National Civil Rights Museum to open balcony where MLK was shot to public

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis plans to open the balcony where Martin Luther King Jr. was shot to the public.

The museum was built around and includes the old Lorraine Motel, where King was staying when he was assassinated in 1968. Visitors had been able to see the balcony where King was shot but couldn’t stand on it.

The museum’s main building will close at the end of the day Monday for renovations. Officials hope to open the balcony to the public on Nov. 19, and they’re installing a lift for disabled visitors.

A museum annex that includes the boardinghouse from which James Earl Ray shot at King also will be open during the renovation.