The historic A.G. Gaston Motel in downtown Birmingham will be open to the public, for free, for a limited time, beginning today. The motel, a key historic site of the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument, will be open Thursdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., officials said.

“It gives me great joy that the Gaston Motel has new life and will now be a part of new stories to come,” Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said in a news release. “It was always a place that welcomed all people, and starting Thursday that legacy continues.

“We are grateful for the partnerships that helped to make this opening happen,” Woodfin said.

The Gaston Motel, considered the finest accommodation for Blacks in the city during the days of racial segregation, served as the headquarters for civil rights leaders during the pivotal days of the 1963 campaign to smash Birmingham’s Jim Crow laws.

Postcard images of the Gaston Motel (contributed)

Closed for years, the motel has undergone an extensive renovation with support from the city, the National Park Service (NPS) and other benefactors. Additional renovations are in the works.

In addition to its connection to the city’s human rights struggle, the motel served as a center of Black culture and family gatherings for decades. Woodfin described it as “the backdrop to the memories of many Birmingham residents, their honeymoons, graduations and proms. That makes it a very special place.”

Located in the city’s Civil Rights District at 1510 Fifth Ave. N., visitors will be able to stand in the courtyard where civil rights “foot soldiers” listened to Revs. Martin Luther King Jr., Fred Shuttlesworth and other civil rights leaders during the nonviolent, civil disobedience campaign that ultimately toppled the city’s race-based segregation ordinances.

Also within the complex is an exhibit about the life and legacy of Black businessman A. G. Gaston, who played an important, behind-the-scenes role in the civil rights movement.

Birmingham businessman A.G. Gaston, right, in July 1957 at his motel. (Encyclopedia of Alabama, courtesy of Birmingham Civil Rights Institute)

“The opening of the historic A. G. Gaston Motel is a major accomplishment for the people of Birmingham,” said Denise E. Gilmore, senior director of the city’s Division of Social Justice and Racial Equity. She praised the many partners in the project, including the Mellon Foundation, NPS, Gaston Construction Company and architecture and design firm Lord Aeck Sargent.

The motel is jointly owned by NPS and the city. NPS manages the 1954 wing of the motel, which includes King’s “War Room” where he and other civil rights leaders plotted strategy. The city manages the 1968 wing, which includes the old coffee shop and dining room.

Exterior restoration of the motel is complete, including the motel’s iconic neon sign, as is restoration of the interior coffee shop and dining room space, now housing the A.G. Gaston exhibit and a catering kitchen.

NPS will assist in staffing the city-owned side of the motel, including recruiting and training volunteer docents, city officials said. The 1954 wing is not yet open for visitors, but NPS is working on a comprehensive plan for the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument, incorporating comments from the public. The plan is expected to include proposals for future redevelopment of the motel’s remaining spaces as well as other sites within the national monument.

“It’s an honor to collaborate with the city of Birmingham to open this historic motel,” said monument Acting Superintendent William (Bill) Reilly. “Dr. A.G. Gaston rolled out the welcome mat so that visitors near and far could feel at home. Alongside the city, we will strive to follow his example.”

Martin Luther King Jr. outside the A.G. Gaston Motel in 1963. (Birmingham Public Library)

Officials said an admission fee will be charged beginning later this summer to help support the cost of operations. All group and commercially operated tours of the motel must be pre-arranged. For information, email the city at gastontours@birminghamal.gov.

“It is our hope that the gift of the restored Gaston Motel will serve to inspire residents and visitors for current and future generations to come,” Woodfin added. “This historic site is hallowed ground. The strategies, meetings and work of activists that took place here contributed in part to the freedoms we have today.”

For more information about the A.G. Gaston Motel and the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument, click here.

A version of this story appeared in the Birmingham Times.