Reviewed by: Caleb Turrentine
Historic 16th Street Baptist Church opens new Education and Visitor Center [PHOTOS]
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The 16th Street Baptist Church Education and Visitor Center opened today, Sept. 15, after a moving anniversary commemoration marking a new chapter for one of Birmingham’s most significant landmarks.
The 16th Street Baptist Church broke ground on the 13,000 square-foot Education and Visitor Center in April 2025. Today, they memorialized the tragic event that led to the end of segregation while also looking toward the future with the opening of the center.
The River Wall is just one part of the new space. Visitors can also look forward to:
- Koinonia Restaurant: Named for the Greek word for fellowship, the restaurant will serve family-style meals for groups of up to 10, creating space for visitors to gather and talk about what they experienced and learned.
- Craft room: A creative space where locals and visitors can quilt, sew + make things together.
- Meeting + gathering spaces: The center will include meeting rooms, classrooms and spaces for lectures and concerts.
The opening comes on the 63rd anniversary of the bombing of the historic church that killed four young girls and injured 22 people.
Read the full story + see more photos of the new space on Bham Now.
