Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site

This National Historical Park in Atlanta's Sweet Auburn district preserves the world of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., where he was born, raised, preached, and is now buried. It's a deeply moving, free pilgrimage through the civil-rights story: you can see King's birth home (timed tours), the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church where he and his father preached, the King Center with the tombs of Martin and Coretta Scott King beside a reflecting pool and eternal flame, and an excellent National Park Service visitor centre with exhibits on the movement.

It's both a tribute and an education, told with dignity and power, and essential for understanding the American civil-rights struggle. Allow a couple of hours, start at the visitor centre, and reserve birth-home tour tickets early as they're limited and free.

Don't miss

• Dr. King's birth home (free timed tours)
• Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church
• The King Center with the tombs and eternal flame
• The National Park Service visitor centre exhibits
• The Sweet Auburn civil-rights neighbourhood

Tickets & tours

Ways to visit Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site

Cheapest way in90-Minute Narrated Sightseeing Trolley Tour in Atlanta4.8★ · 2,293 travelers~2 hoursFree cancellationFrom$36 per personSee dates →Most booked90-Minute Guided Sightseeing Tour4.8★ · 1,023 travelers~2 hoursFree cancellationFrom$45 per personSee dates →Private & flexiblePrivate Atlanta History Tour From Civil War to Civil Rights4.9★ · 50 travelers~3 hoursFree cancellationFrom$175 per personSee dates →

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Know before you go

• It's free, start at the National Park Service visitor centre.
• Birth-home tours are free but limited and timed, reserve early in the day.
• Allow a couple of unhurried hours; it's moving and substantial.
• MARTA's King Memorial station is the easiest way there.

A bit of history

The site centres on the neighbourhood where Martin Luther King Jr. was born in 1929 and grew up. Following his assassination in 1968, the area was preserved; it became a National Historic Site (now National Historical Park) administered by the National Park Service, encompassing his birth home, church, and memorial.