Tour Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Atlanta

The Atlanta narrative of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s often skips over the full breadth of local places where the civil rights icon deepened his connection to his native city.

• We asked Tom Houck, King's former driver who now leads Civil Rights Tours Atlanta, about some of the other important King-related spots in Atlanta.

Auburn Avenue: Perhaps the single most important street in the story of King's life, Houck tells Axios. He grew up there, went to elementary school nearby at David T. Howard, preached at Ebenezer Baptist and planned marches at the Southern Christian Leadership Conference headquarters.

• Lesser-known spots, Houck says, include the long-gone restaurants Henry's and BB Beamon's, where King would often eat, and the shuttered Butler Street YMCA, where he often took his children swimming.

Vine City: Though his childhood home on Auburn Avenue is most famous, King and his wife, Coretta, raised their family in a modest house at 234 Sunset Ave. Purchased in 2019 by the National Park Foundation, it is one of the most popular spots on Houck's civil rights tour.

Atlanta University Center: Before becoming a Morehouse Man, King attended Washington High School down the street.

• He and other civil rights leaders ate at Busy Bee Cafe, Aleck's Barbecue Heaven, and the original Paschal's location.

Check it out: Houck is currently accepting reservations for group tours throughout 2024.

Editor's note: This story has been updated. It was originally published in January 2022.