Birmingham Civil Rights Tour
5
Birmingham Civil Rights Tour
By Red Clay Tours
Recommended by 100% of travellers
This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher
Attention all history buffs: skip the many generic city tours that skim over the city’s past and instead take a deep dive into Civil Rights history on a tour of the movement’s most relevant landmarks. By joining a focused small-group tour you can learn about the integral role Birmingham played in the Civil Rights Movement and get individual attention from your guide.
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
from per adult
C$87.40
Ages 0-99, max of 14 per group
Duration: 3h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
English
Highlights
- Explore Birmingham on a guided Civil Rights-focused tour
- A combo driving/walking tour makes it possible to hit all the top historic sights
- A small-group tour enables the guide to focus on the aspects that interest you most
- All taxes, fees and handling charges
- Driver/guide
- Live commentary on board
- All activities
- Air conditioned transportation
What's not included- Gratuities
- Departure details
- 512 16th St N, Birmingham, AL 35203, USA I will be standing in front of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute next to the Fred Shuttlesworth statue. There is a parking lot diagonal from the front of the Institute that is free to park in. There is also free street parking(no meters) & paid street parking(meters) around the start point.
Return details- Returns to original departure point
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Infants must sit on laps
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 56778P2- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Subject to favorable weather conditions. If canceled due to significant weather (hurricane, tornado, or ice), you will be given the option of an alternative date or full refund
- Not recommended for travellers with back problems
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- We will walk over a mile on the tour in temperatures anywhere between 40-100F. Guests must be able to walk unassisted at a reasonable speed.
- Not recommended for those that cannot walk at least a mile.
- Not recommended for those affected by cold/hot weather.
- Travellers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 14 travellers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- Which attractions will I visit with Birmingham Civil Rights Tour?
- During this experience, places you will visit include:Discover and book Birmingham Civil Rights Tour on Tripadvisor
- How much is Birmingham Civil Rights Tour?
- Birmingham Civil Rights Tour price starts from C$86.80. Discover and book Birmingham Civil Rights Tour on Tripadvisor
- What is the Birmingham Civil Rights Tour cancellation policy?
- Birmingham Civil Rights Tour cancellation policy: For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience. Discover and book Birmingham Civil Rights Tour on Tripadvisor
- Which company provides Birmingham Civil Rights Tour?
- Birmingham Civil Rights Tour is hosted by Red Clay Tours. Read reviews, discover additonal experiences or contact Red Clay Tours on Tripadvisor. Discover and book Birmingham Civil Rights Tour on Tripadvisor
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 56778P2
Reserve your spot
from C$87.40
Itinerary
- You'll start at512 16th St N512 16th St N, Birmingham, AL 35203, USAI will be standing in front of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute next to the Fred Shuttlesworth statue. There is a parking lot diagonal from the front of the Institute that is free to park in. There is also free street parking(no meters) & paid street parking(meters) around the start point.See address & details
- 1Civil Rights DistrictStop: 30 minutesSee details
- 2Kelly Ingram ParkStop: 30 minutesSee details
- 316th Street Baptist ChurchStop: 30 minutesSee details
- 4Linn ParkStop: 15 minutesSee details
- 5Boutwell AuditoriumStop: 15 minutesSee details
- 6SmithfieldStop: 15 minutesSee details
- 7The Historic Bethel Baptist ChurchStop: 20 minutesSee details
- 8Eddie Kendrick Memorial ParkStop: 5 minutesSee details
- 9John Herbert Phillips AcademyStop: 15 minutesSee details
- 10Wells Fargo ATMStop: 10 minutesSee details
- You'll return to the starting point
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About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator.
elizabethwH1325DI
00Fight for Rights Tour: A Must-Do!
We took the Fight for Rights tour and I can't recommend it highly enough. Our tour guide was Clay who was a wealth …
donovano803
00Birmingham at its best.
Had a great tour with Clay and his Dad! Very informative and enjoyed it immensely! From the Greek gods Vulcan and …
Sightsee526892
00Excellent experience with Clay
Had a great tour with Clay! We had one day in Birmingham, and this tour was exactly what we wanted — a good overvie…
Frindstrip
00Introducing Birmingham
Clay is very knowledgeable about Birmingham and was able to answer any questions we had. A great experience for the…
622AlisonK
00Excellent tour of city
This tour was fabulous! Clay does a great job showing you the highlights and speaking to the city’s history. En…
MJC50499
00Great experience
Excellent tour, learned so much - an enjoyable afternoon seeing the entire city. We could not have seen everything …
TrekkerTT
00Birmingham History!
Excellent tour! Clay is a fantastic tour guide! We learned a lot about the history of Birmingham and other little…
susanshearer13
00Best tour!
Red Clay Enterprises are professional and knowledgeable. Our guide, Clay, enjoys his job and made it fun and inter…
Z4968RUedc
00Love Birmingham
Best tour I ever took. Clay loves Birmingham, good and bad. Appreciated his passion. Although I hope he can learn t…
janycem2013
00Birmingham is more than just Civil Rights
My husband found out about this natl historical landmark that explains the history of the iron industry in Birmingh…
Atraveler722
00We were stuffed!
You definitely get plenty of food on this tour! Everything we ate was delicious, and we loved trying some local res…
Rena T
00Historical highlights of birmingham
Clay enterprises, father and son tour business. Brilliant, this particular tour run by the son and like the father …
kimberlywV1477LK
00Be Sure to Take this Tour while in Birmingham
This is a very well rounded tour of the city of Birmingham. A must do while here. There is a good mix of local a…
596gailb
00Clay was awesome
We took the food and craft beer tour and Clay, our guide, was awesome. He started us with hotdogs and they were del…
AlisonFromLexington
00Incredible Civil Rights Tour
Clay is an amazing tour guide. His love for the city of Birmingham and his passion to share its history was so impr…
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
353 reviews
Excellent
349
Very good
4
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
0
ktbeenthere2015
New York City, NY204 contributions
An absolute must in Birmingham. Ditto to all other reviews. 375 five star reviews out of 381 reviews in total speaks volumes! The guide was fully engaged, empathic - he read the audience well, knowledgeable, patient, enthusiastic, organized, and punctual. The bus was comfortable. The descriptions and information related to current and past events without an agenda. I was skeptical of the price (I can be cheap), but as soon as we left the first stop at the statue of Fred Shuttlesworth we knew we got good value. The educational experience elevated and enhanced our stay in Birmingham, creating a cherished memory that inspires us to return (I would enjoy taking the communist tour). 381 people agree with us. You will too.
Written October 25, 2021
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.
Inspiration767375
1 contribution
Mar. 2023 • Business
This tour was transformational. Clay is a master storyteller who carries you through the disturbing history of Birmingham during the civil rights era, to the lingering consequences today. The 3 hours flew by as we traveled around the city (walking and riding) hearing stories of both heroes and villians in the fight for civil rights.
Written March 24, 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.
Sally S
Wheaton, Illinois, United States45 contributions
Our guide and his son together run a driving -tour business in Birmingham. He drove through Birmingham pointing out many historic sites, while giving a very well- organized presentation of facts related to Birmingham’s place in the civil rights movement. Being a lifelong resident of Birmingham, he had personal stories. For instance, he had relatives who had to pay poll taxes to vote, and more recently another family member was present when a group tried to take down a confederate monument in a Birmingham park during the George Floyd protests. There was no sugar coating of the ugliness of some of the city’s history. Our guide gave us an honest history, and included names and stories about civil rights leaders with whom we were not previously familiar. The tour was very good, and our entire group highly recommends this tour.
Written April 23, 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.
Joshua P
1 contribution
Dec. 2022
Our guide was Mike, Clay's father. The tour is astounding and heartbreaking. You'd think the operators, being of the white minority in the city, might not sound all the right notes, but Mike unabashedly shared the ugly history of his beloved Birmingham, in detail that was remarkably fine and painted a broad sweep of the terrible things that occurred there, as well as the cause for hope. It's powerful and sorrowful. Could not recommend this tour more highly.
Written January 3, 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.
Don
Kauai, HI6 contributions
Clay did a terrific job leading us through the civil rights history and stories in Birmingham, as we walked and drove through the city. The van was comfortable and the timing was great - enough time at each site without feeling rushed and without the tour dragging. We learned a lot and Clay or his father were able to answer seemingly any question about Birmingham.
Written March 11, 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.
Elissa G
sturbridge, United States7 contributions
This was probably the best tour I have ever taken in the US. Birmingham is a large city rich in important history, and Mike’s tremendous effort to provide a comprehensive picture of its troubled civil rights past was great. Especially impressive were Mike’s cross-racial insights. He drove us to places across Birmingham that the average tourist would not know or think about, and he shared personal memories of living through turbulent times. I couldn’t recommend Red Clay tours more highly.
Written November 5, 2022
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.
Nichole S
9 contributions
This tour was excellent. We all learned so much. Clay did an excellent job of designing the tour to tell a story through time. He engaged the kids on the tour in a positive way. Finally, I appreciated that we were in and out of the bus. It kept our bodies moving and our minds active.
Written June 15, 2022
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.
dougpfeiffer
glenwood, IA5 contributions
Oct. 2022 • Couples
The Civil Rights Tour was superb!! Great history. Mike was phenomenal story-teller. He and Clay have brought to life so many important and sequential moments of the struggle for civil rights. These moments happened in Birmingham, AL, but they have impactful resonance for the rest of our country. Thank you for this wonderful and helpful taste of our nation's history!
Written October 28, 2022
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.
Paul HHI
Hilton Head, SC2 contributions
Sep. 2021
If you are visiting Birmingham, you do not want to miss the experience of this tour during your stay. Our tour guide Mike was knowledgeable about the history of Birmingham, the culture of the community, each of the pivotal events that brought about the civil rights movement and he also added a first hand perspective as a resident in the area during the years the events unfolded. The tour bus is comfortable, the tour covers a large portion of the city but also has many stops for walking around the places where each of the significant events happened. I am a person who also lived through the years of the civil rights movement, yet this tour gave me a new appreciation, a deeper and richer history of what happened and why it is so important to learn from our past. The experience of this tour cannot be found in text books, you kind of have to re-live it by seeing the sites and imagining what each of the moments brought to life on this tour must have been like. It gave me an appreciation for the courage and sacrifice that the civil rights leaders and participants contributed to making our country better for all.
Written October 4, 2021
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.
Bubba-in-Germany
Savannah, GA21 contributions
Sep. 2021
This was a fabulous tour. Mike is very well versed on the history of the civil rights movement and provided a fascinating narrative. It was clear that Mike is passionate about sharing his knowledge with others. We thoroughly enjoyed this tour and recommend it highly to anyone visiting Birmingham. Thanks Mike!
Written September 24, 2021
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.
texcamp
1 contribution
Does this tour still require masks, since there is no longer a mask mandate? or has your website not been updated? Thank you so much
Jim R
Morgantown, WV
We went on this tour in 2021, and it was great. We are going to Jackson, MS in May. Can you recommend a similar guided tour there?
upstatenyker
Rochester, NY90 contributions
Unfortunately, I’m unable to recommend any tours in Jackson. I wonder if you contacted Red Clay Tours if they might be able to recommend a specific tour. Good luck!
stephen c
duluyh3 contributions
When I try to book a tour I'm only given one choice of 9:45 AM. I'm not sure we can get to Birmingham that early. Is there an afternoon tour available or is it booked?
Lee A
Knoxville, TN247 contributions
I agree with dlr430. Our tour guide was Mike. Here’s his number (205) 566-3133. I hope you get to take the tour!
Debra R
Janesville, WI102 contributions
Want to do civil rights tour. Tried booking online and it won't accept 1 person. Chat line say it has to be 2 people. I am a party of one on this trip. Why can't I be combined with another group? Seems a little discriminating...rather ironic.
Anita U
Fresno, CA7 contributions
I got lucky and called the day before. A family of four had booked the tour, and I got to join them!
Deborah M
37 contributions
What time does tour start?
tarzan2613
Oakland, CA157 contributions
09:45. He did a great job of showing you everything and ending right on time
Do we get a tour of the 16th Street Baptist Church?
Amanda P
35 contributions
Tour of the church is not included
I am staying at the Redmont Hotel. I want to make sure I am being picked up at my hotel.
Mary M Churchill
LauraLiz25
Fishers, IN11 contributions
Clay was able to pick me up from my hotel downtown!
GolferBryant
Ormond Beach, FL24 contributions
Does the tour go into the 16th street Baptist church?
LauraLiz25
Fishers, IN11 contributions
Absolutely, however it doesn't go inside. (And it's currently not doing tours due to Covid.)
How long is the tour? Thanks Norma
LauraLiz25
Fishers, IN11 contributions
It was 3 hours long, not including hotel pickup.