National Voting Rights Museum and Institute

Wonderful museum with a lot of local history. It's another museum that showcases the raw and brutal history of racism, violence, and discrimination around voting and human rights in the US, specifically the south. The museum appears small and lackluster on the outside, but it's a jewel inside with so many artifacts and history.

Loved watching my kids explore history in Selma. We enjoyed ourselves and walked the bridge. The surrounding area is in rough shape, there were piles of trash and abandoned buildings everywhere. If my dad was not with me, I'm not sure I would have got out the car with my kids. We need to preserve our history in Selma, the town almost appears to be abandoned near the museum.

I have no words...I was in awe about the large dimensions of the exhibits, and the many rooms. Its quality, creativity, variety in layouts and settings, and its information impacted and moved me. In my opinion, visiting this extraordinary museum is worth more than $15 the entrance. Astonishing!

This is not the most modern up to date facility. Keep in mind it is privately funded so it probably needs out help to keep running. The store also did not have much in it. That being said..this place was still educational, informative and had a few exhibits. The location was great as it was on the other side of the Pettus Bridge. The price was 8.50 for adults $4 for students.

This museum was very informative and definitely a MUST for children and young adults. Everyone should make this on their travel plans. It was unique in that it displayed the foot print of those who participated in the March. Would absolutely recommend to everyone.

An amazing museum, well worth visiting. The nondescript exterior of the building doesn’t reflect the wealth of storytelling inside. We liked how dedicated the staff/volunteers at the museum were to encouraging past, present, and future people to voting.

Closed on weekends!!! And based on the conditions, probably have been closed for more than just a weekend. Sadly, it is part of the ghost-to-be city of Selma. Abandoned in general or closed. What happened here changed the world and it is not getting the recognition that deserves

While the museum itself is currently closed due to covid-19, the surrounding area is so full of rich history. Directly across the street from the museum lies the foot of one side of the Edmund Pettus bridge. A nature trail is available which flows under the bridge, and a gift shop is open adjacent to the bridge. I'll share a few remembrance items stationed near the foot of the bridge as well as a view from the bridge. I'll also share some views under the bridge which are likely never seen.

We we touring Selma on a Saturday morning and after walking the Pettus Bridge, we looked over at the museum and saw that they were open. It is located at the bottom of the bridge. Normally, it is only opened by reservation. Luckily for us, some group had it reserved for that morning and the museum historian, Sam Walker, graciously let us piggy back on the group. Mr. Walker was amazing and showed a lot pride in the museum. He was very friendly and helpful and pointed out a few key highlights of the museum to us before we really got into it. The museum has a decent sized parking lot and a small gift shop that was not open while I was there. The museum is a lot larger than it looks. It just kept going and going. It provides not only a background on voting rights history, it has a display of photos from Bloody Sunday, a President Obama Gallery, a jail cell exhibit, a church exhibit, a lot of information about the Foot Soldiers, a Ku Klux Klan display, White only and Black drinking fountains, early Black elected officials, MLK and Ghandi comparison, and bogus voting test. Mr Walker came out from the front desk and told us the story of the Bloody Sunday pictures on the wall. They were never seen before then and were donated by a police photographer after he heard of the opening of the museum. The photographer was living in Montgomery at the time and hooked them up with who to request the pictures from. He then showed us a photo and pointed out the window and told us that certain picture occurred outside of the window "right there". That is when it dawned on me that the horrible events of that fateful day occurred right out front of the museum. Outside you will find a bus, which I think they use to help people register and vote. There are also some nice murals on garage doors out there that I really liked and tie into the city, and voting rights. This museum does not have the huge funding that others get. They still do a wonderful job presenting the information. The museum is well organized and has lots of displays and artifacts. It took me about 45 minutes to go through the museum. I know it is difficult to get into the museum. I have been to Selma a few times and was unable to make it happen prior to this trip. And I just lucked out on this go around. It is however, worth the effort and I highly recommend checking this museum out.

Very disappointed with attempt to visit museum on a Thursday. Website clearly states that the museum should've been open from 10-4, but we arrived to find a sign taped to the door saying "Sorry the Museum will open by appointments only until further notice." Since we were only passing through Selma for the day, trying to make an appointment at THAT point was pointless; not sure why the info on the website wasn't updated so that we could've planned appropriately.

The museum is closed due to Covid-19 but the heavens smiled on us today. After walking across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, we saw this museum on the right side of the road. We walked up just to look at the outside and see some murals. There was someone inside and a guy with a camera and tripod coming out. I was reading the plaque in the lobby through the front window, the man inside said they were closed. He asked where we were from and we said Buffalo, NY. After we walked away to look at some murals, he invited us inside. He told us the museum was closed but they had opened up for some filming and an interview, and that we could come in and look around until he had to lock up. He then gave us his opening speech about the museum, the history of the museum itself and its various locations, the ongoing effort to get stories from those in the historic voting rights marches, and how they came to possess the surveillance photos from the march. We then got to see the inside exhibits, historic photos, a Ku Klux Klan uniform and application, the first black senators and congressmen, and other interesting and powerful exhibits. Throughout the museum are plaster footprints of marchers with their age and occupation at the time of the march. A wonderful gem. Highly recommend.

This just moved from the down town to across the river. They were still fixing things around the museum, but there was a ton of information, activists and spectator comments and foot prints. Take some time to visit this museum!

Small building but the passion from some of the original foot soldiers of the march made this place seem huge. I could have talked to them all day. Don't expect smithsonian supported type of museum but the displays they have are informative and it was my honor to visit. I crossed the Edmund Pettus bridge into Selma....quite a challenged area with empty buildings, graffiti and windows broken out. However, I didn't feel unsafe and parked my car to walk across the bridge to visit the museum and the little park they have.

Great museum that showcases many hero's and unsung heros of the civil rights movement. There is so much history in this place. The walk through is quick took us a total of 35 maybe 40 mins. The are not many things I can say much to provide an emphasis on the value of a museum like this, its amazing and an experience that needs to be had. I will be back.

This is the new location of the National Voting Rights Museum. We took a personal tour of the museum with its main curator, and our very own Professor Dr. Bernard Lafayette-- one of the original Freedom Riders of 1963, and the main organizer of the Selma Voting Rights movement. The museum has several excellent exhibits that span from the progression of Black political power and authority culminating in President Obama's election, to actual KKK nooses and Robes to showcase the horrific truth of the Jim Crow South. There are staged recreations of Voting booths, the experience that the Freedom Riders had while imprisoned, and so much more. There are even actual clay casting of the Foot Soldiers that marched across the historic bridge, and Bloody Sunday. This is an awesome place, it must be remembered and supported-- I became a member after this visit.

This is a small museum that packs a mighty punch! Hard to believe that within my lifetime events would occur here that would change the face of our nation. On March 7, 1965 a group of citizens attempted to march from Selma to Montgomery in protest of the death of one of their members and to bring tolight the fact that people of color were not allowed to register to vote. They were met by armed police officers and state troopers who refused to allow them to pass. The events leading up to this date, called "Bloody Sunday" as well as subsequent events are protrayed in this museum. Be prepared to do alot of reading and to come away moved and quite possibly changed. I agree with the previous reviewer that this museum should be visited by everyone at least once in their lifetimes.

OK its small and yes there are better high end museums, however we enjoyed the entire experience and personal nature of this little place. Its right over the pettus bridge of Selma's blood sunday march to Montgomery and tells the story very well. The gentleman that greeted us Mr. Sam Walker was a very special person. He had participated in part of the march, and you could see his efforts and passion for this project all through the museum. Again, don't expect a high dollar experience, this is a work of passion for what you do. Not only does it tell the Selma and march story well but is also covers the history leading up to bloody sunday and the impact of the civil right movement around the south and country in general. Its in-expensive and won't take alot of your time, but it is worth a visit. I would hope that somebody important takes notice and puts funds into this special place. Selma in general could use the tourism business to help protect its historical significance. I should mention while in the area of course visit the bridge, but also Brown church, Selma has a nice little visitor information center, and across the street are some monuments, park and mural, all significant to a quality visit to Selma. As a biker I should also say that going route 119/139/22 from Birmingham is a good route pretty, quiet and off the freeway.

Located just around the corner from the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, this building holds the stories of so many people who fought hard to gain the rights to vote. While small, it is also very moving and informative, something I think we should experience at least once in our lifetimes.

Outstanding museum on the historic site of Bloody Sunday. Dedicated volunteers of Foot Soldiers.