Edmund Pettus Bridge is a landmark on U.S. Highway 80 in downtown Selma, Alabama, spanning the Alabama River. Visitors can walk across it, and the bridge is associated with the Selma-to-Montgomery voting-rights marches. Here’s what to know about tickets, access and timing before you go.
- Location: Broad Street and Water Avenue, downtown Selma.
- Access: The City of Selma says visitors can walk across the bridge and follow the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail.
- Jubilee: The annual Bridge Crossing Jubilee takes place in the first week of March.
- From the hotel: It’s about a four-minute drive from Luxury Inn & Suites, a motel in Selma.
Do you need tickets for Edmund Pettus Bridge?
There is no published bridge admission price, and official bridge, city and tourism pages do not say that visitors need a ticket to visit. The City of Selma invites visitors to walk across this Civil Rights Movement landmark.
The bridge is closely tied to the voting-rights marches. On March 7, 1965, it was the site of the attack on marchers known as Bloody Sunday.
You can pair a walk across the bridge with a visit to the Selma Interpretive Center, at 2 Broad Street at the foot of the bridge. The center serves as a welcome point for the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail and has exhibits and a bookstore about the voting-rights movement.
Public access and visiting the bridge
You can walk across the bridge and continue along the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail. The bridge crosses the Alabama River, so the walk also gives you a view of the river and its setting in downtown Selma. For more on the landmark and its setting, read this visitor guide to Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma.
Historic Water Avenue brings several nearby sights together: the bridge, Songs of Selma Park, the Bridge Tender’s House and Riverfront Park. At Water Avenue and Green Street, Riverfront Park has a concrete path, a timber bridge and two overlooks of the Alabama River across its 12 acres.
The National Voting Rights Museum and Institute is also near the bridge. Its exhibits, photographs and personal stories focus on voting-rights history.
Parking and arriving safely
Free street parking is available throughout Selma, according to the National Park Service, though spaces close to the bridge fill quickly on Jubilee Sunday. For a quieter visit, consider arriving outside the Jubilee’s Sunday crossing period.
U.S. Highway 80 crosses the Alabama River at Selma, and the bridge sits at Broad Street and Water Avenue. If you’re combining the walk with Riverfront Park or other Water Avenue sights, this guide to getting around Selma covers local distances, walking and driving.
When does the Bridge Crossing Jubilee affect access?
The Bridge Crossing Jubilee takes place in the first week of March each year to commemorate Bloody Sunday, with activities across the week and the bridge crossing as the Sunday finale.
During Jubilee, the bridge closes to vehicles starting early Sunday morning. The National Park Service also warns that brief, unannounced closures may occur during the preceding days.
Expect standing in a crowded street at the crossing; the NPS advises bringing bottled water, while noting that checkpoints may not allow drinks and water is not usually sold at the staging area. Check the official site before you go.
Brown Chapel AME Church is a starting point for Jubilee activities and another Selma landmark; it also features in this Selma Civil Rights landmark day trip.
Nearby stops to pair with a visit
For a compact outing, combine the bridge with Riverfront Park and the National Voting Rights Museum and Institute. The park’s path and overlooks add an outdoor stop along the river, while the museum offers exhibits, photographs and personal accounts connected to voting-rights history.
The Selma Interpretive Center sits at the foot of the bridge, making it another nearby stop for trail orientation and voting-rights exhibits. Its regular hours are Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; check the center’s official site before planning around those hours.
FAQs
Where is Edmund Pettus Bridge?
It is at Broad Street and Water Avenue in downtown Selma, Alabama, on U.S. Highway 80.
Can you walk across Edmund Pettus Bridge?
Yes. The City of Selma says visitors can walk across and follow the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail.
When is the Bridge Crossing Jubilee?
The annual Jubilee is held in the first week of March, with the bridge crossing as the Sunday finale.
Is there parking near the bridge?
Free street parking is available throughout Selma. Spaces close to the bridge can fill quickly on Jubilee Sunday.