The Lorraine Motel, Martin Luther King, And Me

 The Lorraine Motel in Memphis is now the central feature of The National Civil Rights Museum.

But it is still the Lorraine Motel, frozen in time at the point just after Martin Luther King was shot. And the rooming house that is being pointed out in the photograph is still there as well, and you can go inside and look out the same window that James Earl Ray looked out of as he pulled the trigger. It is one of the most chilling and intense historical experiences I have ever had, right up there with my visit to Ford's Theatre and the Vietnam Memorial in Washington DC.

This excellent New Yorker piece provides some historical context:

http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-lorraine-motel-and-martin-luther-king?mbid=rss

There are many reasons to visit Memphis, particularly if you love rock and roll and the blues. But if you go, you need to visit The Lorraine.