Rosa Parks Library and Museum

Rosa Parks Library and Museum

Rosa Parks Library and Museum
4.5
09:00 - 17:00
Monday
09:00 - 17:00
Tuesday
09:00 - 17:00
Wednesday
09:00 - 17:00
Thursday
09:00 - 17:00
Friday
09:00 - 17:00
Saturday
09:00 - 15:00
About
Come witness Rosa Parks’ arrest, view a 1955 Montgomery city bus, and learn for yourself how a group of willing men and women led by the Montgomery Improvement Association fueled the resolve of a movement. Visitors will also view a 1956 station wagon used as the basis for an extensive carpooling system. While traveling through time, you’ll meet Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and see the mass effect the Montgomery Bus Boycott and Civil Rights Movement had on the world. *Please note, final admission each day is one hour prior to closing.
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Admission tickets
from €21.50
All you need to step foot in the door.
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  • LKM
    New York City, New York240 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    An Activist's Life
    The exhibits in this museum rightly remind us that Rosa Parks was far far more than just a "tired Black woman" who refused to give up her seat on the bus. She had long been engaged in the fight for racial equality in America. Most effective in this museum is a video installation that puts you right on the bus with her!
    Visited March 2023
    Written 29 March 2023
  • ConversationStarters
    Gainesville, Georgia452 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    An incredible “Time Machine” trip into history.
    A recent visit to Montgomery AL included a visit to the Rosa Parks Museum. I grew up in Canada in the 50’s and 60’s before our family moved to the United States. I vividly remember seeing coverage of the early and often brutal days of the Civil Rights Movement. It’s been a mission for me of sorts to walk and see where what i saw on a B&W TV so many years ago actually happened. The Rosa Parks Museum in an extraordinary experience. I wish they allowed taking photos inside the museum but trust me when I saw it’s like stepping into a Time Machine. You are there. You see what happened. You experience how just one brave woman’s actions began an incredible movement forward in our history. If I could give it 10 Stars I would!
    Visited April 2023
    Written 12 April 2023
  • An0nyMs
    1,451 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    "Immersive experience" tedious, museum good
    There are two exhibitions here. One is a museum that starts with a couple of presentations; the rest is self-guided. I spent most of an hour there and learned a lot. The other part is a box with wooden seats that resembles a bus. It's surrounded by hokey things with names like tachyon generator. As the videos play, the bus shakes and lights flash; it's supposed to be a time machine. The voices of people in the videos were muffled, so why won't heard about half of what was said. The video took maybe 20 minutes to play; I wish they had given visitors an alternate of seeing just the videos in 5 or 10 minutes, with clear sound, instead of "riding" the bus. (I think the bus is aimed at keeping kids engaged.)
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written 7 October 2023
  • Philomena D
    Branch, Louisiana101 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    We made it because it is no opening every Sat and Sunday
    My girls’ school was closed on Friday because of festival. That was our big chance to stop at Rosa Parks Museum on Friday because it is closed every Saturday & Sunday. We got up at 5 am and left home at 6 am. We are from Louisiana that we traveled to Montgomery to visit it at 3 pm before it would be closed by 5 pm. We did made it. Whew! Yes it is interesting to learn about history of brave Rosa Parks. Wow!
    Good afternoon! I'm not sure why we were listed as closed on Saturdays because we are, in fact, open 9AM - 3PM. We are glad you came to visit, though!
    Written 16 November 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 24 October 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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Philomena D
Branch, LA101 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Family
My girls’ school was closed on Friday because of festival. That was our big chance to stop at Rosa Parks Museum on Friday because it is closed every Saturday & Sunday. We got up at 5 am and left home at 6 am. We are from Louisiana that we traveled to Montgomery to visit it at 3 pm before it would be closed by 5 pm. We did made it. Whew! Yes it is interesting to learn about history of brave Rosa Parks. Wow!
Written 24 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Good afternoon! I'm not sure why we were listed as closed on Saturdays because we are, in fact, open 9AM - 3PM. We are glad you came to visit, though!
Written 16 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Amy E
11 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Family
This museum perfectly conveyed the importance of the bus boycott- loved the bus re-enactment. Perfect for families
Written 22 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you!
Written 16 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Karen V
Tampa, FL2,904 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2023 • Family
It was a good visit. It's a museum that is affiliated with Troy University. It's located at their downtown campus, and was built on the site where Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white man on the Cleveland Avenue bus. The museum is a great memorial to the "Mother of the Civil Rights Movement" as it continues to educate its visitors about the Montgomery Bus Boycott with historical artifacts and visual displays that make you feel as if you're actually witnessing history.

As you enter the main building, you'll see the sculpture of Rosa Parks on the bus bench by Erik Blome. This is also where you pay for admission to both parts of the museum. You can visit just one, but it's recommended to see both. They all start at certain time intervals, so be aware of that. You start your self-guided tour at the Children's Wing where you enter the Cleveland Avenue Time Machine. It looks like the bus that Rosa Parks was riding on the day she was arrested, only it has a robot operator. It's basically a fun trip back in time that uses special effects and movie screens to show you the events starting with the onset of enforced racial segregation in the 1800s. You'll also learn about Dred Scott, Homer Plessy, Harriett Tubman, and Henry "Box" Brown. It starts when you enter the bus at the appropriate time. We were the only ones there on a weekday. There wasn't a whole lot of guidance in this building. I didn't even know there was a second floor, so I missed that part.

We then went back to the main building for another timed exhibit. You enter a room and watch documentary footage of the Montgomery Bus Boycott and Rosa Parks' arrest, as well as hear from some of the people behind the boycott using multi screens. The doors open up after the presentation, and you walk into a separate room that has a 1950's era bus similar to the Cleveland Avenue bus. The actual bus is at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn (near Detroit). What's cool is that you are witnessing the entire event (or reenactment of the bus ride) through special effects. This was the highlight of the visit.

Another door opens up so that you can enter the main exhibit area. This is where you'll see historical artifacts such as the arrest records, court documents, and police reports. You'll also see exhibits of the backlash that African Americans faced during and after the boycott as white business owners retaliated. It's brutal. You'll definitely walk away with a better understanding of life in Montgomery during that time period, and the courage that brought about the positive changes that we continue to see each and every day.

But, it doesn't stop there. You'll also see artwork exhibited in the museum. The most recent one is from Alana Enfinity. It's a beautiful exhibit that is very expressive and colorful.

It's a must see when visiting Montgomery. It's a unique experience that shouldn't be missed. I just wish there were more people there on a weekday. I think I saw one other couple the entire time I was there. I'll leave you with one other very important piece of information. There are limited free parking lots nearby. There's a parking lot on Molton Street near the School of Nursing. Don't feed the meters.
Written 22 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the review and very detailed feedback!
Written 16 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

An0nyMs
Tucson, Arizona1,451 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Solo
There are two exhibitions here. One is a museum that starts with a couple of presentations; the rest is self-guided. I spent most of an hour there and learned a lot.

The other part is a box with wooden seats that resembles a bus. It's surrounded by hokey things with names like tachyon generator. As the videos play, the bus shakes and lights flash; it's supposed to be a time machine. The voices of people in the videos were muffled, so why won't heard about half of what was said. The video took maybe 20 minutes to play; I wish they had given visitors an alternate of seeing just the videos in 5 or 10 minutes, with clear sound, instead of "riding" the bus. (I think the bus is aimed at keeping kids engaged.)
Written 7 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

destinationheaven
Asheville, NC179 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2023 • Couples
We are so glad we added this to our stops. Museum is really nicely done and the history is critical for all to know and learn from. It is definitely worth the stop.
Written 2 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

abroadwithashley
Minneapolis, MN1,444 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2023 • Couples
Billed as a museum dedicated to Rosa Parks, it is, in fact, a museum dedicated to the Montgomery Bus Boycott. In this, it is appreciated that the museum takes in the larger context. Having said that, the museum does have a bit of an odd start. You aren’t allowed into the video room until the first video starts. And once it finishes you are immediately required to move to the next room as the “reenactment” (a bit strange to watch) starts as the first video finishes. Yet, the first viewing room has walls of information that you never get to read by following the process. The museum is not bad overall after that bumpy start, but it wasn’t our best museum experience in Montgomery.
Written 12 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Emala
Wheaton, IL171 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023 • Couples
Tells the story of Mrs Parks refusal to give up her seat using a life sized replica of the original bus. Lots of visuals. So important to the US civil rights fight.
Written 31 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Hilary
Chicago, IL540 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023 • Friends
This is a fine little museum dedicated to the history of the Montgomery Bus Boycott and Rosa Parks’ courageous role in changing history. The exhibits are not overly interactive, but the site and story are essential to the legacy of civil rights in this country.
Written 13 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

CatfriendDavis
Davis48 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023
This museum shows you what happened to Rosa Parks on the bus that day and explains how tirelessly she worked in the Civil rights movement. Such an important time in our collective history.
Written 28 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Todd G
Los Angeles, CA46 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023
This small museum on Fisk U. campus doesn't compare to the same story told at the Legacy Museum, but there is still new information to glean. It's worth the stop if for no other reason than to pay tribute, which is still reason enough.
Written 13 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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ROSA PARKS LIBRARY AND MUSEUM: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about Rosa Parks Library and Museum

Rosa Parks Library and Museum admission prices can vary. Entrance tickets currently cost €21.24, while a popular guided tour starts around €30.48 per person.


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