DAY TWO: ATLANTA Next, explore Atlanta’s Sweet Auburn Historic District , home to several stops along the U.S. Civil Rights Trail. The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park reflects the life of this great leader across 35 acres and several sites—including sites like Dr. King’s birth home and Ebenezer Baptist Church . Visit The King Center and pay your respects at Dr. and Mrs. King’s Tomb. Take a short walk for an ice-cream treat at Sweet Stack Creamery , then wrap up your visit at the Municipal Market for lunch. Spend the rest of the afternoon at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library & Museum learning how the former president worked to advance civil and human rights throughout, and after, his presidency. DAY THREE: ALBANY Head south to Albany where, in 1961, local activists formed the Albany Movement. Start at Charles M. Sherrod Civil Rights Park to view the memorial fountain that commemorates Albany’s pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement. Visit the Albany Civil Rights Institute to learn about the legacy of foot soldiers of the movement. The museum tour ends in the Old Mount Zion Baptist Church Sanctuary where Dr. King spoke to a crowd of 1,500 people. While in town, drive through Albany State University , a historically black college and university where the Freedom Singers formed. Grab dinner at The Flint , then rest up for the night at Hilton Garden Inn . DAY FOUR: MIDWAY For the last leg of your trip, take a three-hour ride across the state to coastal Georgia. Stop at Old School Diner in Townsend to fuel up with the famous “wheelchair platter,” an assortment of the chef’s best daily menu items. After fueling up, head north to Midway to visit the Dorchester Academy and Museum . The academy was founded after the Civil War as a school for freed enslaved people and, by 1917, the high school had 300 students. This historic site hosted Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s planning meetings for his 1963 march on Birmingham. SCAN CODE to discover more of Georgia’s Civil Rights history.
Official State Travel Guide 2024 Georgia Official State Travel Guide: Page 77
