Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument will temporarily close the A.G. Gaston Motel to renovate its historic 1954 wing starting on May 10. The park expects construction to last approximately 18 months.
The motel is the site where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other leaders strategized for the 1963 Birmingham Campaign. Known as the headquarters for “Project C,” the Gaston Motel provided a safe haven for civil rights leaders Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Ralph D. Abernathy and Fred L. Shuttlesworth during a pivotal era of the segregated South.
The upcoming 18-month renovation will meticulously recreate the famous “War Room,” allowing visitors to stand in the exact space where the movement’s most daring strategies were born.
Through this construction project, the National Park Service will transform the vacant structure into a world-class visitor destination, featuring recreated 1960s-era guest rooms and a dedicated exhibit space. This $4-million investment does more than preserve bricks and mortar; it enhances the visitor experience by:
- Increasing Accessibility: The installation of a new elevator ensures that all visitors, regardless of mobility, can access the historic second-floor strategy suites.
- Expanding Education: New exhibit spaces will tell the story of A.G. Gaston’s entrepreneurial legacy and the Motel’s role as a sanctuary for Black travelers.
- Revitalizing a Landmark: After sitting vacant since 1996, this project breathes life back into a key feature of the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument, co-owned by the NPS and the City of Birmingham.
A.G. Gaston built the motel in 1954 to accommodate black travelers in the segregated South. The Gaston Motel expanded in 1968 to include a supper club and other amenities. From 1982 until 1996, the structure housed the elderly. From 1996 until 2017, the building sat vacant until it was declared a key feature of Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument. The NPS and the City of Birmingham co-own the building.
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