Share this tour
Offered languages
- English
This isn’t a tour—it’s lived history.
Walk the streets of the most segregated city in America as they were experienced by those who lived through its darkest and most defining hour.
Your guide is Wilhelmina Thomas—storyteller, needlewoman, and “craftivist”—who grew up in Birmingham’s Riley, Wenonah, and Hillman communities. She attended the very schools shaped by this city’s history: Wenonah Elementary, Riley Elementary, and Jones Valley High. Her earliest memories include the church, the civic league, and the Civil Rights Movement itself.
This tour reveals the truth beneath the façade—the daily struggles, the acts of defiance, and the sacred spaces where ordinary people did extraordinary things.
Hear personal accounts of life under Jim Crow
Visit Kelly Ingram Park, the 16th Street Baptist Church, and other landmarks
Reflect at the sites of protest, pain, and perseverance
Includes a free “Witness Packet” digital download for direct bookings
They stood. We walk.
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
285 20th Street North, Birmingham, AL 35206 - on the SouthEast corner of 20th Street North and 3rd Avenue North...This is DOWNTOWN BIRMINGHAM - not Irondale (please check your GPS)
Itinerary
-
1Birmingham
Your tour begins at the corner of 3rd ave and 20th street north and proceeds down 20th street toward 4th Ave North covering the Black contributions to the founding of Birmingham
15 minutes • Admission ticket free -
4th Avenue North (Pass by)
This leg of the tour covers the 1926 Red Line Zoning laws, the Palm Leaf Hotel, and the Chitlin' Circut.
Admission ticket free -
2Eddie Kendrick Memorial Park
A park and statues dedicated to our local founder of the Temptations
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
4th Avenue Business District (Pass by)
The remnants of our once dynamic "city within a city" with possible stop in Nelson Brothers and Green Acres.
Admission ticket free -
Civil Rights District (Pass by)
This is the center of the Civil Rights National Historic Monument
Admission ticket free -
3Carver Theater
One of the best Black theaters - now the Jazz Hall of Fame...also you will see the Prince Hall "Colored" Masonic Lodge
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
4Kelly Ingram Park
Kelly Ingram Park is an improved public park that contains emotionally powerful sculptures depicting the civil rights struggle in Birmingham. The park served as an assembly spot for activities of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and other groups in the movement.
15 minutes • Admission ticket free -
516th Street Baptist Church
The 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, stands as a poignant symbol of the Civil Rights Movement, marked by its tragic history as the site of a racially motivated bombing in 1963, which resulted in the loss of four young girls. This historic church remains a powerful testament to the struggle for civil rights and a focal point in the ongoing journey toward racial equality in the United States.
15 minutes • Admission ticket not included -
6A.G. Gaston Motel
The A.G. Gaston Motel, built by prominent African American businessman and entrepreneur, Arthur George Gaston (1892-1996), provided first-class lodging and dining in Birmingham, Alabama, to African American travelers. Designed by Birmingham-based architect Stanley B. Echols, the motel opened in 1954
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
7Lyric Theatre
Our only standing theater that allowed mixed (though still segregated) audiences
10 minutes • Admission ticket free
Additional info
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Show 1 more
Additional info
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Tags
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Show more
Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Rating
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Your guide to the flawless travel experience
Top Searches
Company
Get our app
