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Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site and Birth Home

Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site and Birth Home Review

The modest Queen Anne-style residence is where Martin Luther King Jr. was born and raised. Besides items that belonged to the family, the house contains an outstanding multimedia exhibit focused on the civil rights movement. To sign up for guided tours, go to the National Park Service Visitor Center (450 Auburn Ave., 30312), across the street from the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change. Parking is on the corner of John Wesley Dobbs Street and Boulevard, behind the visitor center. A limited number of visitors are allowed to tour the house each day. Advance reservations are not possible, so sign up early in the day.

    Contact Information

  • Address: 501 Auburn Ave., Sweet Auburn, Atlanta, GA, 30312 | Map It
  • Phone: 404/331-6922
  • Cost: Free
  • Hours: Tours: daily 10-5
  • Website: www.nps.gov/malu
  • Location: Sweet Auburn

Member Reviews

  • bachslunch, from US
    4/1/09

    This good-sized complex contains several things. There's a Visitors Center that contains exhibits about and personal effects of King, his wife, Rosa Parks, and Mahatma Gandhi. King and his wife are buried here in a tomb surrounded by a pool/fountain display. Birth house tours leave from an old firehouse across the street, which has some vintage firehouse items, including an engine. The birth house itself is a surprisingly good-sized Victorian with plenty of family furnishings and personal effects, and the tour is engaging and informative. A long hike from the MARTA station, and it's very advisable to get there early for same-day birth house tour reservations, which can fill quickly with school groups or even book solid. A must.

    Ratings details: Experience: 5 | Ease: 4 | Value: 5 | Don't Miss: 5
  • A_MN, from Minneapolis
    6/18/07

    This is a must see site. The tours run frequently and the guides are very knowledgeable. A great lesson in American history.

    Ratings details: Experience: 5 | Ease: 5 | Value: 5 | Don't Miss: 5
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