The National Civil Rights Museum, located at the Lorraine Motel,
the assassination site of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., chronicles
key episodes of the American civil rights movement and the
legacy of this movement to inspire participation in civil and
human rights efforts globally, through our collections,
exhibitions, and educational programs. FACTS ABOUT THE NATIONAL
CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM - Originally named the Windsor Hotel c. 1925
- Renamed Marquette Hotel in 1945 and offered for sale -
Purchased by Walter Bailey in 1945 and renamed the Lorraine,
after his wife Loree and a song titled “Sweet Lorraine.” At the
time of purchase the Lorraine included a café and living
quarters for the Baileys. - A two-story concrete block motel
structure was built to the east of the hotel in 1955. It
contained 16 rooms. - The Lorraine became one of only a few
hotels to which African American travelers could enjoy overnight
accommodations while traveling during this segregated period
leading up to the late 1960s in America. - Un