📷 Photo by Ebun Oluwole on Unsplash16th Street Baptist Church
Birmingham, AL
Site of the 1963 bombing that killed four girls, and a rallying point of the civil rights movement. Kelly Ingram Park and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute are across the street.
The 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham traces back to a congregation founded in 1873. The current building, in a Romanesque and Byzantine style, was completed in 1911 and designed by the Black architect Wallace Rayfield. In the 1960s the church served as an organizational headquarters, site of mass meetings and rallying point for the civil rights movement, with leaders including Martin Luther King Jr., Fred Shuttlesworth and James Bevel. At 10:22 a.m. on September 15, 1963, a dynamite bomb planted by Ku Klux Klan members exploded at the church. It killed Addie Mae Collins, Carole Robertson, Cynthia Wesley and Denise McNair, and injured 22 other people.
The church has been a National Historic Landmark since 2006 and part of the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument since 2017. It remains an active congregation. Just across from it is Kelly Ingram Park, the scene of the 1963 children’s protests, with sculptures including “Four Spirits” for the four girls. The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute is also at the park. Check ahead for when the church is open to visitors.
- Nearest town
- Birmingham, AL
- Category
- History & culture
- GPS
- 33.5166, -86.8150
- Editor's pick
- ★
Hours, fees and access change. Confirm with the operator or park before you go.
Good to know
Best time to go
The most pleasant months are usually April–May and October. Still fine, with some compromises, in March, June, September and November. Hot in July–August. (Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons)
Featured in these trip guides
Nearby
Campsites nearby
- Brookside GreenwayCampsite10 mi from 16th Street Baptist Church · 46 pitchesElectricityShowers
- Oak Mountain State Park CampgroundCampsite12 mi from 16th Street Baptist ChurchTentsCaravansElectricityDrinking waterShowersToiletsDogs allowed
- Hoover RV ParkMotorhome stopover13 mi from 16th Street Baptist ChurchMotorhomes
- South Birmingham RV ParkMotorhome stopover16 mi from 16th Street Baptist ChurchMotorhomes
- Hargis Christian CampCampsite16 mi from 16th Street Baptist Church
- Campground #3Campsite23 mi from 16th Street Baptist ChurchTentsCaravans
All campsites in Alabama · Campsite data: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL 1.0 · Updated October 3, 2026
FAQs
Where is 16th Street Baptist Church?
16th Street Baptist Church is in Birmingham, AL, at GPS 33.5166, -86.8150. It is about 78 mi from Selma.
Can you camp near 16th Street Baptist Church?
Yes. The nearest campsite listed in OpenStreetMap is Brookside Greenway, about 10 mi away; within 25 mi there are 8 campsites and motorhome stopovers.
Which road trips pass 16th Street Baptist Church?
16th Street Baptist Church is a stop on these CampingSpirit trip guides: Alabama’s civil rights trail: Birmingham, Selma, Montgomery.
What is there to see near 16th Street Baptist Church?
Places worth a stop nearby: Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (0 mi), Sloss Furnaces (1 mi), Rickwood Field (2 mi) and Vulcan Park and Museum (2 mi).
When is the best time to visit 16th Street Baptist Church?
The most pleasant months are usually April–May and October. Still fine, with some compromises, in March, June, September and November. (Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons)