lunch areas that were part of each day back then.

Try the two water taps to see they gave the same water – just a sign to keep some folks down. Touch screens let you flip through real Jim Crow laws from each state.

Life-sized scenes show how even tiny kids were taught some folks were “less than” others.

Get Up Close With Cars That Drove the Movement

The cars and buses on display each tell a story about how folks moved the fight from place to place.

You can see James Earl Ray’s 1966 white Ford Mustang that he used to get away after the shooting.

The 1968 Cadillac and 1959 Dodge out front match the ones Dr. King and his team drove. Inside, check out the garbage truck from the 1968 strike and the bus the Freedom Riders used.

Take a Break by the Bronze Figures Climbing Toward Freedom (NO FREE PIC)

Rest a bit in the main hall while you take in Michael Pavlovsky’s bold bronze work “Movement to Overcome.” This big piece shows people climbing up toward a better day, made to honor all who kept pushing even when it seemed too hard.

Look close to see all types of folks – young, old, men, women – all working as one to rise up. The faces show both hard work and hope. It’s a good spot to sit for a bit and think about all you’ve seen.

The Last Gallery of the Museum

The final area shows how civil rights work now helps many groups, from voters to new folks coming to America.

Videos share tales from people doing the work right now. As you head out, you’ll see how the same tools used in the 1960s – marches, court cases, songs, and brave acts – still help make change today.

You’ll want about two hours to see the whole museum well. It’s open daily (except Tuesday) from 9am to 6pm, though it closes at 5pm on Mondays.

As of 2025, tickets cost $18 for adults, $16 for folks over 55, and $15 for kids 5-17. Little ones 4 and under get in free.