Image via Complex Original
Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and what better way to remember the great man than with monuments created in his honor. While you may be familiar with the enormous memorial carved into stone in Washington DC, these are some tributes you've probably never heard of before. From a wax figure at Madame Tussaud's to a carving at Westminster Abbey, these are some of the best works honoring the great Dr. King. Celebrate MLK Day with 20 Martin Luther King Jr. Monuments Around the World You Didn't Know Existed.
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Mr. and Mrs. King's grave in Atlanta
Designer: Coretta Scott King
Location: Atlanta
At The Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, created by Coretta Scott King, a tomb was placed containing the remains of Dr. King in the center of a reflection pool. The gorgeous scenery adds to the solemn, monumental tribute. Dr. King's wife was interred with her husband after her death in February 2006. The site includes an eternal flame as well as Freedom Hall, a space that houses exhibits on other important civil rights leaders, such as Rosa Parks and Mahatma Gandhi.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Educational Campus in New York City
Designer: William Tarr
Location: New York
The Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Campus is a public school in Manhattan, which was formerly the location of a high school of the same name with a reputation for shootings and poor academic performance. The Educational Center is now made up of six separate high schools that include programs in the arts, law, media studies, and theater. On the grounds of the impressive building is a unique, cube sculpture by William Tarr, a self-weathering steel piece covered in typography and quotations.
"Free at Last" at Boston University
Designer: Sergio Castillo
Location: Boston University, Boston
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. graduated Boston University in 1955, and appropriately so, there is a beautiful work by sculptor Sergio Castillo on university grounds. The more contemporary look of this work consists of a flock of air-born birds, which together form one large bird. 20 feet high, the massive sculpture is made of steel and granite and was unveiled in 1975.
Monument in Uppsala, Sweden
Designer: Olof Bernhard Hellström
Location: Uppsala, Sweden
In Uppsala, Sweden, there is a court dedicated to Martin Luther King Jr. that features a powerful sculpture entitled Liberation by Olof Hellström. A very talented sculptor, Hellström depicts two large fists removing rods from the ground, symbolizing Dr. King's message that the best way to solve a problem is to remove the cause.
Madame Tussauds Wax Museum
Designer: Madame Tussaud's employees
Location: London
Not your typical sculpture, and an oddity on our list, Madame Tussaud's wax museum also commemorates Dr. King. Instead of heavy bronze, MLK stands in wax, a spitting image of the real man, as part of the museum's World Leaders section. Next to the sculpture reads the text, "Live your dream with the man who helped change the world."
Statue at King Heights Apartment
Designer: Erik Blome
Location: Milwaukee
Outside of King Heights, a low-income apartment building in Milwaukee, a large bronze statue of Martin Luther King Jr. was commissioned from artist Erik Blome. The artist received waves of praise and thanks for this mighty contribution. The 9-foot tall sculpture was revealed on Dr. King's birthday, Jan. 15, in 1998.
City Park
Designer: Ed Dwight
Location: Denver
Full of sculptures commissioned by the city of Denver, City Park features many important historical figures including Rosa Parks, Mahatma Gandhi, Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth. One of the statues in the park is a representation of Dr. King sitting on the shoulder of Rosa Parks, as well as him receiving The Nobel Peace Prize.
Kelly Ingram Park
Designer: Unknown
Location: Birmingham, Ala.
Kelly Ingram Park is known for its role in the Civil Rights Movement—many demonstrations and protests were held there during the '60s. Dr. King organized boycotts and protests in 1963 at the park, and it was here that many brutal police arrests took place. The park also includes a Freedom Walk, which educates visitors on the violent times in the 1960s.
West Minster Abbey
Designer: Tim Crawley
Location: Westminster, England
Amid all of the beautiful architecture and historical artworks, a statue of Martin Luther King Jr. was added in July 1998 to the impressive collection at Westminster Abbey. Originally the niches never included statues, though they were intended to. A decision was made to honor 20th century martyrs instead of traditional figures or saints. There are ten in total, including Maximilian Kolbe from Poland, Manche Masemola from South Africa, Janani Luwum from Uganda, Grand Duchess Elizabeth of Russia, Oscar Romero from El Salvador, Dietrich Bonhoeffer from Germany, Esther John from Pakistan, Lucian Tapiedi from Papua New Guinea, and Wang Zhiming from China.
Monument in Kalamazoo
Designer: Lisa Reinertson
Location: Kalamazoo, Mich.
A confident, powerful stride marks this Dr. King memorial in Kalamazoo, Mich., which was built in 1989. The bronze statue is slightly larger than life and is placed nearly at ground level, making the figure more approachable.
Monument in San Bernadino
Location: San Bernardino, California
This Dr. King memorial was erected in 1971, initiated by Rev. Gertrude Whetzel. A very formal Dr. King stands at 11 feet tall and weighs about one ton. The statue was paid for by a fund raising initiative including a scholarship fund and donations from many groups in the community. A plaque entitled The Dreamer nearby features poetic words about Dr. King's contributions to the country and the grateful community who honors him.
Bronze Bust in Capitol Hill
Designer: John Wilson
Location: Capitol Hill
A bronze bust of Martin Luther King Jr. has resided in the Capitol Hill Rotunda since 1986. It stands 36 inches tall and sits on a large, black marble base. The bust was specifically crafted to present Dr. King in a peaceful and contemplative state, enhancing the monumental status of his life and work. Congress passed House Concurrent Resolution 153 in December 1982, which resulted in the procurement of this piece to honor Dr. King's contributions to civil rights.
Martin Luther King Jr Street in Jerusalem
Location: Jerusalem
A small, winding street in Jerusalem was named after Dr. King, supposedly in one of the nicest neighborhoods of the area. Although many cities have roadways dedicated to MLK, for a country constantly engaged in conflict, it is especially significant that Jerusalem chose to honor Dr. King's contributions to world peace.
Yerba Buena Gardens
Designer: Houston Conwill
Location: San Francisco
Yerba Buena Gardens is a two-block public park that features a dedication to Martin Luther King Jr. by Mayor Willie Brown. The world-renowned park the Rudy Bruner award for urban excellence. The park first opened in 1993 and has been updated and maintained over the years. The Martin Luther King Jr. memorial includes the largest water fountain on the West Coast, an etched glass piece that highlights important moments in Dr. King's speeches, and a green area often used for performance art.
"Behold" Monument
Designer: Patrick Morelli
Location: Atlanta
This monument features the ancient African practice of lifting newborn children to the sky, and reciting "Behold the only thing greater than yourself," a traditional concept to commemorate the work of Dr. King. The memorial was unveiled and dedicated by Coretta Scott King in 1990. Compared to other monuments that attempt to capture a life-like image of Dr. King, sculptor Patrick Morelli instead chose to symbolize his bravery, courage, and dignity.
Fresno State University Peace Garden
Designer: Richard Blake
Location: Fresno State University, Calif.
The Peace Garden at Fresno State University has an impressive collection of important figures, including Martin Luther King Jr., Cesar Chavez, Jane Addams, and Mahatma Gandhi. The statue of Dr. King was intended to symbolize MLK's concern with future generations and inspire students to think brightly of their futures. This statue was unveiled on Jan. 18th, 1998 on what would've been Dr. King's 80th birthday. The garden also honors two students lost on 9/11.
Martin Luther King Memorial Park
Designer: Robert Kelly
Location: Seattle
The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park in Seattle features an impressive 30-foot abstract sculpture inspired by Dr. King's "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech, made the day before he was assassinated in 1968. The park is a four and a half acre green space featuring a reflecting pond as well as plaques describing Dr. King's important contributions and the names of those who helped build the campaign to fund the park.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Bridge
Designer: Unknown
Location: Port Arthur, Texas
The Martin Luther King Jr. Bridge in Port Arthur, Texas, connects to Pleasure Island as well as Louisiana. It was built in the 1960s and dedicated to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 2009. The main purpose of the bridge was to allow citizens to enjoy Pleasure Island—an island created by the U.S Corps of Engineers that included a golf course, ball room, dance hall, swimming pool, and the largest roller coaster in the South—but due to poor planning the bridge was constantly hit by ships, making the island unreachable. It is now open to the public once again and has a fully functional marina.
"Dream Big" Rubiks Cube Mural
Designer: Pete Fecteau
Location: Grand Rapids, Mich.
Artist Pete Fecteau is known for his massive Rubik's Cube works, most notably of important historical figures such as Albert Einstein and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dream Big consists of 4,242 Rubik's Cubes and and weighs about 1,000 pounds.
Broken Obelisk, Rothko Chapel
Designer: Barnett Newman
Location: Rothko Chapel, Houston
This minimalist sculpture was designed in 1963 and cast in 1967. A series of them adorn the Rothko Chapel in Houston, the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, the Seagram Building in New York, and Red Square at University of Washington. The broken obelisk in Houston is specifically dedicated to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It is made up of three tons of steel and is one of Barnett Newman's most famous works.