Muhammad Ali Center

The Muhammad Ali Center is dedicated to boxer Muhammad Ali and features exhibitions focused on Ali’s six core principles of confidence, conviction, dedication, giving, respect, and spirituality.

Muhammad Ali strived to be guided by these core principles in his quest to be the best athlete he could be. He was also dedicated to standing up for what he believed in and was committed to inspiring and helping others.

The museum features Ali’s boxing memorabilia and history. Video booths show highlights of Ali’s greatest fights and feature pre- and post-fight interviews.

The six-story museum opened in 2005 and includes a two-level amphitheater, a plaza, and two art galleries that feature rotating exhibits.

In 2020, the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville was added to the U.S. Civil Rights Trail.

Muhammad Ali’s Presidential Medal of Freedom

Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali (1942 – 2016) was an American professional boxer, activist, and philanthropist. 

He was born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, and began training as an amateur boxer at age 12.

At 18, he won a gold medal in the light heavyweight division at the 1960 Summer Olympics and then turned professional.

He converted to Islam and became a Muslim in 1961 and eventually took the name, Muhammad Ali.

He won the world heavyweight championship from Sonny Liston in a major upset at age 22 in 1964.

In 1966, Ali refused to be drafted into the military, citing his religious beliefs and opposition to the Vietnam War.

His actions as a conscientious objector to the Vietnam War made him an icon and a figure of racial pride for African Americans.

Ali retired from boxing in 1981 and focused on religion, helping people by donating to charities and marching to raise awareness for Civil Rights issues in the U.S. and elsewhere.

He is regarded as one of the most celebrated figures of the 20th century and one of the greatest boxers of all time.

President Reagan and Muhammad Ali sharing a joke in the Oval Office, 1983

Highlights of the Muhammad Ali Center

• Ali’s boxing memorabilia and history – featuring Ali’s athletic achievements and flamboyant style
• A mock boxing ring is recreated based on his Deer Lake Training Camp
• The film “The Greatest” displayed onto a full-sized boxing ring
• Ali’s activist history and artifacts from activist initiatives
• Ali’s Presidential Medal of Freedom 
• Ali’s philanthropist memorabilia and history of his charities
• Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards
• Spirituality Pavilion – a timeline of Ali’s spiritual journey
• Giving Pavilion – photos and personal accounts that speak to Ali’s giving
• Confidence Pavilion – demonstrates how Ali’s self-esteem and self-confidence inspired and gave new confidence to black Americans during the Civil Rights era

1961 Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) vs. Donnie Fleeman Poster, Ali’s fifth Pro Bout