Reviewed by: Pat Byington
16th Street Baptist Church breaks ground on new Education and Visitors Center
Reading time: 4 minutes
Today, members of the 16th Street Baptist Church broke ground on the church’s new Education and Visitors Center, an upcoming state-of-the-art facility meant to serve as a hub for education, reflection and engagement for visitors and the local community.
16th Street Baptist Church’s new Education and Visitors Center
Each year, hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the country travel to Birmingham to tour the 16th Street Baptist Church in the city’s Civil Rights District. Now, the 16th Street Baptist Church is embarking on an exciting new chapter in the church’s story.
“We are excited to break ground on the Education and Visitors Center. This project is going to be a place where we can educate, elevate and empower young people, tourists and future leaders as they come to understand the power of people who dare to dream.”
Rev. Arthur Price, Jr. Pastor of 16th Street Baptist Church
Described as a “hub for education, reflection and engagement for both the local community and visitors,” the Education and Visitors Center will be a multipurpose facility located next to the existing church sanctuary and parsonage. Once complete, the 13,000-square-foot building will include:
- Classrooms
- Meeting spaces
- An exhibit hall
- A dedicated area to honor the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement
- A restaurant space
The 16th Street Baptist Church’s Education and Visitors Center project has been made possible by the support of dozens of organizations, including:
- Alabama Department of Tourism
- Alabama Power Foundation
- Altec/Styslinger Foundation
- Birmingham City Council Darrell O’Quinn District 5
- Birmingham Junior League/Beeson Foundation
- Coca-Cola Foundation
- Daniel Foundation
- EBSCO
- Friends of 16th Street Baptist Church
- Greater Birmingham/Phillip Morris Foundation
- Hugh Kaul Foundation
- Independent Presbyterian Church Foundation
- Jefferson County Commission
- Lilly Foundation
- Luckie, Inc.
- Mike & Gillian Goodrich Foundation
- National Trust for Historic Preservation
- O’Neal Industries Inc.
- Protective Life Foundation
- Regions Bank
- Robert Meyer Foundation
- Susan Mott Webb Charitable Trust
- Trinity Church, New York City
- Vulcan Foundation
- 16th Street Baptist Church Membership
About the 16th Street Baptist Church
Located in downtown Birmingham, the 16th Street Baptist Church has been a cornerstone of the city since its founding in 1873.
The church played a pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement as a local headquarters for the movement. Tragedy struck on September 15, 1963, when members of the Ku Klux Klan bombed the church in Martin Luther King, Jr. described as “one of the most vicious and tragic crimes ever perpetrated against humanity.” Four young girls—Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson and Carol Denise McNair—were killed, and dozens more were seriously injured.
“Out of that tragedy came transformation; and today, that legacy lives on, not just in memory but in mission. That’s why the 16th Street Baptist Church Education and Visitors Center matters.
This project is more than just brick & mortar, more than anything we can tangibly touch. It’s a project about memory and meaning.”
Rev. Arthur Price, Jr. Pastor of 16th Street Baptist Church
Today, the church honors its legacy through outreach programs, educational initiatives and community engagement.
- 16th Street Baptist Church: Website | Facebook | Instagram
- Address: 1530 6th Ave N, Birmingham, AL 35203
Excited to see the 16th Street Baptist Church Education and Visitors Center take shape? Follow @bhamnow to stay up to date on this and other exciting news in The Magic City!
