birmingham civil rights institute

I typically do not enjoy museums, but this is an exception. The depth of the exhibits is remarkable, and there is much to see and do--I spent over an hour in there, and I could've spent thirty more minutes at least and not been bored. It's also quite affordable.

A great experience! I believe every American ought to visit this place. The civil rights struggle is part of our history, a very sad part, but still a part of it.

This is a very informative institution. The various pieces of history in the building are incredible. Do not go to Birmingham and not go to the Civil Rights Institute.

Not very expensive, give a student and senior citizen discount. There was a lot of reading and pictures as well. Gave a history of the Civil Rights with an emphasis on the history of Birmingham. Many historic films and pictures to depict the struggle of African Americans to gain equality in this society. A must see in Birmingham. IF you bring a bag, you have to leave it with security in front.

This museum is truly worth coming to Birmingham, AL just for this. Although Smithsonian exhibits are fascinating, the Civil Rights era provides realistic, riveting displays that are still relatively fresh in all of our minds. We in Birmingham for three days and could not be more excited to visit a more profound Institute!

The institute was large and impressive and the successes achieved, culminating in the election of a black mayor. The down side was that there was a lot of writing to read, despite the fact that there were certainly lots of historic things to see. My husband really enjoyed it; we both felt that the Montgomery Memorial was more stirring.

I visited the church and Civil Rights Institute upon arrival in Birmingham for a long-term job assignment. You must stop by if you are a real human being. It will wake you up to the horrors that our darker skinned brothers and sisters have experienced over the generations. I was in tears most of the time. I met a youth group on the steps of the church and spent some time talking about their experiences in the South. I was awe struck by the love and kindness this old white guy experienced while visiting. I felt like family, or a part of a family that has been thru the toughest times you could imagine. Eye to eye meaningful conversations are plentiful here, especially with strangers. Do be aware of your surroundings in the park across the street. There are some elements in any downtown urban area present here to be aware of. Not at the church or Institute, but across the street in the park are sometimes homeless or panhandlers. I was in no fear for my safety, but please be careful and watch what's going on around you.

Well worth your time to learn about Birmingham's role in the fight for civil rights and the life of African-Americans in those decades. Very sobering exhibits and photos. The display of personal belongings found with the body of one of the slain girls from the 16th Street Church bombing was very impactful on an emotional level for me.

This is an absolute must if you are interested in the Civil Rights movement. So much happened in Birmingham. This center tells the story of the events in Birmingham against the backdrop of events within the movement and in the US. There is also a section dealing with human rights throughout the world. The area around the institute is rich in Civil Rights History. We were there on a Sunday and they were asking for a donation rather than having an admissions fee. There is ample street parking in the area. This extraordinarily well done institute is both horrifying and deeply moving.

We spent two+ hours in this museum and would have spent more, had we had the time. The building and exhibits are well arranged, the events of this so-recent history evolving before your eyes as you move through the rooms. I was a teen during those violent and dangerous years, and although I knew what was happening, this museum added much to my understanding of the people who orchestrated, at such personal peril, the civil rights movement.

This museum was one of the things we absolutely wanted to do on our quick vacation to Birmingham but I will admit it feels odd rating something like this. Obviously, no one can possibly rate the content and history presented here. I had just finished watching quite a bit of coverage of Civil Rights history including the Freedom Summer and Freedom Riders documentaries. This is such an important and dark period of American history and so important for every American to learn about. So on content and the intent of this museum to educate and help visitors form a deep and personal connection to the importance and reality of the Civil Rights struggle - 20 stars out of 5 or maybe 20 million or more. However, my five star review is really about the technical elements of this museum. I don't often think about the flow, layout, and staging of exhibits, but the Civil Rights Institute does such an outstanding job of using the space itself, the flow of visitors through the space and the design of the exhibits to really add to the story being told. This was less a museum than a full sensory experience. Our journey began being shooed toward the theater along with others who entered with us. We entered the darkened theater area and watched a movie about the development of Birmingham and the surrounding areas including the unequal distribution of prosperity to blacks and whites. As the film ended, the screen split and revealed the first room of the museum.Each room is designed to have numerous nooks and crannies packed with information, but the way the space is divided into small, intimate spaces makes the information not too overwhelming. For example, this first room/area is about segregated Birmingham and includes two small classroom spaces showing a typical white classroom next to a typical black classroom. It also has a small church space with photos and information about black churches in the area in the early 20th century and where traditional hymns are playing softly. Along one wall, photos of various neighborhoods, black social societies, and clubs give a sense of what life within the black community. There was also a small "theater" space, designed like the front of an old-style theater with a small interactive screen that played video/sound snippets of songs by various folks from Cab Calloway to Duke Ellington. This layout was amazing as was the decision to let people of that time and place speak for themselves. As you move deeper into the museum, the exhibits start to give a sense of some of the prevailing attitudes in the south. It is one thing to read racially charged words; but it is quite a different thing to hear and see people saying these things. The displays are powerful and really moving. In the area about the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist church, it hit me like a punch in the gut that you can look out the window and see the church today - right there, across the street. The exhibit ended in a collection of issues from today concerning civil and human rights. I really appreciated this tie-in to the ongoing work of social justice and human rights. Overall, this was an amazing and moving experience and my congratulations go out to American History Workshop, which another reviewer indicated designed and conceptualized these displays and layouts.

Excellent exhibition. A must visit when in Birmingham Alabama. Informative. The 16th St. Baptist church next door, great outdoor park with outside display related to the civil rights movement. Great for any age

I lived in Birmingham for years before visiting the Civil Rights Institute with out-of-town guests. I was incredibly impressed. It is extremely well designed and first rate, ranking right up there with the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC. If you are visiting Birmingham from out of town, it’s a must see!

Every visitor to Birmingham should take a tour to the Civil Rights Institute. That is why I keep a membership so I can take any guests. It gives the history of Birmingham from 1871 with a short video and then a surprise as you walk in to the gallery. For older citizens it will remind you of where you were at certain junctures of history. For younger ones it may be eye opening as we approach the 50th anniversary of Selma.

I have visited the site twice. There is more than enough information to bring you back several times to absorb it all. It is a very eye opening experience and very well presented.