Itinerary · United States

A Civil Rights Heritage Day in Atlanta

The sanctuary of Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church seen from the pulpit, with pews, arched windows and a balcony (black and white). — Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church sanctuary · Photo: Jet Lowe (Historic American Buildings Survey) / Public domain

One day on Atlanta's civil rights sites: the King national historical park, Sweet Auburn and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, by streetcar.

Published Oct 14, 2026

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The day at a glance: from Auburn Avenue to Centennial Olympic Park

This route links Atlanta's civil rights sites in a single day. In the morning you visit the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park, which preserves the places where Dr. King was born, lived, worked, worshipped and is buried. Around midday you walk Auburn and Edgewood avenues in Sweet Auburn, the neighborhood the park is part of, and in the afternoon you visit the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, a museum on the U.S. Civil Rights Movement and the history of human rights worldwide.

The Atlanta Streetcar ties the day together. Among its 12 downtown stops are stops near the King national historical park and near the National Center for Civil and Human Rights (Centennial Olympic Park stop). No train stops at the King park itself, and MARTA bus routes 3 and 99 also serve it.

For the standard plan covering the rest of Atlanta, see the 3-night, 4-day route below. This post picks out only the civil rights sites for travelers who want to see them unhurried in one day.

Check first: day of the week and closing days

Start with the day of the week. The National Center for Civil and Human Rights opens Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday 12-5 p.m., and lists hours only for Tuesday to Sunday. On a Monday, focus on the King park and Sweet Auburn and move the museum to another day. On Sundays the museum opens at noon, so this order, with the King park in the morning, fits well.

The King national historical park is open daily 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and closed January 1, Thanksgiving Day and December 25. The National Center for Civil and Human Rights closes on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. For any other temporary closures or events, check the official information before you go.

Entry to the King national historical park is free
Birth Home presentations take 15 people each, first come, first served. Check the schedule early in the day at the temporary visitor center
Photography is not permitted in the A Committed Life gallery at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights
On MARTA and the streetcar, each rider needs their own card or payment method

Morning: Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park

Arrive for the 9 a.m. opening. Visits start at the temporary visitor center in Historic Fire Station No. 6 (39 Boulevard NE). Birth Home presentations take 15 people each and fill quickly, so check the day's schedule there first.

Dr. King's Birth Home is closed for renovations, but rangers give Birth Home presentations in the bookstore next door several times a day (first come, first served). Rangers also lead talks daily at Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, where Dr. King preached.

From the plaza by the "I Have a Dream" World Peace Rose Garden, with its 185 roses, you can see the crypts of Dr. and Mrs. King across the street. Taking in the Birth Home presentation, the church talk, the rose garden and the crypts in turn lets you follow Dr. King's life within one neighborhood.

Midday: Auburn and Edgewood avenues in Sweet Auburn

After the park, take a walk through Sweet Auburn. It is a historic African-American neighborhood that, throughout the 1900s, was home to some of the first major Black-owned businesses in Atlanta and the country, and the King national historical park is on its Auburn Avenue.

Edgewood Avenue is lined with street art, restaurants and bars, a good place to stop for lunch. Atlanta's food scene brings together dishes from around the world and Southern comfort cooking, and smoky barbecue is part of it too.

Afternoon: the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, then Centennial Olympic Park

In the afternoon, ride the streetcar to the Centennial Olympic Park stop. A ride costs USD 1; service can change, for example during vehicle repairs, so check MARTA's service alerts. If you come by MARTA rail, walk 8 minutes south from Civic Center station.

The National Center for Civil and Human Rights is a museum on the U.S. Civil Rights Movement and the history of human rights worldwide. Photography is not permitted in the A Committed Life gallery, which shows the King Collection. Anytime general admission is USD 28 for adults (13-64), USD 22 for ages 7-12 and USD 23 for seniors (65+), plus tax, and the museum closes at 5 p.m.

The museum sits in the area around Centennial Olympic Park, built for the 1996 Olympic Games. The park is open daily 7 a.m.-10 p.m., and the Fountain of Rings shows also run at 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m., a quiet way to end the day. Alcohol, glass containers, biking and skateboarding are not allowed in the park, and the Visitor Information Center is temporarily closed while the park is restored (park's official information, checked 13 October 2026).

Getting around, costs and final checks

The streetcar is the main way to get around on this day. A ride costs USD 1, and a streetcar-only 1-day (24-hour) pass costs USD 3. If you also take MARTA trains or buses, a USD 2.50 trip includes up to four transfers between buses and trains, and an unlimited 1-day (24-hour) pass costs USD 9. Buses run 5 a.m.-1 a.m. on weekdays and 5 a.m.-12:30 a.m. on weekends.

Entry to the King national historical park is free; add general admission to the National Center for Civil and Human Rights (USD 28 for adults, plus tax). Hotel and food costs vary by date; check booking sites.

Tap a contactless credit or debit card or a mobile wallet on the validator at faregates, on buses and at streetcar stops
Tap the same card to get your transfers (a bank card and a mobile wallet count as different payment methods even if they use the same account)
Cash on buses must be exact change and does not include transfers
Check U.S. government official information on entry requirements (visas, electronic travel authorization and so on) before you leave

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FAQ

Can I see all three in one day?

Yes, if you start at the King national historical park (9 a.m.-5 p.m.), walk Sweet Auburn, then visit the National Center for Civil and Human Rights (Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday 12-5 p.m.) in the afternoon. The Atlanta Streetcar stops near both.

Can I go on a Monday?

The King national historical park is open daily (closed January 1, Thanksgiving Day and December 25), but the National Center for Civil and Human Rights lists hours only for Tuesday to Sunday. On a Monday, focus on the King park and Sweet Auburn and move the museum to another day.

Do I need to book anything?

Entry to the King national historical park is free, and Birth Home presentations take 15 people each, first come, first served, so check the schedule early at the temporary visitor center. For how to buy museum tickets, check the official information before you go.

How do I get to the King national historical park?

No train stops at the park. Take the downtown Atlanta Streetcar (USD 1 per ride) or MARTA bus routes 3 or 99.