National Civil Rights Museum

National Civil Rights Museum
The Lorraine Motel is part of the complex of the National Civil Rights Museum. The wreath marks Dr. King's approximate place at the time of his assassination.
General information
Town or city	Memphis, Tennessee
Country	United States
Coordinates	35°08′04″N 90°03′27″W / 35.1345°N 90.0576°W / 35.1345; -90.0576Coordinates: 35°08′04″N 90°03′27″W / 35.1345°N 90.0576°W / 35.1345; -90.0576
Completed	1920 (original building) 1960s

The National Civil Rights Museum is a complex of museums and historic buildings in Memphis, Tennessee; its exhibits trace the history of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States from the 17th century to the present. The museum is built around the former Lorraine Motel, where Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968. Two other buildings and their adjacent property, also connected with the King assassination, have been acquired as part of the museum complex.

The museum re-opened in 2014 after renovations that increased the number of multi-media and interactive exhibits, including numerous short movies to enhance features. The museum is owned and operated by the Lorraine Civil Rights Museum Foundation, based in Memphis. The Lorraine Motel is owned by the Tennessee State Museum and leased long term to the Foundation to operate as part of the museum complex.

On October 21, 2016, the museum was honored by becoming a Smithsonian Affiliate museum.

The first hotel on the site was the 16-room Windsorlorrine Hotel, built on the northern side of the complex around 1925; it was renamed the Marquette Hotel. Walter Bailey purchased it in 1945 and renamed it for his wife Loree and the song "Sweet Lorraine". During the segregation era, he operated an upscale accommodation that catered to a black clientele. Bailey added a second floor, a swimming pool, and drive-up access for more rooms on the south side of the complex. He changed the name from Lorraine Hotel to Lorraine Motel. Among its guests through the 1960s were musicians going to Stax Records, including Ray Charles, Lionel Hampton, Aretha Franklin, Ethel Waters, Otis Redding, the Staple Singers and Wilson Pickett.