Atlanta: Martin Luther King, Jr. Grounds, and Atlanta Botanical Garden

We left Florida on 4/8 and drove to Atlanta to visit the Carter Library which, as we belatedly remembered, we had already toured in 2007! Should have checked my log first. Gary was looking at logistics for where to park, etc., and happened to mention that the grounds looked like they were really beautiful. All of a sudden that triggered a memory in me that we had, indeed, already been there. My review of it in my log, at the time, was that it had some good individual exhibits but overall we gave it only an OK in comparison to other presidential libraries we have visited. So no repeat visit.

We changed plans and drove to the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Park which is walking distance from the Carter Library. (This was, I am sure, not an accident in the planning of the location of the Carter Library.) The King Park was a wonderful visit in all ways.

Run by the National Park Service, the 4-6 block area contains many of the very important aspects of Dr. King's life - the home of his birth and boyhood, his boyhood neighborhood of which much remains exactly as it was, the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, The King Center (a library), the National Park Service Visitors Center, and Historic Fire Station No. 6.

Inside the Visitors Center are exhibits which progress from Dr. King's early years to his historic speeches, his impact, his family and church life, his nobility of character, and finally his death in 1968 which, by coincidence, was 48 years ago on April 9, one day before our visit.

This the caisson which carried his body to his final resting place.

A depiction of those who peacefully marched for equality and justice during the 50's and 60's civil rights strife.

The actual jail cell where Dr. King spent some time in the 1950's.

Then across the street from the Visitors Center is the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church. It is now operated by the National Park Service and is open to the public. A new church has been built right next to the Visitors Center that is used by today's church members. Stepping into this historic sanctuary was, for me, the highlight of the visit. It was a very moving experience, to think about all the wonderful sermons he preached there, and what that church has meant to the African American community through the years, and indeed, to America. King's father and maternal grandfather before him were also ministers in that church.

Here is the new Ebenezer Baptist Church. Because it was Sunday, we did not go inside.

Across the street from the Visitors Center and adjacent to the historic church is the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change. The reflecting pool is long and narrow and is reminiscent of the one in Washington DC. In the center are the tombs of Dr and Mrs King. She died in 2006 at the age of 78. 

 And across from the tombs is the Eternal Flame which represents the Kings' undying commitment to their beloved community.

Just down the street is the King birth and boyhood home. 

They were a successful middle class family and the house reflects that. Here is a row of houses that is different.

Then, adjacent to these row houses is Historic Fire Station No. 6, restored to its 30's and 40's appearance. In the 1960's it became Atlanta's first racially integrated firehouse, closing in 1991. A sign I read said Dr. King played around the fire house and it was a place where news was obtained and where kids congregated.

We moved on to the Atlanta Botanical Garden. This lovely place has some features that are unique, and some features that are shared by other botanical gardens. There is a lovely orchid conservatory.

Lovely grounds but not too much in bloom. This is the very impressive canopy walk on the 600-ft long suspension walkway that is up to 40 feet in the air above the natural part of the garden.

You will notice that, at the top of the steps pictured above is a tower with some blue-tarp covered boxes behind it. This will be one of the lit-at-night glass sculptures of the upcoming Chihuly in the Gardens exhibit, running from the end of April to October here in Atlanta. It was very fun to see a Chihuly exhibit as it was being installed. We saw the finished exhibit in the Phoenix Desert Botanical Garden last year and it was spectacular. 

Here are a couple of photos of the installation. There were hundreds of cardboard boxes delivered to various areas of the gardens, all carefully labeled, and at lease 20 installation workers putting together the glass elements of each sculpture. Each sculpture must be assembled from the individual pieces. We noted that the colors that appear to be dominant in this exhibit are green, yellow and blue. In Arizona it was more reds, oranges and yellows, as I recall. So that means that each exhibit is different - either slightly or a lot different - I don't know which.

Boxes are protected from possible rain until their contents can be installed.

Conclusion of this post: If I had one wish granted for what we saw today, it would be that the National Park Service have more funds available to maintain and improve our wonderful parks. The King Park will be in need very soon of some major maintenance projects and perhaps updates to the museum in the Visitors Center. With a few exceptions, we see this status in park after park across our country. Contributions from the public help, to the National Park Foundation. More funding from Congress would also help!!