Fundraiser launched to reopen Muhammad Ali's childhood home as museum

A fundraising campaign is underway to restore Muhammad Ali's childhood home in Louisville, Kentucky, and reopen it as a museum.

Ali's parents, Cassius Clay Sr. and Odessa Clay, purchased the 1,200-square-foot house in 1947 when Ali - then known as Cassius Clay Jr. - was 5 years old. The entire Clay family lived in the home until 1961.

The house opened as the Muhammad Ali Childhood Home Museum in May 2016, shortly before Ali's death, but shut down the following year. Now, the museum has launched the Restoration Campaign with the goal of raising $5.8 million for renovations and community initiatives to reopen in fall 2021.

"To know that others can step into the room we grew up in, or the backyard he played in, and the back room he and I shadow boxed in is incredible. It's like stepping back in time," Ali's brother, Rahman Ali, said in a press release. "This museum, my childhood home, is meant to inspire all of us to reach what my brother Muhammad fought so hard for - opportunity for all."

The $5.8 million, which the group hopes to raise by the end of February, will go toward restoring the home and building a welcome center. The donations will also be used to create community programs, sponsorships, and scholarships in Louisville.