The civil rights are part of the heart beat of our city, and there's no better place to get inspired than the area where it all began. Born in Atlanta, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led a historic movement that's still dear to all of Atlantans. Get inspired by the teachings of Dr. King, visit his birth home, and walk by the streets where he was raised as one of the most prominent leaders of the 20th century.

WHERE TO GO | Take a day to tour the Martin Luther King Jr., National Historical Park, which encompasses several buildings around Auburn Avenue in the Old Fourth Ward. Don’t miss Ebenezer Baptist Church (where Dr. King preached Sunday sermons); the King Center, which displays some of his writings; and the eternal flame near Coretta and Martin’s tombs at the King Center.

The highlight of Auburn Avenue is the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park, which includes several sites. The Visitor Center holds the original farm wagon that held Dr. King’s casket during his funeral procession. There is a film on the civil rights icon and so much more.

Known simply as “M.L.” by his family, Martin Luther King, Jr.’s early years in Atlanta are preserved and honored at Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park. Stop by the visitor center to pick up a map of the park, which includes the home in which he was born and lived until he was 12, Ebenezer Baptist Church where he worshipped and preached, and the King Center, where Dr. and Mrs. Coretta Scott King are laid to rest.

Atlanta’s native son, Martin Luther King Jr., left an indelible legacy that stands to this day. The care Coretta Scott King put into preserving the civil rights icon’s history at The King Center, continues at Ebenezer Baptist Church, his birth home and the historic site. The work done here imprints powerful emotional connections and cements Atlanta as the heartbeat of the Civil Rights movement.

Enter the visitor center via the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame, which recognizes the contributions of Civil Rights leaders such as politician Maxine Waters, poet Maya Angelou, Prime Minister of the Bahamas Perry Gladstone Christie, and US President Jimmy Carter. The rest of the park offers plenty of opportunities to walk around and enjoy the green area that stretches between Ebenezer Baptist Church and the other parts of the complex, all of which is run by the National Park Service.

Known as “M.L.” by his family, Martin Luther King, Jr.’s early years in Atlanta are preserved and honored at Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park. Stop by the visitor center to pick up a map of the park, which includes the home in which he was born and lived until he was 12, Ebenezer Baptist Church where he worshipped and preached, and the King Center, where Dr. and Mrs. Coretta Scott King are laid to rest.