Birth Home Tours

Birth Home of Martin Luther King, Jr

Gary Tarleton, NPS, HFC

Park Rangers will provide a modified tour of the Birth Home of Martin Luther King, Jr. that meets COVID-19 safety requirements. Tours are available Monday - Saturday between the hours of 10:00am to 4:00pm and limited to a small group of 10 visitors. Tours will last approximately 30 minutes, with no longer than 10 minutes held indoors.

As of March 7, 2022, masks are no longer required for staff and visitors. The wearing of masks, however, is still strongly encouraged due to the presence of tight spaces inside the Birth Home where social distancing can be difficult.

The only ranger-led tour in the park is of Dr. King's Birth Home. All other facilities such as the Visitor Centeer, Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, Dr. and Mrs. King's Gravesite, Freedom Hall, and Historic Fire Station No. 6 are self-guided.

Visiting the home where Dr. King was born and lived the first twelve years of his life is often the highlight of ones visit to the park. Unfortunately trying to get on a tour of the Birth Home can also be the biggest let down if of your visit. By following the instructions below and with a little luck you may get on a tour of the home on your first visit to the site.

The ranger-led tour is free and lasts approximately 30 minutes during which time you will learn about the life of a young M. L. King. The home is open for tours on a daily basis, except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day, with the first tour at 10:00 am and the last tour at 4:00 p.m. Tours are limited to 15 people.

The tours are filled on a first-come, first-served basis on the day of the tour. No advanced registration or phone reservations are accepted. Upon arriving at the park proceed to the information desk located inside of the visitor center to sign up for a tour. Once you are signed up feel free to visit the rest of the park while waiting for your tour.

Groups (school, family reunion, youth, etc.) are limited to signing up for only 3 tour times per day for a total of 45 people. After signing up a group, the group leader is responsible dividing up the group and seeing that the people arrive for their tour on time.

Tips on Visiting the Birth Home

• Visit early in the day.
• Be prepared to wait several hours for the next available tour.
• Visit early in the week or Sunday morning.