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Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, Birmingham, AL

Photo: Historic American Buildings Survey, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

MuseumsHistory BuffRainy-Day Pick

Birmingham Civil Rights Institute

520 16th St N · Birmingham, AL

Why you should go…

Opened in November 1992 in Birmingham's Civil Rights District, the institute leads you on a self-guided walk through multimedia galleries on African-American life and the civil rights struggle, with a focus on the 1963 Birmingham Campaign. The Oral History Project adds the voices of people who took part. The Congressional Gold Medal awarded to the four girls killed in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing was given to the institute, and traveling exhibitions rotate through.

  • #civil rights museum
  • #history museum
  • #civil rights district
  • #birmingham campaign

Good to know

General museums guidance

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

  • Check the special exhibition separately

    Touring shows usually carry their own ticket and their own opening hours, listed apart from general admission.

  • Look for the free window

    Many museums run community days, member evenings, or discounted late openings. It is worth a look before you pay full price.

  • Travel light through the door

    Large bags and backpacks often have to go to a coat check, and lines for it move slowly at opening.

  • Weekday mornings beat weekend afternoons

    School groups clear out by early afternoon midweek, while weekends stay busy from late morning on.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    16th Street Baptist Church

    Under $25

    Tour the 1911 church where a 1963 Ku Klux Klan bombing killed four girls, a landmark of the civil rights era.

    Right next doorSwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • 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 awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • 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 awayMore like this

  • 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