Civil Rights Tourism Reigns in the South

In the modern day of travel, explorers can find tours and excursions related to virtually any topic or interest. This is made clear by the recent trend in Civil Rights tourism in the southern United States.

Although it has taken time for the region to come to terms with putting its tumultuous past on display, recent museum and exhibit openings have increased interest in the states throughout the Deep South and the economic benefits are shining through.

The National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tenn., for instance, opened at the site of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and provides honest and accurate information on historic happenings in the state of Tennessee.

In 2014 in Atlanta, Ga., the National Center for Civil and Human Rights opened on the same block as two other popular attractions for visitors: the World of Coca-Cola Museum and the Georgia Aquarium. With proximity to two larger institutions, the museum hopes to entice visitors who are searching to learn more about the state’s storied past.

Although not technically part of the Deep South, the Smithsonian Institution opened the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., just a few steps from the Washington Monument.

With other points of interest in Mississippi and Alabama, and with future museums planned for Charleston, S.C., the south is opening its doors to a new era of tourism.