The Perfect 7-Day “Civil Rights Trail” Itinerary

The Civil Rights Trail is a historic route that traces the steps of the American Civil Rights movement. A road trip to discover the Civil Rights Trail is the perfect way to explore the significant sites, landmarks, and experiences that define this important part of American history. Here’s a perfect road trip itinerary to discover the Civil Rights Trail:

Day 1: Atlanta, Georgia 

Start your journey in Atlanta, Georgia, the birthplace of Martin Luther King Jr. Begin your day by visiting the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park, which includes King’s childhood home, the church where he preached, and his final resting place. Take a guided tour of the park, and learn about King’s life and legacy. Next, head to the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, which has a permanent exhibit on civil rights.

Day 2: Montgomery, Alabama 

Drive to Montgomery, Alabama, which played a significant role in the Civil Rights Movement. Begin your day at the Rosa Parks Museum, which honors the woman who refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus in 1955. Then, visit the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, where Martin Luther King Jr. was a pastor. End your day at the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, which honors the victims of lynching.

Day 3: Selma, Alabama 

Drive to Selma, Alabama, which was the site of the historic march from Selma to Montgomery in 1965. Begin your day at the Selma Interpretive Center, where you can learn about the events that led up to the march. Then, walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, where peaceful protesters were beaten by state troopers in 1965. End your day at the Brown Chapel AME Church, where the march from Selma to Montgomery began.

Day 4: Memphis, Tennessee 

Drive to Memphis, Tennessee, which was the site of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination in 1968. Begin your day at the National Civil Rights Museum, which is located at the Lorraine Motel, where King was shot. Then, visit the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, which celebrates the music that was an integral part of the Civil Rights Movement. End your day at the historic Beale Street, which was a center of African-American culture during the 1950s and 1960s.

Day 5: Little Rock, Arkansas 

Drive to Little Rock, Arkansas, which was the site of the Little Rock Nine crisis in 1957. Begin your day at the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site, where you can learn about the brave African-American students who integrated the school. Then, visit the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, which celebrates the contributions of African Americans to the state of Arkansas. End your day at the Clinton Presidential Library, which has a permanent exhibit on the Civil Rights Movement.

Day 6: Birmingham, Alabama 

Drive to Birmingham, Alabama, which was a center of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. Begin your day at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, which has exhibits on the Civil Rights Movement and the struggle for racial justice. Then, visit the 16th Street Baptist Church, where four young girls were killed in a bombing in 1963. End your day at the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument, which includes the sites of key Civil Rights events in the city.

Day 7: Jackson, Mississippi

Drive to Jackson, Mississippi, which was the site of the Freedom Rides in 1961. Begin your day at the Medgar Evers Home Museum, which honors the life and legacy of the Civil Rights activist who was assassinated in 1963. Then, visit the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, which has exhibits on the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi. End your day at the Smith Robertson Museum and Cultural Center, which celebrates the contributions of African Americans to the state of Mississippi, and is located in the former school that was a center of African American education and community during the era of segregation.