16th street baptist church

Going to this church was a moving experience. Knowing what happened to innocent children in this church is quite disturbing. The video presentation is excellent, worth the trip to the church. I am so glad that I had the opportunity to visit and highly recommend!

The 16th Street Baptist Church was the site of bombing by white supremacists. A church serving the black population, the bombing resulted in the loss of several young lives. The church bombing was in retaliation to various protests by civil rights activists actively fighting against segregation and unjust and unequal treatment of African Americans by white dominated governments.The church still serves its congregation today and the memory of the grisly bombing, and the imprisonment and brutalizing of several thousand children by the police in Birmingham under the leadership of "Bull" Connor is immortalized in the park just across the church. The park contains disturbing statues of the dogs that were set upon the protesters as well as the water cannons that had the power to blow off bricks from a wall, aimed at the hapless children. When they had no more space to jail and imprison the youngsters, the police took to tear gas, water cannons and attack dogs to suppress the protesters.

when the little girls were killed 50 years ago. I did not go in. There is a wreath and the name and picture of the children by the window where the bomb went off..a nice historic church..I hear that services are still hed here..

This is the church where 4 young girls were murdered when members of the KKK threw a bomb into the building. The church, the park and the Civil Rights Institute all tell their story. Even though the church was not giving tours when I was there, it was both moving and informative to read the information and to see this church that represents so much. Civil Rights leader Fred Shuttlesworth was the pastor at 16th Street Baptist during the 1960s.

My general sense of this experience was that the caretakers of the church are trying to take the focus off the bombings while still trying to be respectful of visitors. Their church programs even indicate "Where Jesus Christ is the Main Attraction." I understand this approach considering it is a fully functioning place of worship. Still I couldn't help but feel like I was intruding. I would have been content to remain outside and read a tribute to the horrible acts that took place there, rather than feel as if I was imposing.The entrance to the church, I'm guessing during non service hours, leads you into the basement. There is a small tribute room towards the back. My companion and I were escorted up the stairwell to a most beautiful sanctuary, where we were monitored until we were finished with our personal prayer. The most striking moment of the whole experience for me was traveling the stairwell. It brought back memories of the opening scene in the movie Selma when the bombing takes place.My advice to travelers would be to remain attentive to the wishes of the caretakers of the church. My guess would be it serves two very important purposes in their lives, to remember the past and move forward from it with Jesus Christ as their focus.

I visited the 16th Street Baptist Church for a Sunday morning service in December 2014 and highly recommend a visit with this church family. Pastor Arthur Price, Jr. was so inspiring. I really enjoyed his message. The music, the choir, the message, and the experience were all just amazing.

I visited the church and Civil Rights Institute upon arrival in Birmingham for a long-term job assignment. You must stop by if you are a real human being. It will wake you up to the horrors that our darker skinned brothers and sisters have experienced over the generations. I was in tears most of the time. I met a youth group on the steps of the church and spent some time talking about their experiences in the South. I was awe struck by the love and kindness this old white guy experienced while visiting. I felt like family, or a part of a family that has been thru the toughest times you could imagine. Eye to eye meaningful conversations are plentiful here, especially with strangers. Do be aware of your surroundings in the park across the street. There are some elements in any downtown urban area present here to be aware of. Not at the church or Institute, but across the street in the park are sometimes homeless or panhandlers. I was in no fear for my safety, but please be careful and watch what's going on around you.

The church is beautiful. The area of the church that was bombed has a memorial to the 4 African-American children that were killed. Being there really makes you think about injustice to anybody. The church is open to tours, but only on special days and with advance reservations. We stayed about 20 minutes.

It doesn't matter if you black, white or any other color, if you don't get chills looking at the photos and the clock that's frozen at the exact time of the bombing, then I can't imagine what would bring you to tears. This is definitely a great stop of many places and I plan to return to follow the path of the march on a warmer day as well as visit the places of the 4th Avenue Districit. Brochures can be found inside the church. Now I feel the need to visit the graves of the precious girls who lost their life here. Be sure to walk across the street to Kelly Ingram Park and view the markers and sculptures. Amazing history!!

The 16th St. Baptist Church is a must for anyone who is interested in America's recent racial history. It's a working church, but there are tours available where docents show a small museum in the basement and give an oral presentation in the chapel itself. The story is heartbreaking, but like the holocaust, it's part of our collective American past that we must remember and pay homage to the 4 innocent lives lost on that day when terrorists attacked innocent people. 4 little girls died because of racial hatred and to visit this sacred site is to bear witness and give them the honor and dignity that they deserve.

I was shocked to find out that those responsible for such a horrendous crime had only been tried and convicted only ten/eleven short years ago...this is amuse see if visiting Birmingham. Such an ugly part of history...

When we visited they were technically closed but one of the pastors allowed us to come through and look at the displays. The church still has a congregation and services. They have done some remodeling since the tragic event in the 60's, but the signage tells where the girls were located and what rooms were there at the time. The displays depict the story well.

This church and its parishioners were central to the civil right movements. All of the significant leaders of the civil right movement spent time in this church. The history of the church parallels the movement. For a fee of $5 you can see the church and hear a presentation by the manager of the church. Visiting this church and the civil right museum gives you a very good understanding of the civil rights movement.

The 16th Street Baptist Church was the site of one of the most tragic incidents of the Civil Rights Movement. However, it's wonderfully maintained, and there's a nice memorial to the four young girls who lost their lives on that horrible day. It's right across the street from the Civil Rights Institute. Just be sure to coordinate your schedule at a time when the church is open for tours/visitors.

I have always wanted to pay homage at this site and I got my chance recently. We received a tour of this magnificent church and I was blown away about its history and architectural design. I was able to get a tour of the church because some of the members were there practicing for Sunday morning service. They willing shared some of the history of the church and invited me to attend Sunday morning service. This place is a must.