A historic cornerstone of the Civil Rights Movement is taking a major step toward the future with the launch of a new Education and Visitors Center adjacent to Birmingham’s 16th Street Baptist Church.
The 13,000-square-foot facility, now under construction in the city’s Civil Rights District, will serve as a dynamic space for education, reflection, and community engagement. Once complete, it will include classrooms, meeting areas, a restaurant space, and an exhibit hall honoring the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement and the four young girls whose lives were lost in the 1963 church bombing.
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Described by church leadership as a place to “educate, elevate, and empower,” the center will welcome students, tourists, and community leaders interested in learning more about the people and events that shaped America’s struggle for civil rights. The building will be located next to the existing sanctuary and parsonage.
The new center seeks to honor that past while also looking ahead. Designed by CCR Architecture & Interiors, the space will support school tours, community events, exhibits, and public programming. It will also offer a place for visitors to reflect on the continued pursuit of justice and equality.
The project is backed by a wide range of supporters, including local foundations, national philanthropic organizations, government agencies, and individual church members. Major contributors include the Alabama Power Foundation, Coca-Cola Foundation, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Jefferson County Commission, Regions Bank, and the Lilly Foundation, which awarded a $2.5 million preservation grant as part of a national effort to support religious and cultural institutions.
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The Birmingham City Council has also allocated $200,000 toward the center, funded in part through American Rescue Plan dollars.
Located at 1530 6th Avenue North, the 16th Street Baptist Church continues to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. With the addition of the Education and Visitors Center, that experience will soon become even more immersive, linking past, present, and future generations through a shared commitment to justice, memory, and community.
For more information about the church and its capital campaign, visit 16thstreetbaptist.org.
Sherri Blevins is a writer for Mountain Valley News and a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].
