Location: Selma
Top Things to do in Selma
Countries
Top 10 Things to do in Selma, United States
Selma is a city in and the county seat of Dallas County, in the Black Belt region of south central Alabama and extending to the west. Located on the banks of the Alabama River, the city has a population of 20,756 as of the 2010 census.
Restaurants in Selma
1. Edmund Pettus Bridge
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 228 reviews
Site of "Bloody Sunday" where more than 600 civil rights marchers on March 7, 1965 were attacked by state and local lawmen.
Reviewed By moviegeekjn - Phoenix, Arizona
I drove from Birmingham to Selma for one reason.... and the first sight of this historic bridge literally shook me. Parking in the small town and walking across the bridge is so worth the time and effort it took to get here, especially when you consider the bravery and sacrifices of the people who joined the voting rights struggle and experienced "Bloody Sunday" on that fateful day.
I was there too early for any of the local museums to be open (had it been M - Th), but since it was Friday, the bridge walk and a few photos to preserve the memory was plenty before the drive back to Montgomery.
2. Selma to Montgomery
Overall Ratings
4 based on 93 reviews
It was on this stretch of U.S. 80 that protestors led by Martin Luther King marched from Selma to Montgomery in 1965.
Reviewed By CATTSAR - Provincetown, Massachusetts
There is something awe inspiring about this drive. The march here was an invaluable thrust for civil rights. From that movement has come numerous other awarenesses. The drive itself is secondary to the events. The Lowndes Interpretative Center was not open while I was there. The road is punctuated with historical markers. I missed the bridge by taking the bypass. Stay on US 80 to see the bridge.
3. Old Live Oak Cemetery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 38 reviews
Reviewed By ExpatAgainandAgain - Dothan, Alabama
Worth a drive and a walk. Get out and enjoy but if you can't walk a quiet drive through the cemetery is also pretty cool. Make sure to go to all three as they are different a unique in their own way.
4. Old Cahawba Archaeological Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 54 reviews
Cahawba was once Alabama's state capital (1819-1826) and a thriving antebellum river town. It became a ghost town shortly after the Civil War. Today it is an important archaeological site and a place of picturesque ruins. Nature has reclaimed much of Old Cahawba, but historians and archaeologists from the Alabama Historical Commission are working hard to uncover Cahawba's historic past and to create a full time interpretive park.
Reviewed By MandanaJames - Sharjah, UAE
First off, you should understand that there aren't very many structures left here. However, the story of the town, Alabama's first state capital, is fascinating. The curator at the visitor center really brought the story alive for us. We spent about two hours at the park, with a few short walks. A rainstorm cut the visit short. Be sure to take the nature trail next to the church. Bring bug spray and a picnic!
Bathrooms are in the Visitor Center and near the picnic area.
5. Selma Interpretive Center
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 36 reviews
Reviewed By Mathyew - Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
We started off on the 3rd floor watching the 25 minute which was OK - not our favorite, but did provide some good information. There were some small exhibits on the 2nd and 1st floor - nothing too major or overwhelming but enough to provide a good overview.
6. Brown Chapel AME Church
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 39 reviews
Headquarters for the 1965 voting rights marches.
Reviewed By StephSchaeckermann - Alabama
Don't visit on a Monday or you won't be able to get inside the building. The neighborhood is in the middle of a housing project and didn't seem very safe. The signage is very good and this is a stop on the phone guided tour of the historic route.
7. National Voting Rights Museum and Institute
Overall Ratings
4 based on 56 reviews
Reviewed By Peter K - Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Very simple museum operated by local volunteers. Tell the grasping story of the voting rights struggle in Selma, Alabama. The Selma- Montgomery marches, the first one ending in 'Bloody Sunday', but eventually starting the final steps to right for African Americans. It's a shame that the city of Selma does so little to preserve and tell this crucial story. Respect for the volunteers that do!
8. Old Depot Museum
Overall Ratings
4 based on 27 reviews
This museum documents the history of the region from the Civil War through the Civil Rights Movement.
Reviewed By Danny C - Greater London, United Kingdom
Do you remember the old sweet shops where their are more more jars of brightly coloured candy than you could ever imagine or ever dream of trying ? The Old Depot Museum Is exactly that all be it the candy as been replaced with history and nostalgia. Lets make no mistake this isn't marble floors everything hidden behind hermetically sealed glass everything catalogued and in order, and why would you want it that way those places are boring!!! This little gem of a museum has curios and artefacts jammed in every crevice just waiting to be discovered. Not many places can go from Geronimo to Napoleon with in 4 feet The Old Depot Museum Can do that and more .
9. Museum of Slavery and Civil Rights
Overall Ratings
4 based on 27 reviews
Reviewed By Mark B - Fort Wayne, Indiana
This exhibit reveals issues seldom explored in American history. The post emancipation social, economic, legal, and political systems need to be understood for this country to continued toward the realization of the promise of the Constitution.
10. Jackson Home Historic Site
Overall Ratings
5 based on 1 reviews
Reviewed By Dennis P - Huntsville, Alabama
This is the former home of the Jackson family who hosted Dr King and his entourage along with other leaders when the civil rights movement was being planned and ordganized. The house has remained the same since the 60s and everything still in place as it was just like in the movie Selma. Ms Jackson passionately tells the stories of MLK as she takes your through the rooms of the house. The chair that MLK sat in as President Johnson announced he would sign the civil rights bill is still in excellent shape as well as the chair that Rabbi Heschel slept in nightly. A lot of people visit the Slavery and Civil RIghts Museum and miss this one when visiting Selma. This is the jewel of them all. Please don't miss it when you are in the area. Please contact Ms Jackson as she resides in ATL but can coordinate tours by phone or email posted on the official website.
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