# Alabama’s civil rights trail: Birmingham, Selma, Montgomery

> 3-day road trip of about 300 km (187 mi) with 7 stops, from Birmingham to Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site. About 3 h 20 min of driving in total.

Source: https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b9-civil-rights-trail/

**At a glance:** 3-day road trip of about 300 km (187 mi) with 7 stops, from Birmingham to Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site. About 3 h 20 min of driving in total. The churches, bridges and memorials of the civil rights movement, following the route of the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery march.

| | |
|---|---|
| Distance | 300 km (187 mi) |
| Driving | 3 h 20 min |
| Suggested days | 3 |
| Stops | 7 |
| Route | Birmingham → Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site |
| States | AL |
| Updated | May 11, 2026 |

## Route description

Begin in Birmingham at the 16th Street Baptist Church, where four girls were killed by a bomb in 1963. Across the street, Kelly Ingram Park and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute tell the story of the city’s 1963 protests; plan half a day.

Drive south-west about two hours to Selma, where the Edmund Pettus Bridge was the site of Bloody Sunday in March 1965. Walk across the bridge, then follow US-80 east along the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail, stopping at the Lowndes Interpretive Center midway.

In Montgomery, see the Rosa Parks Museum, the Dexter Avenue church where Martin Luther King Jr. was pastor, and the Legacy Museum. The National Memorial for Peace and Justice is a powerful memorial to the victims of lynching; allow a full afternoon for both sites.

End an hour east at the Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site, founded by Booker T. Washington, and the nearby Tuskegee Airmen site at Moton Field. The trip works year-round; parking is easy, but check museum days and hours before you go.

## Stop-by-stop itinerary

1. **Birmingham** (AL)
2. **16th Street Baptist Church** (Birmingham, AL): Site of the 1963 bombing that killed four girls, and a rallying point of the civil rights movement. Kelly Ingram Park and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute are across the street.
3. **Selma** (AL)
4. **Edmund Pettus Bridge** (Selma, AL): The bridge where voting-rights marchers were attacked on Bloody Sunday, March 7, 1965. You can walk across it; interpretive centers are at both ends of the route to Montgomery.
5. **Montgomery** (AL)
6. **National Memorial for Peace and Justice** (Montgomery, AL): A memorial to the victims of racial terror lynchings, with hanging steel monuments for each county. Pair it with the Legacy Museum downtown; allow a full afternoon.
7. **Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site** (Tuskegee, AL): The campus founded by Booker T. Washington, with his home and a museum on George Washington Carver. The Tuskegee Airmen site at Moton Field is a short drive away.

## FAQs

**How long is Alabama’s civil rights trail: Birmingham, Selma, Montgomery?**
3-day road trip of about 300 km (187 mi) with 7 stops, from Birmingham to Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site. About 3 h 20 min of driving in total.

**How many days do you need for Alabama’s civil rights trail: Birmingham, Selma, Montgomery?**
We suggest 3 days: about 3 h 20 min of driving, which leaves time for the stops.

**Where does Alabama’s civil rights trail: Birmingham, Selma, Montgomery start and end?**
It starts in Birmingham and ends in Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site.

**Which states does Alabama’s civil rights trail: Birmingham, Selma, Montgomery pass through?**
Alabama.