Kelly Ingram Park

Kelly Ingram Park is a four-acre memorial space in Birmingham with paved pathways, green areas, and metal sculptures showing scenes from civil rights demonstrations. The grounds are designed for visitors to walk through and view the installations and interpretive plaques at each location.

The site gained national attention in 1963 when police responded to peaceful demonstrators with water cannons and dogs, shocking the nation. These events helped prompt significant changes to Birmingham's segregation policies.

Bronze statues throughout the park honor young people who marched here in the 1960s and faced harsh police responses. These sculptures help visitors understand the experiences of those who stood up for change at this very location.

A self-guided walking tour called the Freedom Walk leads visitors through the grounds with interpretive signs explaining events at each location. The paved pathways are easy to navigate, allowing visitors to move at their own pace and spend time at each sculpture.

Metal sculptures in the park depict life-sized police dogs and water cannons positioned so visitors walk between them, recreating the path demonstrators took. This physical experience of moving through the installation creates a direct connection to what happened here.