USA Guide
The South
The National Civil Rights Museum
The National Civil Rights Museum provides the most rewarding and comprehensive history of the tumultuous struggle for civil rights to be had anywhere in the South. It's built around the shell of the former Lorraine Motel, where Dr Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated by James Earl Ray on April 4, 1968.
The Lorraine itself was one of the few places where blacks and whites could meet in Memphis during the segregation era; thus black singer Eddie Floyd and white guitarist Steve Cropper wrote soul classics such as "Knock on Wood" here, and Dr King was a regular guest. The outer facade of the motel is still all too recognizable from images of King's death, but once inside visitors are faced with a succession of galleries that recount the major milestones of the movement. By far the most affecting moment comes when you reach King's actual room, Room 306, still laid out as he left it, and see the spot where his life was cut short.
Another wing, across from the motel, completes the story by incorporating the rooming house from which the fatal shot was fired. The bedroom rented that same day by James Earl Ray, and the bathroom that served as his sniper's nest, can both be inspected behind glass, with the death site clearly visible beyond. King's own family remain highly sceptical as to whether Ray acted alone, and detailed panels lay out all sorts of conspiracy theories.
Address: 450 Mulberry St
Opening time: June– Aug Mon– Sat 9am–6pm, Sun 1–6pm; Sept– May Mon– Sat 9am–5pm, Sun 1–5pm
Price: $12, free Mon after 3pm, when there are no audio tours; $15 combination ticket with the Stax museum