The National Civil Rights Museum is the sight of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination. It is also a place where Memphians and tourists alike can learn more about the struggle of the Civil Rights Movement.
The museum broke ground in 1987 and its grand opening occurred on Sept. 28, 1991. Since then, an average of 160,000 patrons visit the museum each year.
A majority of visitors come during the school year. School bus after school bus pull into the parking lot of the Lorraine Motel in downtown Memphis with hopes that students will leave having had an unforgettable experience.
“When I was in junior high, visiting the museum was just a field trip,” said Halea Wheeler, a sophomore English major.
Wheeler began working as the receptionist for the museum in 2002. It was during this time she began to learn about and enjoy everything the museum has to offer.
“Once you get older you really take the time to appreciate it more,” she said.
College students make up the second highest demographic of patrons, said Gwen Harmon, the museum’s marketing and public relations director.
Exploring the Legacy is a new exhibit which focuses on today’s pioneers for civil rights such as Oprah Winfrey, Venus and Serena Williams and Tiger Woods,” she said. “It has become quite popular with college students and young adults in particular.
“The new exhibit helps to incorporate a new generation and helps to bridge the generation gap,” Harmon said.
“College students can see that Tiger Woods didn’t get where he is today just because he’s a good golfer,” Harmon said. “Arthur Ashe paved the way for him.”
Other exhibitions leave lasting impressions on visitors of all ages. The replica of the Montgomery, Ala. bus on which Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat is one of the most memorable.
“The Montgomery bus stops people in their tracks,” Harmon said, “It is unexpected and shocking.”
The shocking and unexpected elements of the tour have expanded across the street from the Lorraine. Evidence from the State of Tennessee vs. James Earl Ray is on display along with a replica of the room from which Ray allegedly fired the fatal shot on April 4, 1968.
“The new expansion is the most engaging and helps to give the most perspective,” Harmon said. As if the Montgomery bus, Ray’s room and countless other exhibits are not memorable enough, the balcony outside of Room 306, where Dr. King was killed, is the most emotional and unforgettable part of the tour for a majority of the museum’s visitors.
“You get the whole impact of what the entire museum is about,” Wheeler said.
Beginning next week, tickets will be available at the University Center information desk. Tickets are $10 with a valid college ID. For more information on group tours and special events log on to http://www.civilrightsmuseum.org
