Dexter Parsonage Museum - Dr. Martin Luther King home Reviews

Thanks to Dr. Cherry for a rich, personal, educational tour. What a privilege to visit this house and learn so much about Dr. King and his family, and the Civil Rights Movement.

We had a fantastic tour from Victory today - she was so passionate in telling the stories of not only Dr King but also of his close friends and family. We opted out of the inital video due to time however Victory made sure she covered everything we needed to know. You aren't allowed to take pictures in most of the house, only the kitchen. The kitchen experience is fantastic, you get to hear and feel the words of Dr King. Please make sure you take the time to see the house, and listen to the wonderful stories. Thank you Victory you are awesome.

This museum was closed when we arrived but even just to see it from the outside and imagine Dr King and his family living there was amazing

Glad we got to take a tour here after having seen the church. This modest house gives you an idea of the day to day lives of the King family. Our guide was knowledgeable and we enjoyed the introductory video.

Called a week ago to asked if the museum would be open and how to get tickets. Was told when it was going to be open the week after Christmas. Was told that all I had to do was to come to the Parsonage to get tickets .Went on a Friday. It was not open. Was so disappointed, this was the end of my stay in Montgomery. My advice is to call more than once especially on the day you plan to visit.

We had a fabulous and personal tour by Dr Shirley Cherry. She offered so much information, and not just about MLK. We were sorry that our time was limited and we had to pull ourselves away.

We can only echo the previous posters and add our MOST enthusiastic endorsement of the parsonage visit. We were very fortunate that Dr. Shirley Cherry was available. We wrapped up visits to the Birmingham civil rights institute, the two Selma interpretative centers, the pettus bridge and the civil rights memorial in Montgomery(all must-sees) with the parsonage tour and feel that was the pinnacle of an extraordinary journey through national shame to national pride.

The parsonage is simple and humble, but it radiates the spirits of Dr. King and his family, and the others who lived, worked and visited there. Shirley illuminates the history, infusing stories of her personal struggles and triumphs. She is simply inspirational.

Standing on the front porch and seeing a crater caused by a bomb thrown at a home containing an infant, seeing the piano played by Coretta Scott King as a release from the stress of her life, sitting at the kitchen table where Dr. King wrote, prayed and ultimately decided to move on with his calling despite the danger to himself and his family....this visit was our last travel stop of 2016, a tumultuous and upsetting year. We left with a sense of hope that new leadership will emerge.

We came across the Dexter Parsonage Museum by chance, when we stopped in Montgomery for an extra night because it was too cold farther north during a road trip in December 2016. I noticed it was recommended by TA members, so we showed up in the early afternoon on a Friday.

The museum is actually the house where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. lived when he started his career as a minister back in the mid 1950's. It is very unassuming looking, a house like so many in any American city, and I had my doubts when I saw the parking lot was empty and we were the only visitors that afternoon. I was very wrong.

The tour starts with a short documentary movie in the next building, and is a good introduction to the area, including interviews with locals, some of whom are still alive and live nearby. There I first heard of the Ben Moore Hotel, with the magnificent view from the top floor. Next, the knowledgeable Ms. Victory took us on a tour of the actual house next door, starting with the front porch which still has a small crater left by a bomb someone threw there back in 1956 in an attempt to scare Dr. King away. The house has been lovingly restored to its original condition, and you will feel like it could have been your parents or grandparents' house as you go around. It is a strangely immersive experience, far better in my view than the many documentaries or the large museums in Washington DC and elsewhere I had seen before. It could easily be a fleeting experience, but Ms. Victory did a great job taking us back to that time, when Dr. King went from being a rookie minister with a young family to the leader of a national movement. It is easy to understand how most great things come from very humble beginnings, when ordinary people make the small decisions to stand up and do the right thing, and not wait for a 5-year plan, or for someone else to do it.

Near the back of the house is Dr. King's study, with pictures of Mahatma Gandhi and Jesus Christ on the wall. It is easy to understand the connection between those great men and Dr. King himself.

Finally, we were able to sit at the unassuming kitchen table at the back, and listen to a short recorded speech by Dr. King, where he talks about the many doubts he had, and sitting at that very table came to the difficult decision to move forward. The rest, as they say, is history. It was a very special moment, and I feel it was a great privilege to be part of it in the smallest of ways. Even two months later, I can feel it.

Afterwards, as we were the only visitors, Ms. Victory took us for a walk around the garden at the rear, and chatted with us at some length, so we felt like we were visiting with friends, and learnt more about the times.

As we drove off, down the block we passed the house where Ms. Vera still lives, an acquaintance of Dr. King's from the 1950's. At the corner I took a photo of the Ben Moore Hotel, in some disrepair, which we had passed coming in and barely noticed, but now I could see the wall of windows on the top floor (photo attached).

After visiting the Parsonage Museum, I never would have guessed that a place of such importance is tucked away on a quiet street in Montgomery. Other than the fact that Dr. King lived there and the events that changed the world, what makes it very special is the personal scale, and most of all, the love and devotion shown by the people who restored it, and keep it alive today. I urge you to visit it if you're anywhere within a few hundred miles. I hope you will find it as inspiring as I did.

This place is authentic, it feels, smells (in a good way!) and looks very much as it did half a century ago.
You can park your car in the back.

I am a writer and filmmaker from Los Angeles, California, as well as a student and fan of history -- especially my own history, which is African American and Native American -- and today (Tuesday, June 27, 2017) I visited the Dexter Parsonage Museum in Montgomery, Alabama. I must say, as much as I THOUGHT I knew about the experience of Blacks in America during the Civil Rights Movement (particularly in the state of Alabama, where it's said the Movement was born), I was astounded by how much new information I learned, as well as how much I actually FELT, during this tour!!

As best as I can describe it, there is an unmistakable "power" in the experience of visiting in-person what was the first residence of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his wife, Coretta Scott King, as a married couple, upon his assumption of the role of pastor of the historic Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, in 1957. At least for me, it was a most moving and highly visceral event...

For starters, of those in my small group of four (which, besides myself, included my beloved mother, who is a minister and former teacher, and a lovely young couple we did not know), I was given the unexpected opportunity to turn the key, no less, in the front door lock of this most distinguished parsonage...talk about a "wow" moment. And once I stepped over the threshold of the humble yet noble little abode, I had the distinct feeling that I somehow was treading on sacred, hallowed ground.

What a simultaneously privileged and humbling experience to stand inside the walls of the home of one of our greatest American heroes! To run my hand across the wood of the actual dining room table at which Dr. King and his family ate dinner, entertained social and community leaders, and even brainstormed the formation of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (according to our exceptionally learned and passionate tour guide...more on this great woman in a moment)! To visit the library where Dr. King studied, prayed, and surely cried many anguished tears! And to conclude the brief but life-changing tour in the family's nostalgic 1950s kitchen, where it is said Dr. King, in his darkest, "midnight" hour, distinctly heard the voice of God assure him that He would never leave or forsake him, but would remain with him even as he "gave the ultimate gift" of his life for the cause of a people and a nation! Not unlike (though, granted, to a far lesser magnitude) God's own Son sacrificed His life for ALL people, I might reverentially add!

As I was informed today, the Spirit's visit with Dr. King did no less than immediately and permanently eradicate all this great leader's fears -- including, and most importantly, the one he held of that most inescapable of human experiences: death. Such power. Such preeminence. Such profundity.

I could go on and on about the resonance and efficacy of this incredibly unique and special tour (as you can surely tell), but suffice it to say that it is one better experienced than explained. In other words, go see -- and FEEL -- for yourself!!

Might I finally suggest that not if but when you go, you try to do so at a time when the tour's most seasoned and engaging guide, Dr. Shirley Cherry, is on duty. In fact, it might not hurt to call the office ahead of time to see if she happens to be working that day. That's just how good she is!

Dr. Cherry, I learned, is a truly remarkable and accomplished woman in her own right, having broken barriers as the "first African American" this and the "first woman" that in her distinguished, decades-long career as a professional educator. What's more, this woman's love, appreciation, and knowledge of the life and legacy of Dr. King is so thorough and so genuine, you'd think the man was her blood-relative! Indeed, she is equal parts walking encyclopedia, no-nonsense schoolteacher, and crack-you-up comedienne, who'll have you moved to tears at the same time she has you laughing -- at the simple yet sage advice, anecdotes and life-lessons she generously sprinkles throughout her enthralling tour-talk.

So, if you're willing to shut up more than you speak (be forewarned that she'll figuratively rap your knuckles, like she did mine a few times, for asking questions ahead of her relished opportunity to tell you the info...so just hush up and wait!), and if you're open to internalizing Dr. King's concepts more than you intellectualize them, then you'll definitely want to take this tour with the inimitable Dr. Shirley. Talk about Southern charm and hospitality at its finest -- with a "cherry" on top! ;)

Bottom line, do check out this amazing historical site and tour, and do try to have Dr. Shirley Cherry be your guide, if possible, when you go. I promise you'll never be the same, because in addition to having your heart and soul irreparably stirred, you'll be treated like a King.

What an incredible experience. My kids, (11,11,7) did a great job paying attention and asking questions. Our tour was conducted by a family member who was part of bringing MLK Jr. To the church, to pastor. In the parsonage is a photo where she, the tour guide, is seen at the age of 7, with the King family. She shared her stories, my kids asked her questions and time stood still.

That moment affected my family, being able to connect history, pain, and suffer age to a person standing before them. A powerful moment to put privilege in the very back seat and for us to be fully present. Incredibly authentic and genuine experience.

This house, which was the parsonage where MLK and family lived while he was the pastor of the church next door, is not flashy or pretentious.....it’s simply a slice of history and the home of a great young man who changed the minds of many people.

This is the MOST amazing part of our Civil Rights tour of Alabama. Dr. Cherry brings you into the civil rights era with detailed and heartfelt stories about the lives of Martin Luther King, Jr and his family. We were moved to tears several times during our tour of the Parsonage. The opportunity to get so close - to actually touch the place where they lived in the early days of the Civil Rights movement - makes this an experience you cannot afford to miss.

One of Kings church members took us through the house. Incredible history. Amazing to meet someone who knew Martin Luther King and his wife.
The home is in tact and definitely worth seeing

I travel for a living as a photographer. I have never, ever, anywhere in the world, had a finer experience. Visiting South Johnson Street following the Civil Rights Trail, the Dexter Avenue Parsonage Tour lead by Dr. Shirley was a crash course on the history of the movement but even more important, a thesis on Dr. King's thoughts, actions and beliefs. Dr. Shirley embodies the energy of the movement. She is full of warmth, love and character and she shares it with a generosity only one who loves life and her work and is filled with spirit can. I highly recommend this tour. You've not been anywhere like this.

Ms Cherry is so colorful and so informative!!! Tour was the absolute best!!! So glad I went !!! Please go and support this significant part of history!!!

It was such an awesome experience to walk through the former home of such an iconic figure in this nation's history. To see where he ate his dinner, where he slept, where he entertained guests and had meetings to discuss what could be done about basic human rights; to stand in the spot where the home was bombed by ignorant/racist people was just surreal. Our tour guide had such a bubbly attitude and answered every question we asked; she was very knowledgeable. We were informed that Ms. Vera, who lives several doors down from the parsonage, housed over 30 Freedom Riders during those turbulent times. She is in her 90's now. Her husband was one of the Tuskegee Airmen. Wow, such history; such bravery! We owe a debt to all of those who put their lives on the line to fight for freedom; to fight for civil rights!

Wonderful tour with Glencile, She was not only a very nice and friendly, upbeat and positive woman but also very knowledgeable about Dr. King and the history and the family and the area.

Well worth taking this tour and I went the first one at 10Am and was a smaller group.
What a feeling to be actually in the physical space lived in by Dr. King and his family.
Glencile finished the tour with two things. One in the kitchen listening to a recording of Dr. King talking about phone threats he received.

And lastly holding hands and singing outside with Glencile and the other members of the group. Wonderful spring day it was also to top it off.

The tour was filled with Agape love and you could feel it.

This tour was amazing! Dr Shirley Cherry makes the magic happen! Her sense of humor, passion and Character shine throughout the tour! She makes everyone feel part of the experience. All of the important parts of life are incorporated into the telling of MLK and his family's time in Montgomery. Do yourself a favor and make sure you take this tour if ever in Montgomery, AL.

Life changing!

This tour taught me so much about Dr. King and it brought him to life for me. Something about being in his house made Dr. King and the movement palpable and accessible.

This house is remarkably preserved with most of its original furniture. The people who work here bring you back into the past and give you inspiration for the future. Without a doubt, this was the highlight of our civil rights tour. We got goosebumps in that kitchen, listening to a Dr. King speech. This place is one of a kind.

I'm so glad I made the effort to get here! (Information online is conflicting or missing. Check ahead.) The tour was deeply personal and full of many, many insights about the King family and the church. For example, our guide told us stories about being in the house and the church as a child, hearing Coretta play the piano and sing, and pointed out places around the neighborhood as it had been in the 1950s. She described Dr. King coming back to the church in 1967 to preach... outside were worldwide media and the Ku Klux Klan.

As our group of maybe eight people stood around the kitchen table, our guide told us one of the most moving stories. Dr King had gotten a threatening call telling him to leave Montgomery by sundown. He was deeply worried, couldn't sleep, and came to the kitchen to pray all night. He had an epiphany then; he learned that he should stay in Montgomery and continue the fight. If that night hadn't happened, she said, it could have completely changed history.

You couldn't learn or feel all of this from a self-guided tour, or a tour guide at a museum. It was deeply personal and so moving! Getting here is definitely worth the effort.

Staff was friendly and audio recording of Dr. King was enlightening. Docent was a little off his game,but he was kind and focused on serving people.

Having been to the place in Memphis where Dr. King was murdered, it was wonderful to visit the place that was his home when he was in Montgomery where we could envision better days when he began his career, his family and his activism. The museum has done a wonderful job furnishing the home with much of the furniture that Dr. King and his family lived with. And we were fortunate enough to have a guide who has been a long time member of Dr. King's church and was there during the era in the late 50s. Fascinating stories and memories of this great man and his family.

The docents who give the tour are terrific. So knowledgeable. The house is small and set up as when Dr. King lived there. After seeing a movie, it is a short tour of the house. Definitely worth seeing.

The is a MUST on a visit to the Montgomery area. Dr Shirley Cherry is an amazing orator and by far the best director/guide that we have ever had - and we been on a lot of tours! Dr Cherry led us through historical events with passion, extensive knowledge, and a delightful sense of humor! We are extremely appreciative to have had Dr Cherry educate us on the significance of the Civil Rights events that took place in this area of our country. Well done, Dr Cherry!!!

I would be remiss if I did not remind you to immediately go to this world famous site. You will have a lifetime of regret if you miss Ms 🍒 Shirley Cherry's famous VIP tour. You will never know how much you will 😊 enjoy this history and civil rights phenomenal tour.

Be blessed, Ms. Cherry will do the rest.

For all you history buffs out there,

You will think you died and went to heaven.

V/r,

Mendenhalls

My wife and I visited the Dexter Parsonage Museum on our honeymoon and had a fantastic tour. The house provides a fascinating insight into the life of Dr King. We really enjoyed the tour and our fabulous tour guide!!

The Dexter Parsonage Museum - Dr. Martin Luther King's home - provided a rare opportunity for a history lesson on Dr. King's day to day life. The home is a mix of original and donated furniture and our guide made sure to point out what was indeed his vs a replica from the time period. We enjoyed seeing his home and the added office (the extra room built to allow him to spend more time at home) and the final speech with his epiphany at his dining room table (where I happened to be seated as we listened to it. The story of sending his wife fresh flowers from every trip was touching, but I did get teary when I learned he had the urge to send her artificial flowers so she'd have something lasting to remember him by right before he was assassinated.

I knew some things about Dr. Martin Luther King from what I learned in history classes, so I was not expecting a whole lot from a tour of his home. However, I found the tour to be very surprising and not what I expected at all. It was just Dr. King's home, but I left with a lot of new knowledge and wisdom about life. Dr. Cherry was an amazing tour guide. She was very inspirational and she had so many facts about King's life and the area surrounding his house. I learned a lot of interesting facts from her, such as the fact that King's house was bombed. She even had pictures of people who have been in the house and experienced the tour, such as the police officer who arrested Rosa Parks. The price was great for what you get from this tour and I highly recommend it.

Being inside and hearing stories room-to-room in this 2 bedroom house, Dr. King's parsonage, where so many crucial events happened from Dr. Shirley Cherry was unforgettable. Never had an experience quite like this ever, walking amidst deep history. Dr. Cherry is full of verve and an extraordinary teller of Dr. King's and Coretta's life.

Take your time in Montgomery AL. Not to be missed. An absolute must.

Dr. Shirley Cherry gave us an outstanding tour of this museum. Her knowledge, insight and wisdom were truly inspiring. We learned so much about Dr. King, his family and the horrors that they endured.

The tour guide had a personal connection to the property and community, which always makes for a great tour. Very few opportunities allow you to be this close to important historical sites. There are no roped off areas (of course please be respectful). Photography is not allowed which keeps you present and focused on the events that happened there.

This museum obviously has historical significance because Dr King lived there but it is Dr Shirley who makes it all special and worth the visit. She is a wonderful guide who tells history in the way like no one else does. Please visit this museum not just for Dr King but also for Dr Shirley.

Very friendly and informative staff. You will watch a 15 minute video then walk a few steps over to Dr. Martin Luther King's residence when he was a pastor at Dexter Baptist Church. There are photos that aren't published anywhere else but the museum. The "museum" is small, with one room with chairs where you watch the video and the walls have the photos and news articles that are interesting to read, plus a guest book. The main event is the walk over to Dr.King's house where you'll get a tour. Nearly everything in there is original, you even get to sit at his kitchen table and listen to one of his empowering speeches. The kitchen and outside of the house are the only places you're permitted to take photos. This is a must-see when visiting Montgomery, it will put things into perspective and really make you appreciate all of his sacrifices and hard work. The price is about $7.50 for adults and $5.50 for children, and it lasts about an hour, free parking. Tours are every hour, you can call ahead to book. Out back is a reflective garden with benches that is a nice spot.

Reasonable tour of the house, but not really worth the time or the money. We do not plan to return and will not recommend it.

Excellent place to visit! Great history about Dr King and had a tremendous guide through the house. She knew Dr King personally. I would highly recommend

The house itself was closed - don't listen to the website apparently. However, it was still a neat trip to read the marker and take some pictures. There is parking behind the museum but the gate was locked, so I parked on the street. Rev. King meant a lot to not just African Americans, but Americans as a whole, so I felt compelled to visit to pay respects to a great man.

Make sure you call ahead of time to make sure that they will be open. Hours of operation are Fri and Sat 10-4pm. We happened to be lucky to have Wanda Anderson as our guide. She was there to host a busload of tourists but at the last minute they canceled the tour. The tour starts with a 15 min movie followed by a tour of the two-bedroom house. Ms Anderson’s dad was one of two barbers of Dr. King’s. The house was refurbished to look like it did during the MLK years when he lived there with his family. Dr. King was 24 years old when he became the pastor of the Dexter Church. The docents are volunteers and you should confirm that they will be open when you plan to visit. We stopped at the Dexter
Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church several times and they were always closed. There is a small gift shop and the entry fee is $10. One hour is sufficient to visit this home. It is worth stopping here.

I went to the Parsonage Museum with my aunt and cousins and absolutely loved it! Dr.Shirley was the highlight of the entire visit! She even gave me the key and let me open the door to Dr. Kings house! Make sure to ask for her for your guide!

In the world of the African/Black family there was always the storyteller that kept the history of the family. The curator is just that. She is a well-informed and very knowledgeable about all of the beginning of the Civil Rights movement. This tour would help all understand the struggle that many had to go thru just to achieve citizenship.

A short film is shown at the beginning of your visit, discussing the inspiring clergy who lived in this more than 100 years old house with their families. Martin Luther King, Jr and his family were the most famous people who resided here.
Then a docent takes you into the house itself, furnished like it was the 1950's. No photos allowed.

I would highly recommend a visit to Dexter Parsonage Museum! I Brought my wife and my 2 sons for the visit. My sons are 13 years old. I wanted them to know how Dr Martin Luther King changed the course of history!!
I would like to thank Shirly for being such a wonderful guide and host! I was a pleasure to meet her :)

We have recently completed a road trip, taking in 15 states, stopping in 12 cities, attending 20 museums and completing 14 additional tours.

We are unanimous that the highlight of our trip was the Dexter Parsonage Museum and in particular the tour by the unforgettable Dr Cherry.

I have never a review on this website previously, but felt compelled and moved to do so by this experience.

We had planned to spend approximately 45 minutes in the museum, as we were under time pressure in our itinerary. When we arrived at the visitors' centre, we were given the option of a 'walkthrough' or a guided tour. If given the choice, take the guided tour! Although we spent over 2 hours there, we did not want the experience to end.

Whilst waiting for the tour to begin, Dr Cherry directed us several houses down the street to see Ms Vera, a living embodiment of history and of the city's past. It was an honour to meet her and helped to humanise the experience.

Whilst the tour only encompasses a small number of rooms, Dr Cherry lives and breathes the history and makes you feel as if you were also experiencing it. She holds everyone's attention and we got the impression that irrespective of the number of people on the tour, or indeed the identity of those people, she would put the same passion and energy into each of her tours.

Like Dr Cherry, my wife is a teacher and has never come across a teacher as engaging as her. They say that you always remember an inspirational teacher. All of Dr Cherry's students will certainly remember her. Her passion, her knowledge and her delivery were a sight to behold.

We hope that Dr Cherry and the museum go from strength to strength and continue to educate everyone about history, in the hope that it can possibly inform the future.

We will never forget this tour or Dr Cherry. If there is one place that you go in the States, go to Montgomery. If there is one thing that you do whilst you are there, make it this tour.

Jonathan and Shayna Evans

This was my second visit and I loved to see MLK's home during his first job as pastor of Dexter Avenue Church in Montgomery. A lot of things happened his six years here, from 1954-1960, and it is just very cool to walk the same grounds and hear the stories. They turned the next door house into a gift shop and a movie room, which is where the tour starts. Then a tour person takes you into the house for maybe 20 minutes.

Perhaps my favorite part of the visit is seeing and listening to Shirley Cherry, who works there and grew up nearby while MLK was just getting on his career. Her enthusiasm for the topic is infectious and she just loves to share it.

The Dexter church parsonage is a must see. So much history there. The four guides are passionate and well-informed.

Dr. Cherry provides an engaging and enlightening tour of the Dr. King parsonage. She is passionate about the history and expects you to be actively engaged in your learning. I learned so much that I thought I already knew. Seeing the divet where the bomb hit the porch still gives me chills. Seeing photos of the police officer who arrested Rosa Parks sitting at the table in the parsonage gives you hope that we an change our hearts with knowledge and time.

To say that this experience was memorable is an understatement. Shirley Cherry went out of her way to provide a very personal tour. Her passion for telling Dr. King's story is palpable, and she makes a personal connection with those who are on a tour with her. For Shirley, this isn't just about sharing history, but telling the story of this house is an exercise in learning what it means to be a human. Through her stories in the house, one has the opportunity to engage in topics such as: understanding of the definition of character, the importance choosing love over hate and understanding the power of standing up to oppression even in the face of tremendous opposition. I strongly recommend that every person who visits Montgomery OR who lives IN Montgomery take the time to go on this tour. I promise you -- you won't regret it.

My family stopped in Montgomery on our way from Charlotte to NOLA for vacation, we only planned to do a few things in the city and originally this was not one of them. We decided to stay longer in Montgomery and visit this museum. You first go to the visitor center and watch a short film, then you are taken by a guide to the parsonage next door. The history behind this house is amazing and you can feel it while in the house. Much of the furnishings are original, down to MLK's coffee pot. If you like history and particularly civil rights history, you need to stop by here!

Shirley Cherry was an incredible tour guide. Spoke so beautifully about Dr King Jnr and his time in Montgomery. Couldn't recommend highly enough!

The attraction is step back in time. The tour starts with short movie then walk over to the house. The parsonage has been preserved and staged to look how it did when the Kings' lived there. To image them living in the house and holding meeting - such an experience! The house isn't big and fancy, but you can feel that it was a HOME. A safe retreat in troubled times. A remarkable place and must see if in Montgomery.

It’s hard to put this into words. Talk about stepping into history! Worth the 45min tour, but felt really special and surreal. You won’t be sorry for visiting.

This was home to the King family when he was preacher at Dexter Baptist Church. We had a middle school group go through the home with us, and I loved hearing their questions and them having their “ah-ha” moments. The home has not been touched and it feels like the family never left. Definitely recommend it!

Plaques outside with the history of the house and area. It's a nice enough neighborhood with commercial buildings across. Not sure I would walk around at night.
Montgomery was really a big part of the civil rights movement and was a learning experience.

After skimming a few reviews at TA, I was hoping that Shirley would be my tour guide. We had another more low-key lady (also with personal experience with MLK), but Shirley introduced the tour in a most engaging way by bringing in a surprise drop-in guest -- MLK's personal barber, who gave Dr. King his first haircut in Montgomery and also the final one of his life.

The tour was very personal and moving, and especially effective and fitting to end in the kitchen where we listed to a portion of a sermon Dr. King gave, referencing the time he had to decide whether to continue his leadership role in the Civil Rights Movement.

The house has many items that bring you back to Dr. King's time during the bus boycott and truly makes this most significant event spring back alive.

If you're my age, this is a nostalgic walk through a house in that familiar 50's decor plus the guided tour we took revealed some facts we didn't know about the MLK family.

By all accounts, Dr. Cherry is an incredible guide, but she was not available for our tour. The guide we did get was perfectly good, but didn't give the transformational performance that Dr. Cherry is said to deliver. That said, there's plenty of fascinating history to see, including the preserved impact crater of a bomb hurled at Dr. King's home. The tour is preceeded by a 20 minute video that is only so-so, and the tour itself seems to last about 30 minutes after the video.

Wow! I actually visited MLK's home. I almost started crying. The house is in great shape. Very southern. Loved the wide porch and swing. I didn't get a chance to tour just took pictures. Just enjoyed the moment and reflected. Great experience for me.

My family was really enriched by this tour. It was fascinating to get a sense of how Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. lived. The house is decorated in the period with many of the King family’s furniture. A “Gossip Bench” was amusing and sobering at the same time as it embodies the stresses that the family endured. Would recommend seeing both this and the Dexter / King Baptist Church for a full experience.

The website and TripAdvisor listed it as open. Made a trip to Montgomery to see this, the Dexter St Baptist Church, and other sites connected with the Civil Rights Movement. Both are closed to visitors at this time.

My family visited December 21, 2017 and it was nothing short of amazing! Our tour guide was Dr. Cherry and she was magnificent. She has knowledge about everything and more when it comes to the parsonage (and surrounding area). During the tour, she even had a couple of visitors, one of them being artist and deacon John W. Feagin, who painted the beautiful mural at Dexter Ave. King Memorial Baptist Church. She made sure to give us information of the climate of society at the time, events within the community, and other important cultural references to make the experience even more realistic. For my parents, they even had some flashbacks to things they experienced in their childhood, which made it more enjoyable for them. When you visit, you must request Dr. Cherry. She is such an uplifting, bubbly, and knowledgeable person. Be ready to be educated!

A recent visit to this modest house gave me an extraordinary insight into the civil rights era and its leader MLK. As a guide, Dr. Shirley Cherry is unique. It is not just her expansive knowledge but her ability to take you back in time that makes the tour such a wonderful experience. You will gain insights into the leaders such as Dr. King and you will hear about the behind the scenes heroes and be inspired by their actions.
The most rewarding tour I have ever taken.

Noel Lyons

I took the tour with my docent, Victory. She was quite knowledgeable and she really opened my eyes! I had the best tour experience there. If you're ever in Montgomery, do not miss it!

I am a long time admirer of Dr. King and it was a very humbling experience to walk in the footsteps of this very great man. The tour starts with a short, extremely interesting video of folks who knew Dr. King and their memories of him. Our docent, Dr. John Wesley Summers, was terrific, full of personal anecdotes about Dr. King. (Mrs. King did not want Dr. King to smoke, so he never bought cigarettes, but bummed them from his friends in private!) Dr. Summers also drew in amazing detail the struggles during the Civil Right Movement. The story I will always remember concerns the night the Parsonage was bombed. Mrs. King had company in the parlor (Dr. King was out preaching so she was home with their baby daughter Yolanda) and heard a commotion on the front porch. Now, my first instinct would be to go to the door to see what the noise was about. However, since black lives were always in danger, Mrs. King figured whoever was out there was up to no good and wisely retreated to the back of the house. The bomb blew out windows and left a crater in the front porch, but thankfully neither she, Yolanda, or her girlfriend were hurt. We were also lucky enough to meet Dr. Shirley Cherry who lived the Civil Rights Movement and was also full of stories.This and the Civil Rights Museum are two of the best things I have ever done. And on a different note, most of the furnishing/items belonged to the family, so the home is a 1950's microcosm. It was a blast from the past to see stuff in the kitchen that my Mom used when I was growing up!

I have been to numerous attractions around the world. Ms. Cherry gave the greatest guided tour I have ever been apart of. She was not expecting to give that tour to my family but filled in for another volunteer. She explained the house in such detail only someone who had been there would be able to express. She also let me unlock the door too the house which was one of the most humbling experiences of my life. This is a must see attraction and an eye opening experience.

We did not expect to spend two hours at this site, but incredibly glad we did. We had the great fortune to have Mrs. Marguerite Foley serve as our insightful tour guide. To be honest, she was more of a teacher (she is in fact a retired one) than tour guide and we learned so much from her and her perspective on Rev. and Mrs. King, both of whom she knew. The zenith of the tour was when we got to the kitchen, and Mrs. Foley explained it was there that Rev. King had a revelation to keep going, despite all the grave and real threats to his and his family's life. She played a CD of his speech recounting the epiphany in this kitchen, and by the end, everyone was deeply moved, even in tears. We were so glad we had the opportunity to come to Montgomery, and specifically the Dexter Parsonage Museum to learn about this important part of recent American history that is still relevant today. Thank you, Mrs. Foley for your time and also your voice in this movement. Absolutely humbling.

We went as a part of a civil rights trip, and were not disappointed. Amazing insight into the life of great civil rights leader

A five- star rating because the staff was so friendly and warm. I also enjoyed all the care they took to recreate King’s house as it was in the 1950s. Our guide had been a member of the church during King’s time there and had some nice stories to share. However, there is a need for some technical upgrading. There was an old CD player used to play some of the speeches, but it wasn’t working. Also the opening video could use some editing

The tour guide was very friendly and knowledgeable. We had a movie in the interpretive center and then we went to the house. She let my son unlock the door to the house (SO exciting for me as MLK has been my hero for as long as I can remember). At the end we stood in the kitchen where he had had an epiphany experience and while there, got to hear a recording of him talking about the experience. Then we went to the back yard and made a circle and joined hands. It was a moving experience and I highly recommend it.

On February 14, 2017 my wife and I had the privilege of a personal tour of the Dexter Parsonage Museum in Montgomery.  Immediately upon meeting Dr. Cherry we knew we were in the presence of someone very special. It felt as if she were giving the tour for the first time, so passionate and proud she was with us. The setting, so true to its original decor was riveting enough in itself. But Dr. Cherry's commentary and demeanour uplifted us in a most unexpected way. Her sharing personal memories and stories about her own background during the Civil Rights era added a sense of intimacy to the tour. And to sit in the kitchen at the same table where Dr. King experienced his 'epiphany' with the sound of his scintillating voice on tape! We were both in tears. It is a memory now etched in our souls. We will always remember Dr. Cherry passing us tissues and reminding us, "If you don't feel something here you would have to be dead!" We left the parsonage feeling like little children who had just been in the presence of a wise and compassionate teacher...not surprising given that was Dr. Cherry's chosen career. Imagine how many lives she has touched and now we can add ours to her list. Thank you Dr Cherry for a most amazing tour!

Thank you to the kind staff who were able to provide personal tibits of information that were never reported in the news and History books. It was very humbling to walk around in that home and see their personal things. Thank you for letting us experience history.

This tour is a walk through history with Dr. Cherry who knew Dr. King. Most moving part of tour was recorded speech played in his former kitchen that referenced his midnight enlightenment at the height of Montgomery Bus boycott.

Given to him by the church where he was a pastor, this is a small house, typical for middle class blacks at the time. There is parking on the back. Tickets at the entrance. Historically relevant.

The tour was wonderful, very informative. I really appreciated the fact that most of the furniture belonged and was used by the King family. The audio portion in the kitchen was very moving and profound. The house was very well cared for. I am so thankful that it has been opened for people to experience. Other than the fact that I would have liked to hear a bit more about Vernon Johns in the introductory video, it was amazing.

It is a nice and historic place to be visited. don't forget to go there and to the rosa parks museum

I stopped here on my way from Iowa to Florida. The cost was $7.50 for the tour. A very nice lady who had MLK jr. for a pastor gave the tour. It was pretty neat to have someone tell the story that had lived through the time. She told the story of the pictures in the building next to the house, showed a video and a tour through the house. Most of the furniture is the same that MLK Jr. and his family had used.

This tour of the Dexter parsonage was led by a member of the Dexter congregation which gave it a very personal touch. I really felt connected to the history that took place there. In the chapel are photos from a collection that you cannot see anywhere else. It was worth much more than the price of admission.

Dr. Cherry held the attention of both adults and students the entire time. She evoked tears and laughter while bringing life to the time Dr. King spent in Montgomery, AL. The parsonage at 309 S. Jackson Street has witnessed greatness on more than one occasion. My students left inspired and motivated to be an agent of change through love. Thank you Dr. Cherry for your kindness and passion to our students.

This was our final visit on our 2 day trip to Montgomery and it soon became the highlight of our stay. Having visited the Rosa Parks museum, and the Freedom Riders museum, we wondered what could better them. Then we met Dr Shirley Cherry. She took us through and around Dr King's house and had us in fits of laughter and tears of sadness at every turn. If you are anywhere near the area (and I mean within a time zone or two) then you must make this trip. If Dr King had conducted the tour himself, I doubt if he could have told us more about his life here and the parsonage's importance to the cause.
Thank you, Dr Cherry. You made our trip. Mike & Kate, UK.

So fortunate to be able to tour this home How honored we were to receive a tour from Angelesa as she knew Dr King as a teenager, her family was instrumental in getting Dr. King to come be the preacher of Dexter Avenue King Memorial baptist Church. There was not a lot of information about touring the house online but we pulled into the parking lot behind the house and Angelesa greeted us. Shortly thereafter she played a short film for us and then took another couple and us over for a tour of the parsonage. Seeing the house furnished with most of the furniture from when the King family was here and hearing the story of the harrowing night the house was bombed was an emotional step back in time.

Very informative and moving. Learned a lot of details about MLK's life and the civil rights movement.

The parsonage has been preserved as it was when Dr. and Mrs. King lived there. Our guide shared the experience of their lives at that point in the Civil Rights Movement. It was truly history made alive in a powerful way. It moved many of us to tears.

We only got to see the home from the outside, as the museum was closed when we got there. It is nicely maintained.

A place not to miss it was insightful and interesting. Our guide very was knowledgeable and friendly

For tourists like me, this is a must to gain an insight to what is not easily understood. So much to learn on people, history and how and why.

Took our boys (ages 11 and 7.5) on the guided tour of the Dexter Parsonage to learn and see first hand where Dr MLK Jr lived. Our tour guide - a young man in his mid-20s - was hands down amazing! I had goosebumps throughout the whole tour. It’s so powerful to be in a home of one of the greatest and influential people in American history and also expose my children to his legacy. The home contains mostly original furniture of the King family and Mrs. King herself helped with arranging the furniture for authenticity when it became a museum. If you do one thing in Montgomery and are short on time (we stopped in on our way home from Florida) this is it! Cannot stress enough how amazing and powerful this was for me and the great discussion we were able to have with our children after too.

had good time with family visiting the history. had our grandchildren with us they learned alot from this museeum

I only had a little free time in Montgomery because I was on a business trip. If you can only stop by one place, this is it. Ms. Shirley Cherry, an accomplished retired educator, has a true gift for bringing this inspirational experience to life. I was lucky enough to have her give me a tour of the home. She not only shares Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's story, but her own as well. It left me with a very personal understanding of, and appreciation for Dr. King, and the impact his work had on her and the world.

Dr. Shirley Cherry wowed our group with her charm, wit and grace on our tour. She is absolutely wonderful and colorful in her descriptions of life in that era that you almost felt like you were there experiencing it first-hand.
Highly encourage this tour to everyone! We learn our history to never repeat our past!

Ms. Cherry was wonderful. The house looks awesome and she does an amazing job explaining artifacts and rooms. She is very knowledgeable and added so much to the experience.

Dr. Shirley Cherry was outstanding. She touched on the people, history,and most of all the emotions with in the community of the movement.

It was such an incredible experience to be in this home and to hear the recording of Dr. King's voice and his struggle in the midst of so much violence aimed at his family and home, while standing in his kitchen. Ms. Marguerite (I am sorry to have missed her last name, I was too enamored with her first name) was a lovely guide, and personally knew the King family. I would have loved it if she had shared more personal remembrances (was Ms. King known for serving a special dish at those newlywed gatherings?), but I can understand if those memories are too dear to be shared. The reason for my craving this knowledge, is that Dr. King has become such an icon, one who has become embraced and cherished and talked about in grade schools, that it is hard to really understand that he was a man, a man who feared and was not widely loved by white America- yet faced that fear and that threat, to propel such important change. As this work needs to continue, it is helpful to be reminded that this icon was a person who overcame all those doubts to work towards good, as we need to do still. I am grateful for every moment on this tour and to the Dexter church members for sharing this home and their stories with us.

Took the tour guided by Dr. Shirley Cherry, and it was one of the most memorable and meaningful experiences of my life. Walking through the Dexter Parsonage Museum, we saw authentic relics of the King family's lives there, and learned about the courage, character, and community at play in the Civil Rights movements. Dr. Cherry brought the past to life and inspired me to understand in a whole new way how the movement engaged ordinary people to do extraordinary things, and the power of leading with love.

This trip was on my bucket list. It was well worth the time, and I am forever grateful to Dr. Cherry and the Museum for that experience.

Great tour alot of info about Dr. King time there and info about the freedom riders. The tour is only $7 which is more than worth it

Our guide (unfortunately I can't remember her name) was absolutely amazing. It seems like she met all the key players in the civil rights movement so she just has unbelievable stories to tell.

Had a great time seeing where the great Dr. King Jnr. lived and being able to talk to Dr. Shirley and Ms. Vera was enlightening.
Learnt so much and will keep learning.

I called about a week before our trip to purchase tickets. I tried to use the website but no one contacted me. There are limited tour times and they sell out. Tickets were under $10.
The home was easy to find and parking is available behind the interpretive center.
The tour begins with a short video (which honestly needs to be updated).
Then we went next door to the parsonage. We were able to go in every room in the home. Much of the furniture is original. Home has been restored to reflect the 1950s. Our tour guide was pleasant but spoke quickly and wanted to move us along. The tour only lasted 40 minutes. No photos are allowed in the home. Although brief, we still thought it was definitely worth our time. We love historical homes and this one certainly hold many memories.

Really enjoyed this stop as apart of my schools Civil Rights Pilgrimage Trip! It is well worth it. If you get the same tour guide that I received you will have a memorable time!

It was a thrill to be able to see the home MLK lived in while pastor of the Dexter Ave church and where he wrote so many speeches. While you are there wander around the neighborhood -- visit his barber shop, look at the hotel (now in need of TLC) where all the black entertainers coming to Montgomery were able to stay.

What an absolutely moving piece of history. To actually walk through the parsonage where Dr. King and his young family lived for 6 years. To stand on the front porch near the spot where a bomb hit his home endangering the life of his wife, children, and close friend. The stand at the head of the kitchen table and actually listen to sermon where he describes a sleepless night that lead him to that very spot at the kitchen table and found him deep in thought and filled with questions and anxiety. Hard to hold back the tears. The tour guides were absolutely amazing.

There’s a small entrance where you’ll pay and meet your guide, and see a short video. Our guide was a personable young man and it was interesting to talk with him a bit about his own experience growing up in Montgomery. Then you’ll be taken into the parsonage (we were there with just one other couple), which has been carefully preserved as it was when MLK and his family lived there. He came to Montgomery as a young (25!) preacher with his wife, Coretta, and 10-week-old baby daughter. Except for the master bedroom, all the furniture is original. You’ll see the spot on the front porch where a bomb exploded; luckily, those home at the time (wife, daughter, and friend) were in the back of the house. It was most moving to sit at their actual kitchen table and hear MLK’s recorded reflection on a “dark night of the soul” that he experienced as he sat at that very table following a telephone threat that he’d be shot and his house burned down if he didn’t leave town in three days. That bomb meant these people were serious. He made a pot of coffee, thought, and struggled — what to do?? — until he felt the voice of God within him assuring MLK that He would always be with him and never abandon him. He decided to press on with his vital work, and we all know the immeasurable benefit of that work for all of us. What astonishing courage!

Pulled up and took some pics, there is a plaque on the verandah floor right of the stairs, where a bomb was detonated has left a big dent in the concrete, the museum was closed so was the house when I visited.

Myself and my fiance were in Montgomery for one day and decided to visit the Dexter Parsonage Museum. We both haven't stopped talking about it since as it was an amazing experience. The staff at the museum were all lovely and very welcoming, our guide Victory was an absolute joy who was so knowledgeable and passionate. Victory explained everything in depth and really went out of her way to tell us about the area in general. If you are in Montgomery you must visit the museum, highly recommended.

As a teenager, I can say I had the best time ever! I went with my dad and didn't know what to expect! But it was all so meaningful and beneficial, the things I learned about love and character and about the United States's rich history. Not only was the house amazing, the tour guide, Dr. Shirley Cherry was outstanding. Dr cherry and I came to know each other on a personal level in only two hours. Her dedication to the Museum and the history is remarkable, and not only that. She spoke very wise words throughout the door which I take home. She is full of passion, drive, intelligence, love, and character! You definitely must stop.

Arrive on the hour or arrange in advance for a group tour of this important civil rights site. This is where Dr. King lived from 1954 to 1956 as the pastor of the Dexter Street church, and was the President of the Montgomery Improvement Association, which led the bus boycott after Rosa Parks’ arrest. The parsonage was bombed and subjected to 40 plus telephone death threats during that time too. Down the street is the very important Harris house and behind the interpretive center is a thought provoking garden.

Very glad that we got the chance to come to the parsonage. It is 7.50 for 12 and above. 5.50 for 6 to 11.

After this stop, go by Dexter King Memorial Church.

The tour begins with a video with that has can use some updating. It lost the attention of some of us. It did however, feel like a walk in the past when we enetered Dr. King's home.

This tour was fantastic, our guide, Dr. Shirley Cherry, was incredibly knowledgeable and shared in depth information about the King family, their friends and the times. The parsonage lets you step back in time and experience it all. I left with a better understanding of MLK.

Walking through Martin Luther King's home, with the original furniture, and learning about his life in that home is truly inspirational.

Standing in Dr. King’s study where he composed sermons, or around his dining room table where he held meetings to plan the Montgomery Bus Boycott is an incomparable experience. Truly felt like standing on holy ground.

Dr Cherry is a delight. I was truely inspired by her personal stories. I could feel MLK's spirit. Best tour I have ever done.

Two women who are members of the Dexter Ave. King Memorial Church guided my visit and shared some of their experiences and memories. The church has returned the parsonage layout and furntiture to the year when Dr. King first arrived in 1954.

A humbling reminder of how far we’ve come, yet how much farther we have yet to go in terms of racial inequality. A beautiful testament to the life of Dr. King and his mission while serving the people of Centennial Hill Montgomery.

This is truly the best historical site visit I have had. Yes, I did have the incomparable Shirley Cherry, the world's best educator/tour guide, to lead me through, but the entire mission of this place is inspiring. There is enough of the old neighborhood still around to give you a sense of what was and there is enough of the spirit of Vernon Johns and MLK to move you to action today. Top notch all the way around.

Very powerful tour, the guide was very knowledgeable and nice. Loved how she spoke to the young kids. It was a jump into the past and makes you think. It was moving being in the space where MLK jr lived and where his movement began.

This is by far one of the best experiences I have had with a docent guided tour, and I am 72 years old and have traveled all over the world. We, too, lived through this period as teenagers, but our docent brought it to life.
Our guide was Margarite, who is 87 years old, knew both the Kings as a fellow church member, and is a retired public school teacher. She was able to recreate life for us there in this area of Montgomery from 1930 to the present.
In the house she was able to show us where the bus boycott was planned and where the Southern Christian Leadership Conference was formed. When the busses resumed running after the boycott, she pointed out where MLK got on the bus to join other jubilant Montgomery citizens.
I hope you get the privilege of having this woman be your guide. She is a piece of living history.

I went yesterday (Mar/29/17) and Dr. Shirley Cherry gave me a tour inside Dr. King's. She not only knew Dr. King, but is also a funny, inteligent and nice lady. All the stories and teaching she shares are worth the trip to Montgomery. She does not only talks about history, but as life, character, love and respect for others as well.

It is amazing to be inside Dr. King's house and to listen to all these stories from a person who knew him. Visit it!

Dr. Shirley brought this experience to life! I highly recommend this tour. It's an amazing experience to be in the home of Dr. King and to hear the many stories his family faced puts it all into perspective. To stand in the kitchen where Dr. King had his "epiphany" was an experience I cannot put into words. Everyone was friendly and this was a very personal experience/tour that I will never forget.

My (26 yo) son and I were lucky enough to experience a tour with Dr. Cherry at the Dexter Parsonage Museum. We were traveling across the country, and Montgomery was initially looked at as a "convenient" layover. The reviews on Tripadvisor were the main reasons we came to this site as our one activity in Montgomery, so thank you to those who took the time to review this site. And to those reading this, all I can say is that everything said in previous positive reviews is absolutely true. As a physician, I've experienced many teachers and mentors, and Dr. Cherry ranks up there with the very best. Passionate, thoroughly knowledgeable, and extremely interested in sharing her wisdom/experiences/knowledge with all those who are interested, you won't be disappointed in this tour. A couple tips: call ahead for the tour schedule and to ask if Dr. Cherry will be available, she doesn't conduct all the tours. I am unfamiliar with others who conduct the tours, they may be just as inspirational. This is a very friendly environment, and you start at the Interpretive Center (the tour starts there, which is the house next door to the Museum - park behind the Interpretive Center and enter through the back door) with a short but well-worth-seeing video before going to the Museum. The stories, information, details and atmosphere, along with the tour guide's passion, paint a historical picture you won't forget. Thank You, Dr. Cherry!

We had not planned to go here while in Montgomery for just a day but this turned out to be one of the highlights of our stay. The film at the beginning was very informative. Our two tour guides were very passionate about the living history they were showing us and telling us about. It touched everyone in our group.

This was our last stop on our Civil Rights tour. My thought going in was, "What can we learn about Dr. King we haven't already heard?" A lot! There was so much interesting information about Dr. King the person and the pastor. The film at the beginning, the unpublished pictures, the tour of the parsonage...it was magnificent and the perfect ending to our trip. Finishing the tour was an opportunity to hear one of Dr. King's sermons even as we stood in his kitchen where he wrote so many of them. Well worth the time and visit!

Our tour guide, Dr. Shirley Cherry, is one of the most awesome people I have ever met. She is very passionate about her work and she's quite a character. The house is furnished with some original pieces and is very quaint. Learned a lot on this tour. Definitely have a different perspective on life.

My husband has studied Dr King for many years and had wanted to see his home. Our trip South posed this opportunity and though we arrived it was a time you could not tour it was not disappointing.

Walk through the house where MLK lived while preaching at the Dexter Ave Church during the Montgomery bus boycott. See and touch the scar on the porch from the bomb was thrown at the house. Some of the furniture was actually used by the King family. Guided tour starts with a video.

My mother, sister & I were visiting Montgomery for the first time and knew we had to visit the home of Dr. Martin Luther King & Coretta Scott King. But it was even more moving than we expected. The tour director Dr. Shirley Cherry took us under her wing and gave us a such a personal and moving tour that my sister & I were moved to (good) tears when she asked our mother to turn the key to let us all into Dr. King's home. We learned so much history and life lessons (character is what matter most in a mate!). We highly recommend visiting the Parsonage when you are next in town!

For our 8th Grade trip, we took our kids on a Civil Rights Tour of the South. One of our last stops was the Parsonage and we were blessed to have Dr. Shirley Cherry as our guide. She was insightful, hilarious, knowledgeable, great with the our students and extremely passionate about this experience. She made the tour meaningful and powerful with personal anecdotes. She even gave me the keys to open the door which will forever be a special moment. This is a must see attraction with a rich history in Montgomery... Get out and go see it!

My husband and I got a personal tour from Doris Sanders and what a great tour it was. Doris is so knowledgeable about the history of Dr. Martin Luther King because she lived it right in Montgomery at the same time it was happening. The home itself is decorated in pieces that accurately reflect the time period. There are several pieces that were the King family's on display. Amazing to think of what happened in this home all those years ago. Doris added her personal experiences and connections to the people that were involved at the time. I enjoyed sitting in the kitchen where Dr. King sat and decided what his role would be in the Civil Rights Movement. The actual dishes he used were on the table right in front of me. Wow! Both my husband and I came away with a much greater understanding of the movement and of Dr. King. Thank you Doris!

While traveling we took the opportunity to visit Montgomery. Visiting Dr. King's home was especially moving while reflecting on what took place during those times.

We loved visiting the parsonage and street on which Dr. King and his family and friends lived. The house is furnished with many of the pieces that the King family used. We stood in a front section of the house where Mrs. King and a friend narrowly missed death by a dynamite explosion. It was sobering. A visit to the King-Johns Garden for Reflection is a nice respite after the tour.

My family and I stopped to take a picture in front of Martin Luther King's former home. When we stopped by the gate was closed where you can park in the back. My husband just pulled on the side of the road, and we got out. The road isn't busy, so we had no issues.

We decided to take our 11 yr old on a civil rights trip during his spring break (not exactly what he was expecting but this is something I believe will stay with him).

Honestly, the parsonage was a bit of an afterthought. We spent time walking from courthouse square and the rosa parks Museum down to the capitol, dexter church, and so forth. I thought the house would just be a little quick tour of basically a house renovated to look how it did decades ago and doubted the extra half mile wasn't worth it.

I was wrong. After entering the lobby around back of the house next door to the parsonage, we were instantly greeted warmly my Ms. Shirley. She ushered us into a room for a video followed by words from her before moving next door for the house.

Nothing else could make this all too recent piece of our collective history as personal and tangible as her and this wonderful small corner of our country. Personal stories and memories, folks stopping in who were small children at the time and whose parents still down the block and welcome visitors to tell them of standing in the street when the Parsonage was bomber ready to fly into a rage until Dr. King settled then wth a few words, settled them moments after some sick angry disgusting person tried to kill his wife and infant daughter with a bomb.

The tour would probably take an hour but there was so much to be shared, anecdotes about pieces of original furniture became parts of a tapestry of this inspiring moment in history.

I hope my son realizes how close we still are to this - that we must ever be on guard and recognize and appreciate the gift this movement brought into our shared human history, the beginning of change that we are still only partly through, with lessons to see such change through and prevent slipping back into hate and cruelty.

Dr. Shirley Cherry gave our school group a tour that we will never forget. Many said it was the highlight of our week. Her stories and the life advice that was mixed in was meaningful and powerful. She made Dr. King real for our students. We saw his struggle. We learned of the power of making wise choices and forgiving others. Dr. Cherry is a powerhouse and truly an inspiration. Now, "put a little hip in your hop," and "be aggressive in your education," and come and visit! It is well worth your time.

We toured the parsonage after a visit to the Dexter Church and I would highly recommend the combination.
The tour starts with a very informative movie about the parsonage and the neighborhood and then there is a guided tour with Dr. Shirley Cherry who rates among the very best docents that I have ever seen. She makes the tour informative and very personal and is filled with delightful stories!
The participants of the tour are chosen to do parts of the experience and it makes it so memorable.

This is the first time I'm putting up a review on Trip advisor. Let me add my voice to all the others here: This was a great experience. I took my 14 year old son with me, we came from Boston, and we joined a larger group of local visitors. As noted in the other reviews, Dr. Shirley Cherry gave a fascinating, personal, and instructive tour of Dr. King's home. This is where he lived when the Montgomery bus boycott happened. This is the house that was bombed when he first took its leadership, where as a 25 year old young man in his first job, he had to commit himself to his lifelong mission. Dr. Cherry brings it all alive, from having you sit at the dinner table where the SCLC was founded, to walking through the bedrooms and his office, to standing at the kitchen table where Dr. King had a personal spiritual experience that led him to stay and lead the fight against racism. Dr. Cherry brings everyone into the discussion, and teaches as only a schoolteacher can. She tapped me on the head and said that if you hate someone, they get to live rent-free right up there. I knew the idea, but that tap is going to stay with me forever. My son had heard a lot about the civil rights movement, and knows more than most teenagers, but his personal experience there, with Dr. Cherry and the rest of the tour, will stay with him for even longer. Come here. Bring your children here. Come see the place, and come hear Dr. Cherry. She's a gift, bringing this hallowed place alive. And once you've experienced it as alive, it will stay with you.

This was an interesting visit. You start in the "gift shop," which is really just a few random items for sale on the shelf-space next to the register where you purchase your tickets. You then move into what looks like a funeral parlor where you can peruse photos and news articles related to the Parsonage. Next you'll view an introductory video that seems made by an amateur, but it contains some good information. Afterwards, you'll tour the Parsonage, which is decorated similar to how it was when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his family stayed there. At the end of the tour, you listen to a cd recordings of a Dr. MLK Jr speech. Everything felt pretty amateur'ish in the arrangement/production/quality. However, there were some great perks. Our tour guide was somebody who had personal history with the place as a descendant. He grew up spending time with some of the people discussed in the tour and provided intimate insight and memories about them. Also, one of the neighbors is one of the key people illustrated in the history of the Parsonage. She still hangs out on her porch and you can chat with her if you like. It also accomplished its ultimate goal - made it thought-provoking about the Civil Rights Movement, leadership, and the history of the South. Because of this and the intimate details, I would recommend this to visitors interested in Civil Rights history.

My wife and I had the pleasure of visiting the home where Dr. King once lived. We were expecting to have the typical tour with some interesting facts and that's about all. We were blessed to have not only a tour but also were taught several life lessons by the tour leader Shirley Cherry. She literally made the tour so great! My wife and I were delighted by her enthusiasm for life and love. As Mrs. Shirley puts it, "love and character." We would highly recommend this tour to anyone who wants to know about history, Dr. King or God. Dr. King would be proud!

Lots of background on the beginnings of the Civil Rights Movements. Get to see MLK Jrs. Home, his table, his front porch. Brings it all home. He was a real man caught up in where God wanted him to be. Gotta also go to the church for the whole story. $7.50 for adults. Hour long tour includes a 15 min. movie.

This was a treat for our family. I am so happy we took the time to visit the parsonage home of the King family, not just the museum (which was also great). Our tour guide was an amazing, gifted woman whose stories brought you right up close to the real life experiences of the Kings in a way that made people laugh, cry, and get chills up the spine... Best guided tour I have ever been on - Ever!

Dr. Jerry was phenomenal. I so enjoyed her too or she brought it to life. She made you feel as though you were there during the time of Martin Luther King jr. Living. Her pictures were also very helpful it helps you to know that these people are real and they are still alive. It was so interesting to see where they bombed his house. Also it was fascinating to just see the furniture that he said on and his wife and his children that they had on in the library or study that he worked in to know that once upon a time he lived there in that house. But what really made it interesting was dr. Cherry I can't imagine going to tour this parsonage again, without dr. Cherry guiding the tour. We are just so grateful for her she was just so lovely. This is definitely an attraction that you want to encounter first hand.

This is a must see stop in Montgomery. Extremely moving, educational and helps to better understand Martin Luther Kings call to lead the Civil Rights movement beginning in 1955 with bus segregation. The Dexter Church is still in use today and is beautifully kept up. The children now have a picture in their own minds of this important time in our countries history.

My parents brought me here when I was little. Next door to this beautiful home is where my aunt lived and I visited once a year and of course visited the Museum, which is very well kept. Please stop in if you are in town it's worth it.

The space is engaging. However, our tour guide repeated irrelevant points (e.g. that he has a flip phone and not a smart phone) over and over. He didn't remember from one room to the next what he'd said. He repeatedly referenced what "ladies" we're interested in e.g. doilies instead of King to the point it was insulting and offensive. He gave blatantly incorrect information. E.g. he said King sent his wife fake flowers the night before he died and claimed they lived in the house at the time. He also claimed he had an ephiphany at the table about his death right before he was killed. They were living in Atlanta when King was killed. When asked about the discrepancies, he grew flustered. We suspect early onset dementia. Seriously.

Glencile was an excellent tour guide. She was good-natured and very knowledgeable about Dr. King and the Civil Rights movement. She was able to answer all our questions and balance them with the other information she was giving us. The house has much of the furniture that Dr. King used. I could feel his presence throughout the house. We saw the phone in the hall where the threatening calls came in and the dining room where the SCLC was formed. We were able to hear Dr. King's speech about his epiphany in the same room he experienced it! Glencile brought it all to life for us. When we held hands and sang at the end of the tour we felt agape love not just with Glencile but with the rest of the people on the tour. It was an experience I will never forget

Glencile, my tourguide, was a very lovely and good story teller.
At first you get to see a movie, then pictures and newspaper articles are shown. Afterwards you'll get a tour through the actual house MLK and his family lived at before he became the Civil Rights Movement leader.
The house itself looks well maintained and clean.

I found the tour(approx. 1hour) worth the money(USD 12,- in March 2018) and enjoyable. No pictures aloud anywhere but outside the house.

There's a small parkinglot at the back of the house, the reception/small souvenirshop is there as well, with very friendly employees.

What a unique place! This is not only a museum, the spirit of MLK is kept alive here. Shirley who led us through the parsonage was warm, honest, critical and sharp - and having lived through then and now, she had a lot to share. This is not an ordinary tour. It touches you. You won't know the US, until you have been here .. and then go by the church. I don't say this lightly. I have spent six years in the US, and there is no other museum like this. Take the detour, take the flight and meet the people who made history in the 50s and 60s. Thanks, Shirley, thanks to all of you! (Visited in March 2016)

My wife and I were traveling through Alabama and we spent the night in Montgomery. After reading the glowing reviews about the Dexter Parsonage the next morning we decided not to pass up the opportunity to visit. It was one of the best decisions that we ever made.
Our guide, Victory Smith, led us on a journey filled with knowledge passion and inspiration. Walking through the rooms and listening to Victory tell the story was always enlightening, often heart warming and as you might expect, heart wrenching at times.
The challenges and obstacles that the civil rights movement faced in those early days in Montgomery and for years after, would appear to most any observer to be absolutely insurmountable. Yet somehow, with God’s guiding hand and the extraordinary efforts of a young pastor named Dr. Martin Luther King and his wife Coretta, along with the devotion of a faithful and determined group of supporters, the civil rights movement was born. It is not only a miraculous story but also a story of undaunted courage and sacrifice. Thank you Victory for sharing the story in such a compassionate way and bringing it so vividly to life.

We visited the parsonage as part of several days touring civil rights sites in Montgomery Selma and Birmingham and it was the stand out high point. This was largely due to the wonderful guide, Dr Shirley Cherry who devoted 2 hours to showing us round, telling us the istory of the civil rights movement in Montgomery and Dr Martin Luther King in particular. The parsonage still has much of the original furniture from the time when his family lived there including his desk in the study. Truly inspirational.

This was a very great site to see. I was not able to go inside as they are currently closed down for covid but either way it is great to see history staying intact. I really enjoy how this is also in the middle of a neighborhood as well, not some fake museum on acres of land. Dr. King did so much for the world as we know it, it was an honor to stop by here and to sit on the same steps of a house he previously occupied.

Nothing less than a defining experience of my life. To spend time in the house, amid the energy of one of the greatest families of our time and was indescribably moving.

But it was the time spent with Dr Cherry and Chaplain Summers that really took this visit way beyond a normal tour/museum. I was lucky enough to spend hours in their company and I will not forget that time.

If you are in Montgomery you cannot miss it. And if you are not in Montgomery, find a way to go.

❤️

Shirley gave us a great civil rights history review. This is a part of history. Worth the time. Come and see. It will help your appreciation of the sacrifices.

Just amazing to see the parsonage with so many furnishings from the time of the King family. Our guide brought the time of the Civil Rights movement vividly to life.

An iconic place to visit, MLK's house is identified by the double sided information plaque outside the house, and the adjacent church. While you're there you can explore the peaceful neighbourhood and take yourself back in time. We walked here from the Rosa Parks museum, about 30 minutes in the blistering heat, but it was worth it.

10/08/2016
The Dexter Parsonage Museum & Interpretive Center was one of the most rewarding tours that we could have experienced. To be able to transcend back into the life and legacy of the late, great, and symbolic leader of the Civil Right Movement – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s and his family was breathtaking. The tour couldn’t have been illustrated better by anyone other than Dr. Shirley Cherry. Dr. Cherry exemplifies her passion and compassion for love and equality for all which was evident during the tour, which I might add she stayed after hours to do… (AGAPE LOVE) We personally want to thank Dr. Cherry for the experience and the enthusiasm she generates, which is very contagious. This tour is a Must Do when you visit Montgomery, but make sure you tour with Dr. Cherry I promise you, you want leave the same way you came in…Emotionally!

Thank you, Sharon & Tony Fuller

“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away” – Author Unknown

I love the this Tour!! I would definitely recommend this tour if you are in Montgomery for the day, especially if you are students. Thank You again Dr. Cherry for this experience!!!!

I just want to say thank you to Dr. Cherry for an amazing and immersive tour. I was on a work trip and my idea was just to catch a quick glimpse of MLK’s home. However, I was lucky enough to arrive right when Dr. Cherry was starting a guided tour. I am so happy that I was right on time! It was so much more than what I could ever expect. Walking through his home is already incredible enough, but to hear Dr. Cherry speak, to share her perspective as wel as Dr. King’s, with so much knowledge and passion, is just beyond words. If you’re anywhere near Montgomery this is a complete MUST. thank you so much dr. Cherry.

My husband and our three kids (14, 11, 8) planned a day in Montgomery on our way back from Spring Break in FL. After reading the Trip Advisor reviews- there was no doubt that the Dexter Parsonage Museum would be on our list of places to see.

We were fortunate to have Dr Shirley Cherry as our tour guide. First of all- she is just a lovely woman. Secondly- she brings a passion and emotion to her explanations of Dr King's life and experiences that made our tour something really special.

A big thanks to the entire staff at Dexter Parsonage Museum for making our trip to Montgomery an enjoyable learning experience.

Dr King is definitely looking down with smiles on the work you do to continue his message of love.

I highly recommend a visit here at some point in your life. Do it- you will not be disappointed.

What a pleasure it was to tour of the parsonage where Dr King and his family lived while he was pastor at Dexter Avenue King Memorial Church. It was great to see never seen before photos of the family. The film was very informative. Dr Shirley Cherry was so kind as to let us open the door to this beautiful home. She took us back in time with her teaching spirit and inspiring stories. I have been on many tours but never one as intensely personal and touching as this short tour. It felt as if she was able to take you back as if you were right there when the threatening phone calls were made, when the bomb exploded and when Dr King prayed in the kitchen. This tour is a MUST SEE. She was able to grab the attention of little ones as well as the adults. The lessons passed on to my grandchildren will never be forgotten and the encouragement she delivered will continue to be in my heart and mind. You will not walk away the same.

It was great to see this famous home, and don't miss the bomb damage on the porch (well-marked)! But the home itself is still closed to visitors as of May 2021.

My friend gave me this last-second recommendation while I was in the South. Boy, am I thankful she did! The Parsonage Museum is enough reason alone to visit Montgomery.

It was just me and Dr. Cherry on an 11 am weekday tour. She made sure to really pour into me and give me such an inspiring look into Dr. King and Coretta's life. You walk into the house and feel so much enlightenment hit you. And Dr. Cherry herself is a living hero herself! Not only does she provide such an in-depth look into their lives, but her life and accomplishments speak volumes. One of the most inspiring times I've ever had, please make sure to make this trip!

our family had a fascinating visit. the tour guide Shirley Perry was extraordinary - full of factual details, a passion for history, a sincere commitment to Civil Rights and to the memory of MLK Jr. One gets such an intense feeling of the man and his personal history by sitting in his home and imagining him and Coretta and their newborn baby. Totally worth doing!!

This exhibit was a highlight of our self designed civil rights tour of important sites in Alabama. Dr. Shirley Cherry served as tour guide giving an outstanding explanation of the events surrounding the house and neighborhood in the turbulent struggles for equal rights. She also brought a personal touch to understanding Dr. King as he provided leadership during dangerous times.

The tour we had of this home where Martin Luther King lived for 6 years was excellent. The guide offered history and interesting facts. You can see the evidence of where the front of his house was dynamited and hear how he became inspired to start the quest to find peace and justice for all people.

This museum tour was really special. It is a small house and you move from room to room with a small group and a guide. Our guide was an older gentleman from Montgomery who spent years in the military, then became a psychologist, then spent years studying American history. He was excellent. Favorite part by far was when we stood in MLK's kitchen and listened to the recording of his speech in Chicago where he recounted going into this very kitchen and sitting with a cup of coffee doubting if he could go on given the terrifying phone calls he was receiving with threats on his and his family's life. It was a very intense. And very special.

Dr. Cherry makes history come alive as she explains the implications of important Civil Rights events that took place while Dr. Martian Luther King lived here as a pastor. Character, love and reconciliation (not victory) are some of the themes she explores. I hope lots of children get to hear her presentation before she retires in a couple years.

It was great! Dr. Shirley Cherry was an excellent tour guide. She had stories and first hand experiences that really shed light onto the situation that had happened and the time period. I loved her! I even got a picture with her because of how much she truly influenced me within such a short time.

To be honest, we didn't go through the museum, but that was only because we spent more than an hour chatting with the staff. The conversation was related to the museum, and it was so interesting that we ran out of time to see the museum before leaving for the airport.

Very nice visit and an interesting stop. Well informed tour guide. Very pleasant people at visitors center

This is a must see for anyone with an interest in the terrible history of racial segregation.
The tour guide was excellent in explaining events and answering our questions

WE watched a video before the tour. What a privilege then to take the tour to walk through the former home of Martin Luther King Jnr; to see where he entertained guests and held meetings over the kitchen table. We stood in the living room where the home was bombed while his wife and baby were at home, and he was away attending a meeting.

We've been visiting civil rights sites in the South, and this is the most personal experiences we had, to be in the very kitchen where Martin Luther King wrote some of his memorable speeches and to see his family home during that moment in history. The staff and volunteers are very friendly, and some knew King personally.

Tour guide by Dr. Shirley Cherry made this a deeply personal and life-changing experience. Not only does she share Dr. King's story with passion, but she challenges visitors to look inside themselves and consider their deepest beliefs.

My husband and I planned a weekend trip to visit Civil Rights sites in Montgomery. Since it was a Saturday and the Parsonage Museum closed at 2, we decided to begin here. Glenice was an exceptional guide -- very informative and passionate about her subject.

As soon as my friend and I stepped into the interpretive Centre we were greeted by two fantastic ladies and immediately made to feel very welcome, they even went out of their way to show us around the parsonage before it was time for the official tour. Victory was the lady that showed us around Dr Kings home and although she has only been helping out for a few weeks she was full of information and showed a huge amount of passion for the history of the house and neighborhood, she is also just the most lovely person! I was so moved by being in the exact spot where so many important decisions were made and so many momentous events took place. Victory did a great job conveying the significance of what happened there.

The back bone of this historic site is definitely Miss Cherry! Miss Cherry is a wealth of knowledge and is the most charismatic, engaging, funny and kind lady I have met in a long time. Miss Cherry is a retired school teacher and all I can say is that her students must have loved her! Not only did Miss Cherry teach us about Dr King's life and his family but she actually managed to give us some life lessons too!

1. Your education is your own responsibility, teachers are merely a tool

2. Character is the most important attribute of a partner

3. If you don't have a sense of humor then you have no sense

Visiting the Dexter Parsonage museum was one of the best things we did in Montgomery and is a must do! We walked in as strangers and left feeling like we knew these women and were inspired by their dedication and spirit. Make sure you don't miss it!

My family and I visited Dr. King's home in Montgomery during our annual road trip. They hold a simple tour of the home that touches on the history and courage King showed during the civil rights days. The home is furnished with some of the King family's original furniture including his wife and his bedroom set. It is awe inspiring to see that great deeds can arise from such simple origins. A powerful message to all of us about what difference we all can make in this world!

This humble house gives you a real view into the daily life of Dr King and his family in their time in Montgomery. (The scars on the front porch from the KKK bombing as still visible.) The house is not ornate or spectacular, but the history within is meaningful and it helps remind the visitor that King was a person as well as a national leader. He was a loving husband and father.

Be sure to sit in the kitchen and listen to the recording of the speech where he talks about sitting at that table in the middle of the night. I won't spoil the content of the speech, but it sent chills down my spine listening while sitting at the table.

Definitely go and see. We aren’t real civil rights history enthusiasts. But take the time, pause a moment to reflect on how far we have or have not come.

I recommend this tour for everyone. Dr. Cherry gave her first hand experience about the Parsonage and life during the time Dr. Martin Luther King served in Montgomery. The tour was truly amazing. It was almost as if I were back in time and was actually there with Dr. King when I stepped inside of the Parsonage. It was a truly humbling experience to visit the Parsonage and to learn about the life of Dr. King.

I haven't talked too much about civil rights with my girls but this place was a perfect opportunity! The guide was very informative. Visiting places where people lived actually brings their life into focus and you think wow! Martin Luther King jr was a person just like me that did extraordinary things! It makes their life seem more real than just reading about him in a book or on the internet. I would recommend this place!

Atlanta has the MLK Center, but the best and most important parts of MLKs early civil rights history happened in Montgomery. Now with the new lynching museum, Montgomery us a must stop for a true US civil rights history tour.

Must see. Amazing to walk in Dr. King’s home and consider all he had to contemplate in his time. Bomb scar still exists on the front porch. Makes him feel like a family man, like many of us all.

Bethany Missionary Baptist Church Youth and Young Adults raised enough funds to do an Educational Freedom Tour. This was our first stop of the beginning of the museum tours. We started with the next door house where the gift shop and a movie room, where the tour starts. Then we started the tour with the most exciting, inspirational, life changing tour person named Mrs. Shirley Cherry. She takes you into the house that MLK lived with his family. The most favorite part of the tour was listening to Dr. Shirley Cherry explain with such excitement, realization the stories of MLK as she takes you through the parsonage. My lasting memory will be from the Kitchen where MLK got his epiphany and the red flowers the story behind them. This tour will change your life. And I learned, life will bring things that will break your heart, but never let it break your spirit! Thanks to everyone who made this museum possible and especially to Mrs. Shirley Cherry who helped us understand the importance of everything that happened. You must see this museum if you are in Montgomery!
Betty M

We travelled all the way to the house and it was closed despite multiple signs saying it was open. We looked online multiple times and still no information.

Very great and the amazing tour really touched on many details of the path of Dr. Martin Luther King and the things that transpired. And walk in history book Dr Cherry was very informative with great illustration and details of things .

We sat at the kitchen table where MLK had his moment where he decided to continue to face his fears and continue forward in the call that God placed upon him. If you haven't had a chance to visit the Dexter Ave parsonage, you should! Dr Shirley Cherry gave us an amazing tour!!!

"At that moment, I experienced the presence of the Divine as I had never experienced God before. It seemed as though I could hear the quiet assurance of an inner voice saying: "Stand up for justice, stand up for truth; and God will be at your side forever." Almost at once my fears began to go. My uncertainty disappeared. I was ready to face anything." - MLK Strive Toward Freedom

The Dexter Parsonage Museum is a must see in Montgomery. The guide was really wonderful and provided lots of insights into the King family life when they in Montgomery. Highly recommend!

After watching a video in the interpretive center we moved next door to the parsonage. The docent made Dr. King a real person! The house is decorated as 1960's. My grandchildren (ages 6-14) were all engaged and learned much. A must do for a Civil Rights tour.

It is like walking back in time. The house is set up just like it was when MLK lived there with his family. Plus the guide we had knew the family and attended church with them ...

Don’t pass up the opportunity to take this tour as the woman who conducts it does a wonderful job of sharing several insights about the Civil Rights Movement and Dr. King (never knew he was a smoker) that you probably won’t hear elsewhere. A great use of 45 minutes of your time.

I wish I remembered the curator's/guide's name. Left to explore this historic site on our own, I'm certain we would have left the museum not very impressed (given it's size) and not nearly as informed.
Instead, we were transported back in time to soak in the anxiety, hopefulness, determination, sacrifice of King, the period, and the movement as it came into full bloom. The tour was very engaging, heartfelt, warm, and poignant. I left humbled and inspired to learn more and to do more.
It should be on every school's field trip list along with the other Montgomery museum's. I think this one pairs well with the Rosa Parks museum and the Civil Rights Museum.

Go and take family or a friend.

This was a wonderful tour! Our guide was knowledgeable and thorough and we appreciated his time so much! There is a slight fee of $7.50 that we didn't know about in advance, but it was definitely worth every penny!

From the second you step into the house, you're transported back to the time Dr. King and Coretta lived there. Everything had been redone to look the same as the home looked during their time there. You could put yourself into the story the guide was telling and feeling the emotions that they felt. The fear Coretta had when her home was bombed while her husband was away and her baby slept rooms away, the internal struggle Dr. King had on if he was doing what he felt God was calling him to do. It was just amazing to be in such an instrumental place where so many things started for the civil rights movement. Well worth the time and small fee!

Ms. Shirley Cherry is one of the most inspiring people I have ever met, and her personal touch and unwavering optimism made the tour of the Parsonage even more special. I highly recommend that you visit this historic location. It is a terrific piece of history, a fascinating tour, and a very inspiring place to go when you need some encouragement about what one person can do. Please visit, and please say hello to Ms. Cherry! It is truly unforgettable.

Be prepared for a deeply moving experience. Explained masterfully by Dr. Shirley Cherry, the events of the Civil Rights movement come alive, and most importantly, the people and their bravery and love and devotion become so much more real. A beautiful way to spend an hour or so.

I've visited several civil rights sites and I'm always moved by the leftover emotion of these places. This parsonage was no exception. The home is very to close to the way it was when MLK resided here and it's like a perfect step back in time. The home is wonderfully preserved and our guide was remarkable. He had so many stories to share and shined a little light on what all was going on back then in a dramatic way. He added an authentic flare to his words that made you want to close your eyes and be there. I was particularly moved standing at the desk and more so placing my hand on the kitchen table. If you don't feel something here u won't feel it anywhere. Think back to the late not threatening phone calls and worrisome sitting at the table. Moved me to tears. Find time to visit. The staff here is amazing and kind.

My daughter and I enjoyed a wonderful tour led by Dr Cherry and Ms Margarite. A great video kicked off our step back in history, then the viewing of personal family pictures and finally a tour of the parsonage where the King family lived. The stories and personal accounts shared made this a monumental experience. I highly recommend!

I learned a lot about the importance of the black churches during the Civil Rights Movement. This particular church parsonage was the home of Dr MLK when he lived in Montgomery as Pastor of Dexter Ave Baptist Church. I really enjoyed the tour we received under the charismatic guidance of Dr. Cherry. I would invite all to take advantage of this tour.

We came here after the church visit and whilst not the same initial welcome we did feel privileged to share this story. The house is largely unchanged from the time of Martin Luther King’s time and had interesting stories to tell from the bomb marks on the porch to the playing of some taped conversations. Well worth the visit and the guided tour.

Dr. King was said to have decided he had to become a leader in the civil rights movement while living here. The most interesting part of our tour was that it was led by a woman who was part of the movement during King's time. She was both knowledgeable and personable. The parsonage is well worth a visit.

Being able to walk through the home where the then young Dr and Mrs King lived and where they were attacked by a bomb is an exceptionally moving experience. Its made even more vivid by the inimitable Dr Cherry who served as our guide - her intimate knowledge of the civil rights era history and its leaders leaves you feeling as though you can see the events as they happened. Would not miss this visit for anything.

This was a fascinating insight into MLK as a person, with his furniture and effects all around. We have looked round very many homes, stately and more ordinary. This is in the top few as it is so personal. Dr Shirley Cherry showed us round and brought the whole place to life for us.

I highly recommend you take the time to see this historic site. The staff are very knowledgeable and passionate. If you get one stop then you won’t be disappointed in making this the one place. The history in the civil rights movement is worth every second!

The two ladies who greeted us and gave us the tour of the Parsonage made history come alive. I think the lady who spoke and gave us the tour was named Shirley. I loved seeing the 60's era furniture, tableware, kitchen table, clock. It brought back so many personal memories for me. And it was wonderful to hear about MLK and those turbulent years from someone who lived it and knows it to the core of her being. This is a don't miss if you are in Montgomery stopover. Of all the Civil War and Civil Rights history places I've visited, this is definitely one of the best, thanks to Shirley and friend.

We stopped in Montgomery on our way home from the beach. So glad we stopped. We really enjoyed this tour! I wish I could remember the name of the lady who gave our tour, but she was amazing. She actually knew the King family, and had been to their house for tea socials, and church events. We could have listened to her stories all day. It was amazing to be able to ask her all of our questions, and she was able to answer them so well, because she was there, in Montgomery, during the time that the King family lived there, and also during the bus boycott. My seven-year-old son was just as interested as I was. We all know children can get bored, and this tour kept his interest, and he is still talking about it.

My husband and I had taken this tour with Dr. Shirley Cherry previously and we were so impressed that I recommended that my family from Ohio come to take it too.
We were not disappointed as Dr. Cherry brings great immediacy and emotional power to the experience. You truly feel the presence of Dr. King, when you sit at his kitchen table and realize his courage and power. I feel changed by the experience and by Dr. Cherry's passion for this unpretentious place where the world was changed forever.

Cannot recommend this tour highly enough.

The lady who took us on the tour was very informative. She knew the King family and had often visited the house for tea. She was a local person who had lived in Montgomery for years and had lived through the bus boycott. She was fascinating to listen to.

After watching the film and looking at photos on the wall we visited the house which was a memorable experience. The street still has the original houses and just a few doors down lives the wife of the pharmacist who organised transport during the bus boycott.

There is car parking at the back of the house.

Friendly because everyone there is so nice! Sad because of what MLK was forced to endure, and because everything on display is from 50+ years and a bit tired. Tour includes a 20 minute film and 20 minute or so tour of the parsonage home. Well done and worthwhile.

Dr. Cherry's tour of the parsonage was transformational. Her passion brings the events from Dr. King's life alive-you can practically feel his spirit in the room. I will never be able to thank her enough for her service to his legacy.

A must visit if you're in Alabama.

This is really an interesting experience. I have an even greater respect for MLK Jr. but especially his wife Coretta. Our excellent tour guide, 88 year old Mrs. Foley, helped us step back in time to witness a great leader’s formative moments. We didn’t know what to expect but this tour was really special. Other bonus, there is plenty of parking.

Visiting the Parsonage is a reminder of the types of problems our country is still struggling with. It is also a good introduction to the history of racial prejudice in this country. Our docent was very knowledgeable and had experienced much of the history personally.

History! How can words begin to explain what it is like to hear history first hand from people who lived it, remember it clearly, and are alive to tell us about it? We met people who truly knew what life was like when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was alive. We met a woman who personally heard him preach. We learned about the still living neighbor who, in warm weather, welcomes you to her front porch only a few houses away from the parsonage. Dr. Shirley guided us through the parsonage sharing her historical knowledge and personal life stories in each and every room. From the moment you step onto the porch and read the plaque noting where the bomb landed to the moment you exit the kitchen through the back door of the house you will be filled with awe. Is this really the dining room table where great minds met to discuss to truths of the day? Is this really the kitchen table chair where Dr. King prayed and found comfort and courage to continue his message? Dr. Shirley's desire for us to learn and retain what we learned was evident. She will ask you to remember three things. Be prepared for a pop quiz question while standing in the Dr. King's study. She shared her passion with the two of us as well as four sisters who were celebrating a sisters' weekend trip. The six of us left Dr. Shirley's guided tour with a wealth of knowledge to share with all who will listen, the determination to share it, and a full understanding of the word "character."

It was a great experience to visit the place where MLK and his family lived and to listen to an excerpt from one of his sermons in his kitchen. He was preaching about the strength he found there after the attack on his home. However, this is very much a local set up and the introductory film was repetitive and of quite poor quality. Our volunteer tour guide was very nice but perhaps not the most fluent of guides. Nevertheless, this didn't extract from the overall experience itself and I'm glad we visited.

It has been two months since I visited the Parsonage Museum but I will not soon forget the afternoon I spent there learning from Shirley Cherry. The history of the building was as fascinating and stirring as you might expect but the experience as a whole was more than I could have expected. After learning much, I left feeling that Dr. Cherry was personally invested in my own growth and understanding. My admiration for her has only grown since and I encourage others to learn from the love and leadership she and this museum represent.

While the location speaks for itself as one of the most significant landmarks of the Civil Rights Movement, I cannot say enough about the inspiring and compelling experience our tour guide Dr. Shirley Cherry provided. A woman who exudes love and compassion for all, Dr. Cherry spoke to our hearts, minds, and spirits with both her historical knowledge and her personal experience. What an honor it is as an educator for me to bring students to learn from Dr. Cherry; what a privilege it is for me personally to connect this tour to my passion for equality for all. I cannot wait to return with my own family to meet Dr. Cherry and tour the parsonage, and I will be back next year with another group of 4th grade students!

Happened to be in Montgomery in February, found it fitting to get in a little history. Drove over to the Parsonage but missed it during viewing hours. Still able to read history and take pictures. Will make time to go back at another time.

My husband and I enjoyed this tour very much. We were fortunate to get Ms Margaret Foley (probably misspelled her name, it's pronounced "Margareet."as a docent. Lovely lady, who knew the Kings personally and is a member of the Dexter Ave Baptist Church, Dr. King's first assignment. She's a retired teacher, with the type of voice that makes you want to listen to her speak all day long. We say a short film before walking next door the house. The house looks as it did when the Kings lived there and Ms. Foley brought it to life for us. There is a reflection garden on the premises as well. This is a must see if you're in Montgomery. We also went to the Dexter Ave Church, but time didn't allow us to go inside.

All three docents added something to the experience. Victory was our official guide and we also got to spend time with Dr. Cherry and Ms. Vera afterward. We saw more photographs and heard more stories about famous people who have visited the parsonage. (The NY Net's Jason Williams declared MLK the ultimate all star) and also heard recollections about MLK, Vernon Johns, and others who have contributed so much to our history.

I particularly enjoyed Ms. Vera sharing about teaching in a segregated and then integrated Montgomery, unsuccessful trips to register to vote with her husband and finally, after another activist minister arranged a meeting with Attorney General Ramsey Clark to talk about their attempts, success, and her membership in the "matron's club" started by Coretta Scott King where church members who were young mothers would get together to talk about babies, diapers, etc.

Most of the furniture is original and the books in the study are ones that King was known to have read. The four of us on tour sat at the family kitchen table listening to a recording of MLK retelling a spiritual awakening he had at midnight at that same table.

Super experience. We ended up continuing to the SPLC memorial/museum with someone we'd met on the tour. (Hi, Dennis)

This is a must see site in Montgomery. You will tour the house where the young King family lived while MLK was a minister. You can see a scar on the front porch from where a bomb went off. Inside, you can see the table where MLK had a conversation with God asking whether to continue the bus boycott.

This is the home provided to Dr. King while he was the pastor of the Dexter Avenue church. It is located a short drive from the downtown. No photos allowed inside. Your tour begins with a video and then a tour of the actual house. It was interesting to see the inside which had been kept as it was in the late 50s. You can see the damage caused by the bombing during the days of the bus boycott. There is a small gift shop inside. Run by volunteers, some of whom have family members with close ties to Dr. King.

Take a tour of the parsonage house where Martin Luther King, Jr., Coretta Scott King, and their two youngest children lived when MLK was pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church from 1954 to 1960. MLK and his family lived here while he organized the Montgomery Bus Boycott (as the first president of the Montgomery Improvement Association) and became an internationally famous and revered speaker and civil rights leaders. The family was living in the house on September 30, 1956, when the house was bombed by segregationists (you can still see the crater left by the bomb on the front porch).

Much of the furniture was in the house when MLK and his family lived there. And the tour guides are extremely knowledgeable about the history of the congregation and the King family. The house isn't much to tour - it's a little bit small, but you do get to go in every room (including the kitchen and MLK's study), but it's such interesting history to walk through. I highly recommend this tour if it's your first time visiting Montgomery (or if you've just never been)!

My partner and I were embarking on a multi state southern road trip starting in (for me Canada) and for him (Tennessee). In planning our route, I chose a detour to Montgomery. The parsonage was closed the Sunday we drove through but Dr. Cherry arranged to come and give us a personal tour. She is absolutely phenomenal. She spent almost three hours with us. My partner went along with me at first but by the end, he was as deeply moved as I was by the experience. We included in our road trip the Lorraine Motel in Memphis two weeks later. We thank Dr. Cherry so very much for her intelligent, charming and passionate hosting. I personally felt honoured. A visit that will not be forgotten.

A simple tour turned into an amazing experience. Our tour guide, a gentle speaking older lady had known Martin Luther and Coretta King and socialized with them in this house. She shared a recording of MartinLuther King telling a story of what happened to him, and ultimately our history, in that very kitchen...

My wife and I came to Montgomery to see and experience important places and events in our country's history. This is where Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat. It is where Jefferson Davis was sworn in as president of the Confederacy.

But most impressively and inspiring, Montgomery is where Martin Luther King experienced his epiphany, a moment that changed the world. At a humble kitchen table just after midnight, his anguished prayer was answered as God quelled his fears and called on his leadership of the Civil Rights Movement.

You can sit at that kitchen table and learn of the man and of his family. This is a place of great importance, the site of a watershed moment for all of us.

Our visit today changed our lives.

This tour gives you a glimpse of Dr. King’s early family life in Montgomery when he was in his mid-twenties. First you watch a video and see some photographs and newspaper clippings. Then you tour the house which has many of the original furnishings. It feels like going back in a time machine to the sixties when the King family lived there. The tour guides are very friendly and helpful. The entire visit takes about 1 to 1.5 hours.

Our tour guide Dr. Shirley Cherry was superb!! I learned so much. She was informative and entertaining. It was well worth the $7.50.

This was one of the best tours I have had. Dr. Cherry is an exceptional tour guide! Her passion and knowledge about Dr. King is evident in the stories she shares as she takes you through the parsonage. You go through this tour and really feel and understand the importance of everything that happened, from the table that civil rights leaders sat at to kitchen where Dr. King had his epiphany. Do not miss this if you are in Montgomery!

The best part of visiting is the personal tour you receive with someone who knows first hand about Dr King and the civil rights movement.

My wife and I had a day to spend in Montgomery. This is one of the sites we chose. It was worthwhile. The tour guide was very accommodating and enjoyable to interact with.
The furnishing were set in the mid-50's era, with many of the original items from Dr. King's time there.

This was a beautifully toned and interesting tour. Our tour guide rose from a student worker three years ago to the current director. She was sensitive, bright, and informed. It was incredible to be in the home of such an amazing family. We would recommend the store to anyone exploring civil rights in Montgomery

Dr. Shirley Cherry brings the experience of this visit to life, and not only teaches but entertains while making the poignant and pivotal point in the Civil Rights Movement come to life as you walk through the house.

After we toured the church, we made our way to the parsonage. Again, the tour guide was someone who was acquainted with MLK and lived in the area at that time. The insights provided were great, and the house remains much as it was when MLK lived there.

No matter your background, you need to visit this amazing piece of American history. So close to the Capitol building and the former Confederate Capitol building, it's very easy to find (plus the large sign in the yard pointing to it). Street parking all along this area. Visiting on a weekend is better as there is less traffic/cars. Close to other vital Civil Rights sites along the Civil Rights Heritage Trail. Younger kids may not understand and might get antsy.

Stopping here brought back so many memories. A walk through a dark period of our country. You cannot help but be moved by it. It made us realize that we will need to return and spend a few days exploring the history of this area including looking at Selma. A must see if in the area.

My wife and I went here for the tour on a Tuesday morning. We arrived slightly after 9:00 in the morning, but were able to slip into the 9:00 tour that was just starting. The docent presenting the tour was very knowledgeable of the parsonage and the history of its residents. The focus was on Vernon Johns and Martin Luther King. The house has been furnished with furniture from the 50's and is a walk back into history. Along with the Rosa Parks Museum and the Civil Rights Memorial, it is one of the MUST SEE places in Montgomery.

The museum is located on a residential street and there is a parking lot for the Museum behind the house to its left on the corner.

We decided to stop halfway to the beach to stay in Montgomery, and once I found out this tour was an option, I knew we needed to attend. It was very informative while also succinct. It's $7.50/person. There's a video and then a guided tour. It's amazing to hear the history and see the actual place these very important meetings took place. Our guide personally know the Kings, which made it that much more special. Definitely a place to bring teenagers. A real piece of important history!

The church should be visited with a tour, which takes about an hour, and was truly incredible and inspirational. The woman who ran the tour was very knowledgeable about the history of Montgomery and the Church itself, and was a wonderful guide. The most meaningful visit to a site we had during our 8 day road trip through the South.

Highly recommended. Dr Cherry gave a memorable tour of this museum with insight into the genius and humanity of MLK. You will learn many things that can't be read in books as you stand in this house where he lived for 5 years during an intense period of America's Civil Rights Movement. Come with an open mind and an open heart and both will be filled with amazement after the tour. There were 6yo girls in my tour group who fully understood the presentation so it is for the entire family.

Wonderful to see the home of Dr Martin Luther King Jr and his family, frozen in time just as it was on the day he left it. An incredible insight into the life of an incredible human being, showing him as no different to the rest if us. Made me feel closer to him somehow. Highly recommended. Can't remember the cost but there is an entrance fee.

It was truly an honor to meet such an amazing universal soul. Dr. Shirley Cherry you are phenomenal. I thank the divine Creator for your existence and for our paths crossing.

We visited on a Saturday morning - about 10 of us in total. Wanda was our guide and she was superb - her warmth an£ friendliness made us feel so welcome and made our visit such a feel good experience. We watched a video before seeing MLK’s office and then going upstairs to see where services were held. The tour took just over 45 mins and cost $7.50 each and was so worthwhile.

This tour is an intimate encounter with MLK's home, actual furnishings, and the very spot where he had his epiphany for the rest of his life. We found it moving. We had been totally unaware of this treasure until we decided to take this detour from our journey to Gulf Shores from Ohio.

Had a guided tour around the parsonage during our holiday to the southern states. The home is largely as it was in Dr King's day and as such it is very emotive, atmospheric and promotes reflection. As we toured the different rooms I couldn't help but wonder what it must have been like for him and his family during those challenging times. The kitchen is particularly atmospheric. To be in a place where Dr King and his family lived and breathed was truly memorable. Well worth taking the time to visit. Our guide was very welcoming and warm. The introductory video helped set the scene and this was supplemented by the information our guide provided as we walked from room to room. It was a moving experience that transported us back in time to the civil rights era.

This tour moved me to tears more than once. Our tour guide, Dr. Cherry, is a well informed, warm, wonderful storyteller who adds much of her own experience to the story of Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement. I learned about the pastor before Dr. King who helped to set the stage for the Civil Rights Movement in Montgomery. Our tour guide provided a theme for each room we visited and we saw where many historic events took place. This is a must see.

Honored to spend time with Dr. Shirley Cherry; sharing some of those heavy moments of the civil rights movement and even though it may only scratch the surface of the real experiences, it is the passion and courage we really felt through Dr Cherry about Dr King's life and his casting all his cares upon the Lord that helps us energize our call for us to be a light onto this world.

Shirley Cherry took me back in time and taught some values to live by. Amazing tour by an amazing lady. You did not waste your KKK scholarship Shirley! 😀😀

It is unfair to rate this tour after having toured the Legacy Museum and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice. This was a good tour but had a different intensity

The last stop of our day long visit to all the excellent, must see tributes to heroes of the Civil Rights Movement, was undoubtedly our most profound experience. Shirley Cherry, our guide, led us on what was pretty much an interactive one-woman show during which she entertained us with stories and photos of all the famous people who've visited the parsonage. At the same time, she educated us about the spirit and character of Dr. King and Coretta King as she led us through the home they lived in while he was minister at the nearby Baptist Church. Shirley shared powerful, lesser known quotes and anecdotes about Dr. King and others. Her presentation was the highlight of our time in Montgomery!

Being here was humbling. We take for granted what we have and don't always remember what others had o go through in order for us to have it. Just being on the front porch of this house was awing. This is a must see and do if your in Montgomery Al !!

I am so glad that we took our children to the Dexter Parsonage Museum. It was so meaningful for them to actually see the King's home rather than just reading about it in books. The museum staff were knowledgeable and willing to answer all of our questions. The house is set up just as it was when the Kings lived there - right down to the placement of the punch bowl. It gives you chills remembering all of the important moments that happened in this parsonage.

To see students (college-aged) connect the history books to the lived experience is powerful...the students realize that their shape history by knowing and appreciating their own history.

Make sure you get Shirley when you do your tour - she is a very special lady. Warm, funny and full of such much advice. Her tour, her kindness and her stories will stay with me for a lifetime. It was a very moving experience to listen to her bring back to life the parsonage where Dr.King lived during his time in the city. It is all in perfect condition and the fact you can't take photos means it is all the more special. If you are anywhere near Montgomery DO NOT miss the chance to see this. Five stars Shirley. You are an absolute treasure.

A landmark you need to visit in tandem with the Dexter Ave church - home to Pastors of the famous church a few blocks away in what was one of the notable black communities from the 1920s onward. Get going soon as one of the resident tour guides is set to retire in June. The others will be good - but living history connections to major places like this are really hard to come by!

What a great experience to see where the King family lived and contemplate everything these four walls have witnessed. Listening to Dr. King’s recording in the kitchen made the tour for me.

This is a fascinating museum and story, perfectly presented by Jemi and Jay. What fabulous guides they were. Highly recommended

I can’t describe how amazing our experience was with Dr Shirley Cherry at the parsonage museum. Not only did we leave with facts we had never known about Martin Luther King Jr but we got a whole philosophy experience. By far this was our favourite thing in Montgomery and, possibly, of all the MLK attractions we’ve done in the south thanks to Dr Cherry’s incredible storytelling and commitment to the cause. Thank you Dr Cherry, we love you!

I'll start by saying myself and the people I travel with are friendly and inquisitive people. We enjoy meeting locals as much as touring the sites. Dexter Parsonage House was a beautiful historic home lovingly restored with tours led by geniunely nice, caring people who answered our questions, engaged in conversation with us about who we were, where we are from and sincerely seemed pleased to spend time with us. The home itself breathes history. From the hole on the front porch created by a bombing to the kitchen where you sit and listen to a MLK speech that brings the the bombing, his family and his strength together before you leave. We were moved to tears.

Absolutely fantastic from the minute you enter the tour to the end a real in depth insight to doctor Martin Luther king life. A must for everyone do not miss out

Learned so much more than I expected and it was a very moving experience. The local stories shared so authentic.

Dr. Shirley Cherry was our tour guide. She was a master at educating and inspiring the group, sharing rich tidbits of Dr. King's life that gave you a very personal perspective. Dr. Cherry interacted well with all ages, especially reaching out and engaging young students. Many of us had tears in our eyes as she reflected on this very rough period in our history. Make sure to get Dr. Cherry -- it was the best tour in which I participated. A must!

I had traveled to Montgomery to learn more about Civil Rights in Alabama, and quickly found my way to the Parsonage Museum. Words can't capture the beauty and the power of the Museum itself, from hearing about the history of the bombing, to listening to MLK's speech describing his conversion moment in the Parsonage kitchen.

What goes beyond the wonder of the physical museum is the work and the passion of the volunteers who run the Parsonage, Dr. Sheryl Cherry and Victory. With grace, passion, and clarity, Dr. Cherry's narrative wove MLK's life, teachings, and the fabric of the Civil Rights experience into a powerful picture of Montgomery in the 50s and 60s, and deep insights for life in our contemporary moment. That I felt a partner in this journey, rather than a listener, is testament to her power of storytelling. It was truly a transformative experience, and one that I emphatically recommend to anyone.

One of the most powerful parts of our vacation, was our tour of Rev King's home during his 6 years as pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. Our tour guide, Ms. Foley, has been a member of the church since Rev King pastored there. She shared so many personal stories about their work as a church in the bus boycott and how the King family struggled with death threats and a bombing of their home during those years. Her advice to us was to study this important history and share it with our children. All I can say is that this place and the people who work here are a treasure.

We didnt have enough time to take a detailed tour of this place but will on our return to montgomery.

A truly great experience! A jewel in the crown of Montgomery, for sure!

The tour was superb. Dr Cherry was simply an exceptional tour guide. Extremely knowledgeable, passionate, heartfelt and a nice injection of humor along the way!

Amazing to actually be inside the home and contemplate the conversations and events that occurred at the parsonage. So much history and intrigue.
Don't miss it!

The home that Dr. King lived in while he was pastor at the Dexter Baptist Church was one of the most interesting things we did while in Montgomery. Dr. Shirley Cherry led our tour and her passion for Dr. King, the home and teaching is amazing and contagious. I grew up knowing about Dr. King but came away from the parsonage tour with a new respect for the man. There is a short video in the visitor center next door to the home and then a tour of the home. Don’t miss the Parsonage if you are in Montgomery. The tour of the home takes about 45 minutes.

This quickly moved from an emotional tour to a spiritual experience. This site itself has such historical significance that its impact could stand on its own. However, Dr. Shirley Cherry brought the King family's legacy and LOVE to life. We are forever changed. I have to say, if Dr. King were to choose who should tell his story and represent the pre- and post-civil-rights eras in this home, he would, no doubt, choose Dr. Shirley Cherry.

Huge historically important place. The tour itself is about a half hour long and covers the house fully. It's awe-inspiring to walk in the same house that Dr. King lived in. Definitely check it out.

Dr. Shirley's tour was very personal and moving....wow. A top pick for civil rights tours in the Montgomery area.

The facility was closed but we took pics and looked around on the outside. I hope to visit gain in the near future to see the inside.

This was our favorite site during our Montgomery visit. Our guide was excellent and gave shared anecdotes associated the history of the MIA and the bus boycott that you won't find in history books.

And they do when you visit this historic site! You see how Martin Luther King, Jr and his family lived and hear some stories about his life. We also met his neighbor two doors down and visited the barber shop he patronized a block away. Sit in the small park behind the house to contemplate what youre seeing and learning on your civil rights journey.

This simple clapboard cottage was built in 1912 in an area of Montgomery known as Centennial Hill, an upper-class African-American neighborhood soon after the turn of the century. The dwelling was purchased in 1920 by the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church as a domestic residence for their lead pastors. Over the next 72 years it was home to twelve accomplished theologians and their families; the most famous of these was obviously Dr. Martin Luther King who lived here with his family from 1954 to 1960. The structure was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 and opened as a tourist attraction two decades later, after being restored roughly to its appearance when the King family lived on site.

The experience began at the adjacent interpretive center, and I arrived just a few minutes before the staff entered the building. A fifteen-minute video followed, covering the history of Montgomery during the mid-20th century and showcasing oral stories from residents that lived during that time. A formal tour of the modest two-bedroom house followed, starting on the front porch and continuing into the living room, parlor, and dining room. A stroll through the two bedrooms, kitchen, and Dr. King’s study finished the formal tour. I went back to the interpretive center to review a history of the families who used the parsonage from 1920 to 1992 and purchased a few items from the gift store. A quick visit to the King-Johns Garden out back finished the visit. Total time spent on site was a little over an hour.

In summary, this was an excellent visit for several reasons. First, as mentioned in the introduction the house itself was refurbished to the appearance under the King years and I really got the sense of how the family lived, from the cigarette holder to the conference/living room to his library; personal touches abound. Second, I was introduced to my new favorite civil rights leader, Mr. Vernon Johns. As influential as Dr. King was, the group here does a good job of giving Mr. Johns his due as well. Lastly, both of the docents (Elizabeth Monroe and Wanda Anderson) were excellent. They are Montgomery residents and have personal connections to the history of the area and are dedicated to telling the story.

A visit here is short (about an hour), inexpensive (ten dollars), and full of information. It dovetails nicely with a visit to the Baptist church of the same name. Highly recommended.

This tour was breathtaking! It was a very humbling and inspiring museum for the whole family. My kids really enjoyed it, and it help them understand how and why MLK Jr helped shape our American history. We are now living his Dream! Ms SHIRLEY CHERRY took us back in time and allowed us to vividly experience life as it was alongside MLK Jr. She is an amazing, passionate, and wise story teller. We love her!!! If you visit Montgomery, you must visit the parsonage museum!!!!

Dr. Shirley Cherry is a walking history lesson when she shares about Dr. King's house & life. She made us feel like we were just a fly on the wall & got to experience Dr. King's home & family life. This isn't your typical tour--plan on spending some time with Dr. Cherry, don't rush through this museum!

If you have the privilege to have Dr. Shirley Cherry as your tour guide, consider yourself blessed. This wonderful woman is a wealth of information, motivation, and inspiration. Having lived through Jim Crow and knowing many of the people in the area, she brings such passion to the tour that you will not be the same after the tour is over. As a teacher for 30+ years she knows how to hold a crowd; she's a storyteller in the grout tradition. I consider this the best historic tour I have ever had. Go.

Touring the home of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr has been one of the highlights of my year. A friend of mine from Montgomery told me not to have high expectations of the attractions in Montgomery. But I must say that Dr. Shirley Cherry made this tour come alive. I didn't think I would have such a flood of mixed emotions, but being in the former of Dr. King while Dr. Cherry narrated kinda made me tear up. I will be returning in the spring with my 3 adult daughters. THIS IS A MUST SEE!!!! Please send me links of the many facts you shared on the tour. May God richly bless you Dr. Cherry!

We went to Montgomery to visit the Southern Poverty Law Center's Civil Rights Memorial (don't miss this either). Upon leaving there, we decided to stop at the Dexter Parsonage museum. Little did we know what a treat we were in for. Shirley Cherry was an awesome tour guide. She is as knowledgeable and engaging as it gets. We were in awe of the whole experience.

The parsonage led me down memory lane as the furnishings reminded me so much of my own home from the early 60s. But being in the home where MLK Jr. had the epiphany to begin the hard work of becoming a leader in the civil rights movement was awe-inspiring and humbling. We learned more than we would have imagined - the history as well as the civics and values lessons from Shirley were deeply moving. We left there better people.

They are back open. Great experience for the whole family. Low cost, historic tour. Overall worth the trip

It was an amazing experience. Don't miss it! Be sure to volunteer to unlock the front door. It was overwhelming. Highly recommended.

We had the profound pleasure of touring the Parsonage Museum with Dr Shirley Cherry. This amazing woman enabled us to relive sights and sounds that we remembered seeing as children. Our time with Dr Cherry was very special. Sher gifted us with her passion and knowledge. We will always remember this fantastic history lesson and the incredible Dr Shirley Cherry.

We visited the museum today while evacuating from Hurricane Matthew and it was completely fascinating, thought provoking and life changing. We were shown round Dr King's house by the very remarkable Dr Shirley Cherry whose personal life story added so much more to the visit, from being prevented from going into libraries due to her color to getting her Phd and training future librarians. Her wonderful sense of humor and ability to tell the story of Dr King's stay at this house will make you want to learn more about civil rights and make you want to strive to be a better person- exactly what Dr King would have wanted - well done Dr Cherry.

What a treat to walk the street that MLK walked. Was able to tour the home which is surprisingly large (currently has a/c but wasn't the case back then). Has lots of original furniture and items from when King lived there. Biggest treat was the woman that gave our tour actually lived in Montgomery during the boycott and was a member of Dexter Ave baptist. What she gave is what she lived. Great experience. Highly recommend. Even with a group of 20 we were able to move through the house comfortably. Don't forget to stop by the rose garden in the back. Great place to reflect!

My visit to the parsonage was moving, spurred primarily by the tour guide, a 31-year English teacher who lived in Montgomery during the time of Dr. King. She brings the time alive with vivid detail and a polished, passionate delivery ... Unforgettable!

We were so blessed to visit the Dexter Parsonage on MLK day! Not only did we get a chance to look around in the first parsonage MLK lived in with his growing family, but THE BEST PART . . . our tour guide was a former college teacher who had known MLK and attended his church in the years he pastored there. She was full of first-hand knowledge of things that took place right there in the parsonage. This is a not-to-be missed stop if you are interested in the history of Civil Rights and particularly the life of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Walked solo with tour guide Jamia....she made the walk very personal and was able to give the sense of being backwards in time for a moment! The house has a real feeling to it and so does the street as a whole!

Great time.

Enjoyed getting to unlock the door!
Thx Jamia

We had just been at Dexter Avenue Church and when we came here I expected to find out more about Dr. King and his home life. But instead the tour was basically about whether or not the furniture was original to the house. The high point was finding out that Mrs. King had warned the docents that the mantle piece was loose so folks would have to go around to the kitchen, and then in the kitchen, they played the sermon King gave about sitting at the table and hearing the voice of God speak to him (it's a lovely sermon). But the rest was just not personal.

This tour was really interesting and brought chills to our family. Ms. Cherry was an awesome guide and we enjoyed being involved in her tour and history lessons.

The trip to the parsonage was a trip to remember. The knowledge that my tour director, who happens to be Dr. Cherry was phenomenal. Her own life experiences coincides with Dr. King's life. When she allowed a pastor like me from San Diego, California to turn the key that opened up Dr. Kings home was significant to me. It was at that moment that I could see where God is taking me. That moment encouraged me to continue the work I'm doing in my own community.

Dr. Cherry is the best tour guide. Learned a lot about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. My favorite part was learning about his prayer in the kitchen.

Dr. Shirley Cherry offered the best guided tour I have experienced. She knows so much about the civil rights movement and she brings it back to life.

This experience is not to be missed. Dr. Cherry, who led us through Dr. King's home, is brilliant, passionate, and inspiring. What a wonderful experience! Thank you Dr. Cherry!

Informative tour. Many original pieces still in the house. I wish I could have taken pictures inside. It's quite moving to be the house.

I came down to Montgomery in February as part of a self-guided civil rights tour through Alabama and Atlanta that this white guy from NYC has been wanting to do for years. I had spent the afternoon at the Civil Rights Memorial and the Dexter Street Baptist Church and arrived at the Parsonage Museum - home of MLK - at 4pm as the museum was closing. I had a tight schedule and was leaving for Selma the next morning. Dr. Shirley Cherry and her commanding presence captivated me immediately; we spoke for a few minutes and I shared how much this trip meant to me, how thrilled I was to be here, and this incredible woman, teacher, scholar offered to stay past museum hours to take me on a tour of MLK's home. Dr. Cherry spent the next 2 hours with me, sharing in exquisite, riveting detail everything she knew about MLK, the events of 1954-60 while he was in Montgomery, and the meaning and power of MLK in her own life. Dr. Cherry is a brilliant teacher. She showed me the path that the family took through the small house to protect themselves on the night of that terrible bombing; I sat at the dining room table where the SCLC was conceived and where Harry Belafonte, Bayard Rustin and other luminaries once sat with MLK to plan the greatest chapter in US history; and ultimately we sat at the table in the kitchen where MLK pondered his life, and the prospect of death, and found the strength to carry on, to take a stand, to act from love, after he had received a phone call so terrifying -- that if he didn't leave town in 72 hours they would kill him, his wife and his baby daughter -- that even this most courageous of men wondered if he would just give up. He found the strength in that kitchen and the rest is history. And I sat with Dr. Cherry and we listened to the speech that MLK gave in the year before his murder when he talked about his experience in that kitchen. Dr. Cherry, I am sure we will meet again -- I am coming back to Montgomery at the end of April for the unveiling of the Equal Justice Initiative lynching memorial and museum -- but no matter whether our paths cross again or not, I will remember you and your spirit, powerful mind, oratory skills and just basic human kindness for the rest of my life. Please please run don't walk to this museum and let Dr. Cherry touch your soul with this deeply moving account of the very worst and the very best of which human beings are capable. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

One of the important sites in the Civil Rights Movement, this was Dr. King’s parsonage. It is decorated in the style of the late 1950’s/early 1960’s, with many of the items authentic to Dr. King. The tour guide was encyclopedic in her knowledge, and one can’t help to feel honored to visit such a location.

When it comes to legendary historical figures, there's a temptation to think we know all there is to know. To visit the parsonage for Dr. Cherry's phenomenal tour is to see beyond dates in a history book and *feel* what Martin Luther King's life and philosophy we're like. The parsonage itself is beautifully restored with many iconic original pieces on display, providing a perfect backdrop for Dr. Cherry's enthralling stories. Just down the street at the Harris House, you can often catch Ms. Harris -- a 94-year-old Freedom Rider -- and her daughter on their porch. This is not a stuffy museum, it is living history. You will not be disappointed.

A lovely volunteer provided us many stories with local flavor to enhance the tour of Dr. King's home when he was a pastor in Montgomery. This home of modest means was the site of both terror and tremendous historic significance. A must see. No photos allowed inside though.

Definitely a great place to visit! First off, the volunteers. These are actually local people, so to them it's part of their local history, so it gives a very different prospective. Second, this is the very place where the bus boycott started and that lead to the massive movement. It's really amazing to see that small house in a small town and realize how the local events in that neighborhood eventually changed the whole US life. There is some miracle how MLK could turn some ordinary events into something completely life changing. Highly recommended!

We were excited to visit at MLK’s home in Montgomery. Sad for me, I can’t see good inside dark rooms, not enough bright rooms inside. I am night blind. But my husband and our 2 girls enjoyed to see each rooms. My girl was Interprter to tell me about bomb by window. Sad! I can see MLK’s house outside because of bright sunny. Good!

The best part of the visit was the guide, who had personal experiences with Dr King. The place is small and simple, but significant because of the history.

I have visited the Dexter Parsonage several times, and this past weekend, I again left in awe. My heart finds healing when hearing Dr. Cherry bring MLKs faith, love, courage, passion and legacy to life through powerful stories and her life wisdom. Dr. Cherry is salt of the earth and has empowered me to keep marching on even when the road gets rough. I highly encourage you to visit this sacred space, you will be transformed, and your life will never be the same.

I was touring the beautiful city of Montgomery with a colleague and made an impromptu visit to the Dexter Parsonage Museum. We arrived a little after closing and we planned just to take a few pictures outside. To our surprise Dr. Shirley Cherry greeted us outside and spent well over one and a half hours reflecting on Dr. King, Correta Scott King, and their family. Her moving first-hand account of the experiences of Dr. Martin Lurther King Jr. and so many others in Montgomery, moved my spirit. Dr. Cherry is an educator and a passionate education leader and conveyed that she'd "rather teach than eat". I believe her. We walked through the entire parsonage and grounds. I will always remember her comment that many good white Americans played key roles in the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Civil Rights Movement. She also mentioned that many key players in the Montgomery Bus Boycott, though older, are still living, and some living not too far from the Parsonage. To visit during Black History Month was very special for me. We were greeted by a full moon at the end of our visit. You will be moved by a visit to this home of an American icon.

My Wife and I visited on a Tuesday afternoon, the staff was gracious, welcoming and extremely knowledgable. There was a tour group of singers "The Sweet Adalines" visiting from New Zealand and they sang a beautiful song that brought my Wife to tears. Beautiful and historical.