We were excited to visit at MLK’s home in Montgomery. Sad for me, I can’t see good inside dark rooms, not enough bright rooms inside. I am night blind. But my husband and our 2 girls enjoyed to see each rooms. My girl was Interprter to tell me about bomb by window. Sad! I can see MLK’s house outside because of bright sunny. Good!

This is a must see site in Montgomery. You will tour the house where the young King family lived while MLK was a minister. You can see a scar on the front porch from where a bomb went off. Inside, you can see the table where MLK had a conversation with God asking whether to continue the bus boycott.

A short film is shown at the beginning of your visit, discussing the inspiring clergy who lived in this more than 100 years old house with their families. Martin Luther King, Jr and his family were the most famous people who resided here. Then a docent takes you into the house itself, furnished like it was the 1950's. No photos allowed.

This simple clapboard cottage was built in 1912 in an area of Montgomery known as Centennial Hill, an upper-class African-American neighborhood soon after the turn of the century. The dwelling was purchased in 1920 by the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church as a domestic residence for their lead pastors. Over the next 72 years it was home to twelve accomplished theologians and their families; the most famous of these was obviously Dr. Martin Luther King who lived here with his family from 1954 to 1960. The structure was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 and opened as a tourist attraction two decades later, after being restored roughly to its appearance when the King family lived on site. The experience began at the adjacent interpretive center, and I arrived just a few minutes before the staff entered the building. A fifteen-minute video followed, covering the history of Montgomery during the mid-20th century and showcasing oral stories from residents that lived during that time. A formal tour of the modest two-bedroom house followed, starting on the front porch and continuing into the living room, parlor, and dining room. A stroll through the two bedrooms, kitchen, and Dr. King’s study finished the formal tour. I went back to the interpretive center to review a history of the families who used the parsonage from 1920 to 1992 and purchased a few items from the gift store. A quick visit to the King-Johns Garden out back finished the visit. Total time spent on site was a little over an hour. In summary, this was an excellent visit for several reasons. First, as mentioned in the introduction the house itself was refurbished to the appearance under the King years and I really got the sense of how the family lived, from the cigarette holder to the conference/living room to his library; personal touches abound. Second, I was introduced to my new favorite civil rights leader, Mr. Vernon Johns. As influential as Dr. King was, the group here does a good job of giving Mr. Johns his due as well. Lastly, both of the docents (Elizabeth Monroe and Wanda Anderson) were excellent. They are Montgomery residents and have personal connections to the history of the area and are dedicated to telling the story. A visit here is short (about an hour), inexpensive (ten dollars), and full of information. It dovetails nicely with a visit to the Baptist church of the same name. Highly recommended.