Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail

Things To Do Near Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail

Start your visit to the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail at the Selma Interpretive Center. Photographs, audio recordings, and artifacts from the 54-mile march that took place from March 7 to March 21, 1965 fill the three-story building. Then, drive along the march route until you reach the Lowndes Interpretive Center near Whitehall. Over 20 sharecroppers who were instrumental in getting African American citizens registered and who were kicked off their land for that activity stayed at this location. End your visit at the Montgomery Interpretive Center, where you can learn more about the events occurring in this city during the march. 

Hiking Trails

• Martin Luther King Jr. Walking Trail

  Start this trail at the Brown Chapel AME Church, where the protest organizers met regularly to plan their activities. Then, walk past other churches as you stroll through this neighborhood where the peaceful protest started. There are more than 20 historical sites along this road. In the early 1960s, this street was Sylvan Street, but officials changed its name to reflect its role in history. This hike ends at the Civil Rights Memorial Park. 

  Location

  Brown Chapel AME Church, 410 Martin Luther King Street, Selma, Alabama 36703

  Length

  1 mile

  Intensity

  Easy

• Birmingham Civil Rights Heritage Trail

  This walking trail runs through downtown Birmingham. Interpretative signage along the way helps visitors understand the Civil Rights events that happened at various locations in 1963. Start this hike at the Bethel Baptist Church and end by seeing the statues in Kelly Ingram Park. 

  Location

  Bethel Baptist Church, 3200 28th Avenue North, Birmingham, Alabama 35207

  Length

  3.5 miles

  Intensity

  Easy

• U.S. Civil Rights Trail

  The U.S. Civil Rights Trail links together significant Civil Rights sites in Montgomery. Start at the Rosa Parks Museum. Then, walk to Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, where Dr. King was the pastor. Move on to see the Civil Rights Memorial Center and the EJI Legacy Museum. End your hike at the National Memorial for Peace and Justice. 

  Location

  Rosa Parks Museum, 252 Montgomery Street, Montgomery, Alabama 36104

  Length

  2 miles

  Intensity

  Easy

Sightseeing

• Brown Chapel AME Church

  Brown Chapel AME Church was the first African Methodist Episcopal Church in Alabama. The church served as the headquarters for organizers following Bloody Sunday. It was also where injured marchers were taken for treatment. 

  Location

  410 Martin Luther King Street, Selma, Alabama 36703

• Edmund Pettus Bridge

  See the location where state troopers attacked the protestors by visiting the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Walk across the bridge from the Selma side. 

  Location

  U.S. Route 80 Business, Selma, Alabama 35701

• Civil Rights Memorial

  Watch the water bubble gently from the center of the black table where the Civil Rights movement events from 1954 to 1966 are engraved. Then, stand in front of the black granite wall with Dr. Martin Luther King Junior's words on it. This memorial was created by the same artist who created the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Maya Lin. 

  Location

   400 Washington Avenue, Montgomery, Alabama 36104

Museums

• National Voting Rights Museum and Institute

  The National Voting Rights Museum and Institutein downtown Selma chronicles the history of the right to vote in America. One large room at this museum showcases artifacts and photographs from the women's right to vote movement. Two rooms showcase the voting rights movement activities occurring in Selma. You can see many artifacts from the march at this location. 

  Location

  6 U.S. Route 80 East, Selma, Alabama 36701

• Ancient Africa Enslavement and Civil War Museum

  See recreated areas to understand better what the voyage was like for people leaving Africa to be sold as slaves in America. Then, explore the role that slavery played in the development of the United States. Some of the exhibits are emotional and it can be harrowing to imagine the suffering endured by those sold into slavery. 

  Location

  1410 Water Avenue, Selma, Alabama 36703

• Old Depot Museum

  Chronicle the history of Selma by visiting the Old Depot Museum. Workers initially constructed this building as a train depot in the 1880s. Then, it became a Confederate Naval Ordinance. You can find many artifacts in this museum, including some thrown into the nearby river after the Union captured this site during the Civil War. There are also exhibits about the voting rights movement. 

  Location

  4 Martin Luther King Street, Selma, Alabama 36703

Nearby Shops and Restaurants

• Neke Marche Beauty and Fashion District

  Neke Marche Beauty and Fashion District offers skincare products, beauty, and barber supplies for your entire family. Many of the products are designed to work exceptionally well on African American skin and hair. 

  Location

  1292 Perryhill Road, Montgomery, Alabama 36109

• Alabama Governor's Mansion Gift Shop

  Find unique Alabama-themed gifts to take home to friends or for yourself at Alabama Governor's Mansion Gift Shop. Many of the products are made in Alabama while others feature scenes from across the state. 

  Location

  401 Adams Avenue # 170, Montgomery, Alabama 36104

• Mrs. B's Home Cooking

  Find great Southern favorites, like fried chicken, biscuits, and collard greens at Mrs. B's Home Cooking. While this restaurant serves meals quickly, there is usually a line to get in, so leave time when dining here. You will love their homemade desserts, like peach cobbler. 

  Location

  415 Air Base Boulevard, Montgomery, Alabama 36108

• Lannie's BBQ Spot

  Select your favorite barbecue meat served with great sides, like fried okra, beans, potato salad, and corn nuggets. This restaurant is also a fantastic place to get sweet tea. The portions are enormous, so order a piece of their strawberry shortcake to go. 

  Location

  2115 Minter Avenue, Selma, Alabama 36703

How To Get To Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail

You can access the Selma to Montogomery National Historic Trail from several points. Consider getting on the trail in Selma at the Selma Interpretive Center and following it to its end at the Alabama State Capitol building. Blue-and-white signs mark the route. To get to the starting point from Birmingham, take Interstate 65 South. Get off at Exit 234 and take County Road 87. Continue straight to get on Smoky Road and Spring Creek Road. Turn left onto Shelby Street and right onto Alabama 25 South. Turn left on Alabama 139 South. Go straight to get on Alabama 22 West and keep going straight to get on US 80 Business. Turn left on Water Avenue, and the center will be on your left. 

Address

Selma Interpretive Center, 2 Broad Street, Selma, Alabama 36701

Fee: Entry fee $0

African American men were given the right to vote in 1868 with the passage of the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution. African American women were given the right to vote in 1920 with the passage of the 19th Amendment. Yet still, in the 1950s and early 1960s, many African American citizens were denied that right. Therefore, organizers started petitioning for changes in the government. Events came to a head in Selma on March 7, 1965, when thousands watched their televisions in horror as Alabama troopers attacked the march of peaceful protesters. Learn more about the events when you visit the sites along the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail. The best way to explore these sites and others in the area is in an RV. If you do not have one, rent one on RVshare.com.