Frequently Asked Questions

The Freedom Riders were an interracial group of people who wanted to challenge segregationist laws in the South. The first group of Freedom Riders left Washington, D.C. on May 4, 1961, and planned to travel across seven states in the Deep South and arrive in New Orleans May 17.

On Mother’s Day, May 14, 1961, a Freedom Riders bus was attacked at the Greyhound Bus Station in downtown Anniston, Alabama, and was attacked again and burned just six miles out of town on State Highway 202. The Trailways bus was boarded as it came into Anniston an hour later. The riders of that bus were beaten and thrown in the back of the bus. When the Trailways bus arrived in Birmingham, a different group attacked those riders again.

Dozens of rides and hundreds of riders would join the movement over the summer of 1961. Hundreds would be attacked, jailed, or sent to prison. Freedom Riders National Monument was established to tell the stories of these brave people and remind Americans the fight for freedom is never free.

The first Freedom Riders  were prepared for and expecting some degree of violence and possible death for what they were doing. The attacks on May 14, 1961, in Birmingham and Anniston were severe and many of the riders had permanent injuries including paralysis; thankfully none of them were killed.

There also appear to be no deaths in later rides. With hundreds of riders and dozens of rides, it is much harder to say for sure that there were no deaths anywhere in the Freedom Rides movement. 

There are many great museums and groups that help tell the story of the Freedom Riders. The Birmingham Civil Rights Instittute and the Freedom Rides Museum are two sites that continue the story.

A national monument is an area of federal land set aside, most often, by the president under the authority of the Antiquities Act of 1906. Presidents use this power to protect historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest. Many national parks were first protected as national monuments.

Freedom Riders National Monument is run by the National Park Service, a bureau under the Department of the Interior. The site is run by a superintendent that oversees park rangers and other staff in protecting this important part of American history.

A group interracial group of people calling themselves “Freedom Riders” set out from Washington, D.C. to challenge Jim Crow laws. Violent groups of segregationists including, members of the Ku Klux Klan attacked buses carrying Freedom Riders in Anniston, Alabama on May 14, 1961.

The City of Anniston donated the former Greyhound bus station at 1031 Gurnee Avenue, and Calhoun County donated the site where segregationists attacked and burned the bus to the National Park Service for the creation of a national monument. Freedom Riders National Monument was created to preserve this important part of the Civil Rights Movement and American History.

Freedom Riders is a small park with limited facilities.

The Anniston Greyhound Bus Depot is open limite hours and days due to our small staff. It has a single stall restroom. Large groups should consider stopping at another location to fulfill bathroom needs before arriving at the depot, or may have to plan a chunk of time to allow everyone through the restroom.

The Greyhound Bus Burning Site has no facilities and services. A gravel parking lot is planned, but no bathroom facilities are present. These facilities are planned as a part of rennovations to the site, but are several years away from completion.

The Visitor Vestibule in the Calhoun County Chamber of Commerce is open 24 hours everyday. Park brochures, passport stamps, and junior ranger supplies are available in the visitor vestibule. The restrooms and general visitor information are available when the chamber is open.  

The Anniston Greyhound Bus Depot is open limited hours due to small staff. When the depot is closed, passport stamps, and brochures are available at the Calhoun County Chamber of Commerce in the Visitor Vestibule which is open 24 hours every day. The passport stamps at the Depot and Chamber of Commerce are the same stamp. 

The National Park Service is creating rehabilitation and restoration plans for both the Anniston Greyhound Bus Depot and Greyhound Bus Burning Site. Watch for public feedback and public listening sessions to help guide the planning process.

The plans for the depot would restore much of the appearance of the depot to how it would have looked in 1961. Some changes to incorporate modern systems, safety, and interpretive (storytelling) elements will be needed.

Plans for the Greyhound Bus Burning Site are at an earlier stage than the depot. Plans for that site focus on creating a place of learning and reflection. A public comment period ended in October 2024, and planners are incorporating feedback into the next round of planning.