For the next 13 months while the National Civil Rights Museum undergoes renovations, people can stand on the same balcony where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., last stood before he was killed on April 4, 1968.

The balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis' historic South Main Arts District is now open to the public. The sacred place is one of the most unique areas of the museum and it promises to provide an emotional experience for all.

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Mayor A C Wharton walked on the balcony Monday during the first day the new part of the tour was offered.

"To actually stand there and say that somebody had his life snuffed out not for doing something radical but just for the basic dream of equality, and it let's us know that prejudice will always rear its ugly head," Mayor Wharton said. " We need someone to jolt us to that awareness and standing there on that balcony will definitely do it - not only for Memphians but people who come from around the world."

The Lorraine Motel closed to the public 21 years ago when it became apart of the National Civil Rights Museum.

The tour of the motel's balcony will be part of the museum visit until early 2014 while the main building of the museum is closed for upgrades and renovations.