The memorial uses weathering steel that is designed to oxidize over time, mirroring the aging process of the history it commemorates.
The names of over 4,000 African American lynching victims are engraved on the steel pillars.
The project was established by the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) under the leadership of attorney Bryan Stevenson.
The site includes a 'Reflection Room' dedicated to the memory of Ida B. Wells, a pioneering journalist who investigated lynching.
The architecture is designed to transition from a feeling of being at ground level to being beneath the hanging monuments, altering the visitor's physical perspective.
Several columns are placed in an outdoor park area to encourage local communities to reclaim and display them in their home counties.
The site is intentionally built in Montgomery, the former capital of the domestic slave trade.
Visitors encounter various quotes from historical figures, including Toni Morrison and James Baldwin, inscribed throughout the memorial.
The National Memorial for Peace and Justice is the first national memorial dedicated to the legacy of enslaved Black people, those terrorized by racial lynching, and victims of racial segregation. Designed by MASS Design Group, the site features 805 corten steel columns suspended from a structure, each representing a U.S. county where a documented lynching occurred. As visitors walk through, the floor gradually descends, positioning the columns overhead to evoke the experience of victims hanging. The surrounding grounds include a space for 'duplicate' columns intended for local installation in the counties where the violence took place. The memorial functions in tandem with the Legacy Museum located nearby. It occupies a six-acre site overlooking downtown Montgomery. The site remains a primary venue for documenting the history of racial inequality in the United States.
The central walkway where the overhead columns create a rhythmic, tunnel-like visual perspective.
Purchase a combined ticket to visit both the Memorial and the Legacy Museum to understand the complete historical context.
Allocate enough time to read the engraved names and the historical text displayed throughout the site.
The site is largely outdoors and exposed to the elements, so check the weather forecast before your visit.
Do not rush through the memorial; the experience is intended to be meditative and educational, not a standard sightseeing stop.
Typically closed on Tuesdays.
This is a site of solemn remembrance; maintain a quiet tone, show respect for the memorialized names, and refrain from loud photography.
