1510 5th Ave. N.
Birmingham, AL 35203
https://www.nps.gov/articles/ag-gaston-motel-birmingham-civil-rights-monument.htm

How to visit: Restoration underway; tourists can walk the exterior of the Motel

A.G. Gaston was Birmingham’s first Black millionaire. In addition to his namesake motel, which was listed in the Negro Motorist Green Book, he ran a bank, radio station, funeral home, and construction firm.

Built in 1954, the motel played a central role in the Birmingham campaign. Many civil rights leaders stayed in its rooms, and its courtyard was also the site of numerous press conferences related to the campaign. Gaston paid Dr. King’s bail when he was jailed in Birmingham in April 1963. The next month, bombs were set off near the room where King was staying just weeks later.

The motel has been undergoing restoration since 2019, and is expected to reopen in late 2022 with an exhibit on the life and legacy of Dr. Gaston. The Gaston Motel is the historic centerpiece of the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument, a collaborative partnership between the National Park Service and the City of Birmingham.