Lorraine Motel

OK, I'm going to post some more pics of this site tomorrow. This is the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee built around the former Lorraine Motel where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was murdered in March 1968. There was a National Baptist Convention taking place this past weekend as well and there were certainly some visitors from that event as well. In fact the museum would normally be closed at 5PM, but closing time was extended another hour!

This sign was on Mulberry Street.

The motel's facade was largely kept in tact.

 

The wreath marks the spot where Dr. King was shot to death on that fateful early March day in 1968

 

Looking back across the street one of those buildings were where the fatal shot was allegedly fired.

These two cars-a 1950s Dodge and a 1960s Cadillac-are not the originals, however, they represent the two cars that were supposed to take King's party to dinner. Sadly we already know how this story ends!

Not only did the exterior of the Lorraine survive but so did the parking lot. The parking lot is only home to those two cars now. The rest of the parking lot is for pedestrians who are seeing a historical relic. A very important one at that!