The Lorraine Motel was the site of the Martin Luther King Jr assassination on April 4, 1968. The site continued to serve as a motel for many years between 1968 and 1982, but was forclosed in 1982. The property was later purchased in 1987 by the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial foundation for $144,000.

Today, it has been preserved as a memorial to Martin Luther King Jr and also serves as the building site for the National Civil Rights Museum.