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Birmingham Civil Rights Institute

Birmingham Civil Rights Institute

Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
4.5
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
This historic museum traces the journey of the civil rights advocates of the 1950s and 60s, who changed the course of American history. The struggle for equality for Black Americans is chronicled here, from the Jim Crow laws in the 1800s to the freedom rides, sit-ins and demonstrations of the 1960s.
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  • abroadwithashley
    Minneapolis, Minnesota1,722 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Thoughful and Comprehensive
    By the time we came to the BCRI, we’d seen nearly every stop along the Civil Rights Trail - plus some bonus sites that should be on the trail. And yet, even with our familiarity with all of the topics, we still enjoyed ourselves. The museum takes a more measured approach and spends it’s currency toward creating a feeling of the movement. This was appreciated. If you have the chance to sit and watch some of the primary source archival footage, that may be the “cherry on top” for those that are looking for something additional. Oh, and for a Birmingham twist, there is a small section on A.G. Gaston who is worth the lookup if you aren’t already familiar with the man. Overall, a recommended stop in Birmingham.
    Visited June 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written October 16, 2023
  • Constance
    Waltham Abbey, United Kingdom5 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Emotional resonance
    A profound journey through American history and the Civil Rights Movement. The exhibits are thoughtfully curated, providing deep insights into the struggles and triumphs. Engaging multimedia elements enhance the emotional impact. The Institute fosters reflection and dialogue, encouraging visitors to contemplate the significance of equality and justice. The staff's passion for sharing this crucial narrative is evident. A must-visit destination that leaves a lasting impression.
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled with friends
    Written February 15, 2024
  • Sarah S
    18 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Living history lesson
    Moving and powerful exhibit on the history of the Civil Rights Movement in Alabama. A historically based approach that follows a timeline approach missed with artifacts and narrative. This museum provides an important overview of what occurred during the era of Dr King / SCLC.
    Visited August 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written August 7, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles1,315 reviews
Excellent
1,054
Very good
215
Average
29
Poor
4
Terrible
13

BWoodrow
Trussville, AL33 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2019
The Civil Rights Institute is a place that unfortunately shows some of our darkest hours in history. However, it's a history that needs to be visited.
The museum does an amazing job with the displays. Would highly recommend taking your children once they've reach the "inquisitive age". This is a great place to take them to teach them how to become better people.
Written February 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Janyce M
State College, PA158 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
We saved this for our second morning to have enough time. Spent 2 1/2 hours viewing great exhibits of the history of Birmingham Civil Rights. Very complete information with a variety of media. Staff was helpful and friendly. Look for free parking lot behind the impressive building. Admission is fairly small and totally reasonable. In the North it would be double! Don’t miss this. It’s a bedrock for museums in other cities.
Written January 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Bikerhiker
Central Florida, FL46 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2022 • Couples
Toured the Civil Rights Institute after going on the 3 hr Red Clay Civil Rights tour of Birmingham. Museum tours are timed and we purchased our tickets online a few days prior.
Both the Red Clay tour and museum were excellent.
There is a wealth of information presented at the museum with photos and Civil rights timeline in relation to other historical events of the time.
We spent about 2 1/2 hrs at the museum.
Written December 15, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Megan
Malinta, OH133 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2021
Excellent museum! The information is emotional but timely. They had a great combination of artifacts, reading, and different charts, pictures, videos, etc to put things into perspective. I enjoyed seeing the two different versions of a classroom, and I thought it was very interesting how you entered "a church" to read that info, a "house" to read that particular info, etc. The museum immersed you in the information. We spent about two hours here, and it is right across from the 16th street church and a park with sculptures and statues. This is a good place to visit if you are interested in the Civil Rights era
Written July 30, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

abroadwithashley
Minneapolis, MN1,722 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2023 • Couples
By the time we came to the BCRI, we’d seen nearly every stop along the Civil Rights Trail - plus some bonus sites that should be on the trail. And yet, even with our familiarity with all of the topics, we still enjoyed ourselves. The museum takes a more measured approach and spends it’s currency toward creating a feeling of the movement. This was appreciated. If you have the chance to sit and watch some of the primary source archival footage, that may be the “cherry on top” for those that are looking for something additional. Oh, and for a Birmingham twist, there is a small section on A.G. Gaston who is worth the lookup if you aren’t already familiar with the man. Overall, a recommended stop in Birmingham.
Written October 16, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Suri
48 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2021 • Family
We had a free afternoon in Birmingham and decided to visit this museum. We had booked tickets well in advance before doing any research on the Institute. We debated on whether or not to go, based upon controversial awards associated with the Institute. (Apparently the Institute and Museum are separate. The museum does not get into current American politics which we appreciate). In the end we decided to go. We stayed for an hour and a half and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. This museum is very well displayed. There are some amazing artifacts, such as a Freedom Riders bus. My favorite part was the glass wall that allowed me to look at the Birmingham church as I read about the bombing and simulateously saw where this horrific act occured. The last section focuses on the struggles for civil rights around the globe. I suggest the museum consider including the horrific abuse the Chinese Muslim Uighurs are enduring at hands of their own government. This is one of worst abuses going on in our world right now and it is often under reported in our media. Overall a good visit and I recommended. I would keep in mind though that they only allow very small puraes. We have visited hundreds of historic sites and museums and this is the only museum with this policy. Not a huge deal, but just keep in mind if your purse is large. If the weather is nice, I suggest you go to the park across from the museum and read the displays.
Written July 30, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

EaglesFan27
Reading, PA695 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2021 • Solo
I believe everyone should take the chance to learn about our history. The museum highlights the civil rights movement and shows how the people of Birmingham played a role. Museums are the best we got for time travel and this one did a good job of presenting the movement as it happened.
Written September 13, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Colin E
London, UK169 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022
Unless you've been living under a rock, you will have heard about Birmingham's role in the US Civil Rights struggle. This Institute does a fantastic job of telling the story of the (still ongoing) struggle through exhibits, films and stories. Simply a must-see
Written August 3, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

TBSMKS
Northbrook, IL3,345 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Friends
It’s hard to believe that all this happened in my lifetime. The museum lays out our terrible history thru photos, movies and posters. It’s a wonderful display of our past. You probably need 1 1/2 - 2 hours to get thru the museum.
Written February 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mark B
West Chester, PA798 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2021 • Couples
Right across the street from the 16th St., Baptist Church. Check out the park which is across the street the other way it contains great sculptures that help One understand what was happening in the 60sBirmingham.
The museum is a nice combination of video, sculptural presentations and music of the era. You can’t help but learn here.
Written March 27, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Birmingham Civil Rights Institute

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