Plan Your Visit

Hours of Operation
9am - 5pm

Special Summer Hours (Memorial Day Weekend - Labor Day)
9am - 6pm

Located at 449 Auburn Avenue, NE, Atlanta, GA,  just east of downtown Atlanta. The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site is a uniquely powerful destination for both residents and visitors to Atlanta.

Suggested Tour Route
After parking in the visitors’ lot on Johns Wesley Dobbs Avenue, begin your trip by following the Civil Rights Walk of Fame, past the statue of Mahatma Gandhi, to the National Park Service Visitor Center.

Exiting the visitor center, turn right and pass by the International World Peace Rose Garden toward Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church at the corner of Auburn Ave. & Jackson Street. Cross at the crosswalk to visit Historic Ebenezer, then proceed east on Auburn to enter the King Center’s outdoor campus.

View the crypt of Dr. and Mrs. King, Eternal Flame, Freedom Walkway and Reflecting Pool at will. Walk eastward along the pool to Freedom Hall, where you can learn more about Dr. King through our exhibits, as well as to reserve a space for visiting his birth home (space is limited!).

Next to Freedom Hall visit the Bookstore & Resource Center, where you can find a wealth of educational materials. Proceeds from your purchases support the mission of The King Center in educating the world about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s philosophy and methods of nonviolence.

Many on-site activities in the Historic Site, including tours and the visitor center, are operated by the U.S. National Park Service. You can find a wealth of valuable information about planning your visit, such as maps, directions operating hours, by visiting their website.

Components of Our Grounds

Dr. & Mrs. King’s Crypt
In 1968, after he was assasinated, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was carried upon a farm wagon drawn by mules to Southview Cemetery. In 1970, Dr. King’s remains were removed from Southview Cemetery to now what is the current King Center campus, and in 2006 his crypt was rebuilt to also include the remains of Mrs. Coretta Scott King.  Dr. & Mrs. King’s crypt is constructed of Georgia marble, a timeless acknowledgement of his southern roots.

The Eternal Flame
The Eternal Flame symbolizes the continuing effort to realize Dr. King’s dream of the “Beloved Community,” which was his vision for a world of justice, peace and equality for all mankind.

Freedom Hall
Location – 449 Auburn Avenue, NE. Freedom Hall is one of two exhibition locations on campus, as well as the primary locations for special events and programs. It contains a Grand Foyer, large theater/conference auditorium, bookstore and resource center and various works of art from across the globe. The Grand Foyer features art from Africa and Georgia, and the paneling lining the staircase is from the sapeli tree which grows in Nigeria. At present, Freedom Hall’s second floor is utilized as exhibit space honoring Dr. and Mrs. King, Mahatma Gandhi and Rosa Parks.

Dr. King’s Birth Home
Location – 501 Auburn Avenue, NE. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born January 15, 1929 at 501 Auburn Avenue, the home of his maternal grandparents. For the next twelve years he lived here with his grandparents, parents, siblings, other family members and boarders. The home is located in the residential section of “Sweet Auburn”, the center of black Atlanta. The Birth Home of Dr. King may be visited only with a park ranger led tour, which is filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Register for the tour at the Information Desk, located in Freedom Hall, in person upon arrival to the park. The tour is strictly limited to 15 people per tour. Tours fill up fast on weekends and holidays so plan accordingly.

Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church (Heritage Sanctuary) 
Location – 407 Auburn Avenue, NE In this sacred place were sown the seeds of greatness from which Martin Luther King, Jr. blossomed. In 1893, Dr. King’s maternal grandfather, Rev. A.D. Williams, became Ebenezer’s second pastor, eventually succeeded by Rev. Martin Luther King, Sr., who served as Ebenezer’s third pastor from 1933 until his retirement in 1975. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. served as co-pastor in 1947 until he left to attend Crozer Theological Seminary in September 1948. From 1960 until his assassination in 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr. again co-pastored Ebenezer Baptist Church. In 2011, the church was restored to the 1960 – 1968 period.