Selma landmarks near the hotel include Tabernacle Baptist Church, Brown Chapel AME Church, Selma University, museums and the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Several take about four minutes by car from the motel; Tabernacle Baptist Church is the closest by walking time, at about 16 minutes on foot.
- Closest landmark by foot: Tabernacle Baptist Church, about 16 minutes from the motel.
- Brown Chapel AME Church: about 31 minutes on foot or three minutes by car.
- Edmund Pettus Bridge: about 39 minutes on foot or four minutes by car.
- Joseph T. Smitherman Museum and the National Voting Rights Museum & Institute II: about 40 minutes on foot or four minutes by car.
Luxury Inn & Suites is a two-star Selma motel, and these travel times help you choose which stops to combine.
Closest listed landmarks
Tabernacle Baptist Church has the shortest walk from the motel, while Selma University is also a short drive away. Tabernacle Baptist Church takes about 16 minutes on foot or two minutes by car; Selma University takes about 28 minutes on foot or four minutes by car.
Selma city centre is about 33 minutes on foot or four minutes by car. For a focused visit to the university, you can plan around its route time and read how to plan a visit to Selma University.
Brown Chapel AME Church and Selma University
Brown Chapel AME Church takes about 31 minutes on foot or three minutes by car from the motel. The congregation began in 1866, and the present building dates to 1908.
The National Park Service identifies the church as the starting location of the Selma-to-Montgomery marches; it also hosted the Southern Christian Leadership Conference for the first three months of 1965.
Brown Chapel is at 410 Martin Luther King Street. Public access is restricted: the National Park Service says the church is not open to the public. Alabama’s official tourism listing says tours are by appointment and advises calling for information; the tour price is free. Check the official site before you go.
Selma University takes about 28 minutes on foot or four minutes by car from the motel. The church and university are separate stops, so use their individual travel times when arranging your visit.
Museums and the Edmund Pettus Bridge
The Edmund Pettus Bridge takes about 39 minutes on foot or four minutes by car from the motel. It is associated with the 1965 Bloody Sunday march and the Selma-to-Montgomery marches, and the City of Selma says visitors can walk across it. The Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma is a natural focus for a visit centred on the marches.
The National Voting Rights Museum & Institute II takes about 40 minutes on foot or four minutes by car. The City of Selma describes the museum as near the bridge; its exhibits include photographs and personal stories about the voting-rights struggle.
It is at 6 US Highway 80 East. Alabama’s official tourism listing gives its hours as Monday through Thursday, 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., and Friday through Sunday by appointment; admission is charged, with no amount stated. Check the official site before you go.
Joseph T. Smitherman Museum takes about 40 minutes on foot or four minutes by car. The Vaughan-Smitherman Museum building dates to 1847 and served several roles, including as a Confederate and Freedmen’s Bureau hospital and Dallas County Courthouse.
The City of Selma says its displays cover the city’s history from its founding until about 1960. You can compare the museum stops in a guide to Selma history museums.
Walking and driving times
By car, the listed trips from the motel take about two to ten minutes; on foot, they take about 16 to 65 minutes. Brown Chapel takes about three minutes by car; Tabernacle Baptist Church takes about two.
Selma University, Joseph T. Smitherman Museum, the National Voting Rights Museum & Institute II and Edmund Pettus Bridge each take about four minutes by car.
Valley Creek Presbyterian Church is farther out, at about 65 minutes on foot or ten minutes by car from the motel. These travel times can help you group the closer stops together and leave the longer trip for a separate outing.
Choose stops by interest
For a visit focused on civil rights history, pair the bridge with Brown Chapel and the National Voting Rights Museum & Institute. The City of Selma says the bridge is walkable, and the museum is near it; Brown Chapel has a separate access limitation, so arrange any visit in advance.
If local history is your priority, consider the Joseph T. Smitherman Museum, whose building has served as a hospital, courthouse and other institutions. For a campus stop, Selma University takes about four minutes by car from the motel. Use each place’s travel time to plan the order.
FAQs
Which landmark is closest on foot?
Tabernacle Baptist Church has the shortest walking time, at about 16 minutes from the motel.
Can you visit Brown Chapel AME Church?
The National Park Service says Brown Chapel is not open to the public. Alabama’s tourism listing says tours are by appointment and advises calling for information.
Can you walk across Edmund Pettus Bridge?
Yes. The City of Selma says visitors can walk across the bridge.