I recently had the opportunity to visit the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute in Birmingham, Alabama. I am very passionate about black history so this was definitely a treat for me. There was everything from videos to pictures to original artifacts. The Institute sits across from 16th Street Baptist Church which is where the 4 young ladies were killed due to a bomb explosion in 1963. There's a re-creation of the jail cell in which Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote his "Letter from a Birmingham Jail"(it was actually read aloud in a recording of his voice which was really cool). It took about 2.5 hours for me to walk through the entire museum (this includes stopping to read/listen to information. Plus I didn't take a guided tour.) This a very nice and well-kept facility in a great location.

I have explored the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, TN (which is built around the Lorraine Motel where Dr. King was killed) and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati , Ohio (this one is a must see!) and the BCRI is very comparable to these. If you are ever in Birmingham or you just love history like I do be sure to stop by the Civil Rights Institute!