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16th Street Baptist Church, Birmingham, AL

Photo: BakedintheHole, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

SightseeingIconicHistory Buff

16th Street Baptist Church

1530 6th Ave N · Birmingham, AL

Why you should go…

Designed by architect Wallace Rayfield and completed in 1911, 16th Street Baptist Church is home to the first Black congregation in Birmingham. On September 15, 1963, a Ku Klux Klan bomb planted outside the basement killed Addie Mae Collins, Carole Robertson, Cynthia Wesley and Denise McNair. Guided tours take about an hour and cover the church's history and the bombing. The building is a National Historic Landmark and part of Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument.

  • #civil rights history
  • #historic church
  • #national historic landmark
  • #guided tour

Good to know

General sightseeing guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • The forecast is part of the ticket

    Haze, low cloud, and rain flatten a view. Clear-day visits are worth rearranging your plans for.

  • Golden hour sells out first

    Sunset slots at observation decks and cruises are the first to go, so book those further ahead.

  • Dress a layer warmer

    It is always breezier up high and out on the water than it feels at street level.

  • Timed entry is common

    Plenty of landmarks release tickets in windows rather than at the door, so check before you walk over.

What's around here?

The closest stops to 16th Street Baptist Church, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Museums
    History Buff

    Birmingham Civil Rights Institute

    Under $25

    Walk through self-guided galleries that trace the Birmingham Campaign and the wider American civil rights movement.

    Right next doorSwitch it up: Museums

  • Sightseeing
    History Buff

    Sloss Furnaces

    Free

    Walk among the blast furnaces and machinery of a Birmingham pig iron plant that ran from 1882 to 1971.

    1.4 mi awayMore like this

  • Museums
    Rainy-Day Pick

    Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum

    $25–$50

    See more than 1,000 motorcycles on display from over a century of production, plus a large collection of Lotus race cars.

    12 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Attractions
    Iconic

    Talladega Superspeedway

    Under $25

    See NASCAR's 2.66-mile tri-oval with 33-degree banked turns, on race weekends or at the motorsports hall of fame next door.

    43 mi awaySwitch it up: Attractions

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    Cheaha State Park

    Under $25

    Hike to granite overlooks and climb a stone tower on Cheaha Mountain, the highest point in Alabama.

    58 mi awaySwitch it up: Sport & Outdoor