Lead Your Group on a March Through Civil Rights History

The United States has come far over the last 250 years. Americans, as a people, have come a long way—that’s progress, after all. It’s inevitable as our population grows more diverse and societal norms change with the times. The catalyst for that progress is starkly on display in the Southeast, which served as the center of the Civil Rights Movement from the mid-1950s to the late ’60s.

Cities dotting the region, both large and small, honor the people and events that shaped the Civil Rights Movement with monuments, museums, and historical markers that still resonate with the culture of today. These are the places where your tourgoers can follow in the footsteps of those who marched before them, read the words of those who advocated for change, or see the artifacts that bore witness to history.

These events shaped our country as we know it today, ensuring all Americans—regardless of race—are entitled to the same rights and freedoms as outlined in the U.S. Constitution. That’s not to say there isn’t room for improvement, but the Civil Rights Movement was perhaps one of the most impactful periods in American history, born of both unprecedented unity and unruly political violence that sent shockwaves through the nation.

Honor the American battle to overcome racial prejudice by touring a Civil Rights Movement site with your group. From the streets of Selma, Alabama, to the museums of Atlanta, the Southeast is a region that promises a journey through history in the places where those battles were fought.

THE CENTER OF IT ALL

Perhaps no state is more frequently cited for its civil rights significance than Alabama—so let’s begin there. Kick things off in Birmingham, home of the 16th Street Baptist Church. This historic church served as a meeting place for the organization of marches and other protests during the Civil Rights Movement. It was famously targeted by the KKK in a 1963 bombing that killed four young Black girls and injured more than a dozen others.

The city also is home to the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. Here, visitors can see a rendition of a segregated city in the 1950s, check out a replica of a Freedom Riders bus, and even find the actual jail cell door from behind which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. penned his famous “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” The museum offers a discounted rate for groups of 25 or more, and tours take an average of 90 minutes to complete.

At the center of the Civil Rights Movement has always been Selma, often viewed as the launchpad for the passing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Most notable is the Edmund Pettus Bridge, a National Historic Landmark, site of the Bloody Sunday beatings of civil rights marchers during the first march for voting rights. The violence was televised, garnering national attention and prompting public support for the marchers. Today, the bridge remains a poignant reminder of the persistence and resilience of the Civil Rights Movement.

To commemorate Bloody Sunday and Selma’s role in the Civil Rights Movement, the National Voting Rights Museum and Institute preserves and displays items and stories relating to the voting rights campaign. The museum offers a variety of tour packages featuring other historic sites in Selma, including the Edmund Pettus Bridge, Brown Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church—where the Bloody Sunday march was planned—and more.

Explore the history of the Tuskegee Airmen, America’s first Black military pilots, in Tuskegee. The Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site is located within the restored hangars at Moton Field. The museum is free to the public and features one of the planes flown by the “experimental” military unit during World War II.

More can’t-miss experiences in Alabama include the Freedom Riders National Monument in Anniston; the Old Courthouse Museum in Monroeville; the Holt Street Baptist Church Museum, Civil Rights Memorial Center, Freedom Rides Museum, and Rosa Parks Museum in Montgomery; and The Scottsboro Boys Museum in Scottsboro.

LASTING LEGACIES

On April 4, 1968, tragedy struck when a civil rights icon was gunned down on the balcony of Room 306 at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. Today, the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel commemorates the life, legacy, and death of Martin Luther King Jr. The hotel-turned-museum features exhibits that trace the history of the Civil Rights Movement from 1916 to 2000.

Connie Dyson, director of brand marketing and public relations for the museum, says the most popular exhibits for groups include “The Montgomery Bus Boycott,” “The Sit-in Counter,” and “Room 306.” The museum can accommodate around 60 guests at once, but the group services team can arrange customized tours that unfold in stages for larger groups.

Dyson says tour planners should be on the lookout for “The Legacy Experience,” slated to launch at the museum in May. “When the National Civil Rights Museum’s Legacy Building reopens in late spring 2026, it will do more than welcome guests into an updated facility,” says Dr. Russ Wigginton, museum president, in a prepared statement. “It will usher them into an urgent and immersive journey through the unfinished business of civil rights. What once served as the Lorraine Motel’s opposite facade now becomes the movement’s modern-day front line.”

The new exhibit tells the story of King’s final chapter in his mission, as outlined in his book “Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?” Wigginton explains: “Through five powerful thematic galleries—poverty, education, housing, gender, and nonviolence—visitors are invited to explore the structural inequalities Dr. King warned of and how those injustices still shape American life.” The display will feature interactive components, digital kiosks, and touchscreen prompts that allow visitors to weigh in on present-day issues. The museum also will introduce new gallery and classroom spaces for rapid-response exhibits that follow unfolding events.

Also found in Memphis are the Beale Street Historic District, Stax Museum of American Soul Music, and Mason Temple. More landmarks to consider in the Volunteer State include the National Museum of African American Music, Civil Rights Room at the Nashville Public Library, Clark Memorial United Methodist Church, and Woolworth Theatre—all in Nashville.

MORE TO EXPLORE

Atlanta, Georgia, is another great all-in-one city perfect for urban and historical exploration. It is the home of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, which connects the Civil Rights Movement to today’s global human rights movements. Signature exhibits at the center include “Broken Promises: The Legacy of Reconstruction,” “A Committed Life: The Morehouse College Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Collection,” “Everyone, Everywhere: The Global Human Rights Movement,” and “Rolls Down Like Water: The American Civil Rights Movement.”

Also found in Atlanta are the Apex Museum; Ebenezer Baptist Church, where King preached; Martin Luther King Jr. Birth Home; Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park; and The King Center, the burial site of King and his wife, Coretta Scott King.

Another must-see landmark is Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site in Little Rock, Arkansas, the previously all-white school that opened its doors to nine Black students in 1957, leading to pushback from the students, community, and even the governor. The students, now known as the Little Rock Nine, had to be escorted into the building by federal troops for the remainder of the year, per President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s instructions. Home to a still-functioning high school, the site is now managed by the National Park Service. Visitors to the school today can opt for a guided tour, watch an interpretive film, or explore the grounds on their own.

Looking to extend your civil rights tour just a little bit farther? Also consider stopping by the Emmett Till Historic Intrepid Center in Glendora, Mississippi; Jackie Robinson Training Complex in Vero Beach, Florida; McCrory’s Five & Dime, site of historic sit-ins in Rock Hill, South Carolina; International Civil Rights Center & Museum at the F.W. Woolworth’s Building in Greensboro, North Carolina; or the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, Kentucky.

Together, these sites offer more than a history lesson; they invite reflection, dialogue, and a deeper understanding of how far the nation has come—and how far it still must go. For group travelers, touring Civil Rights Movement landmarks in the Southeast is an opportunity to engage with stories of courage, sacrifice, and perseverance that continue to shape American life. By standing in these places and hearing these voices, tourgoers gain context for today’s conversations around equality and justice, making each stop not just a destination, but a meaningful step toward honoring the past and carrying its lessons forward.

By Madeline Fuerstenberg

Main Image: Lorraine Motel, Memphis, Tennessee; Credit: National Civil Rights Museum