Reporting by Les Smith - Fox13 News -

Visitors to the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis are aware of the sights and sounds of new construction underway at the site of the historic Lorraine Motel. FOX13 News was allowed an exclusive first look behind the scenes of the new construction project which is scheduled to be completed by early 2014.

Although its focus memorializes the life of a man who died nearly 43 years ago, one of the greatest draws of the National Civil Rights Museum is that it's bent toward being a living tribute. In 20 years, it's become an ever evolving world-wide attraction and soon visitors will be treated to even more changes in the place dedicated to keeping the dream alive.

If walls could talk, what secrets could the historic 86-year old Lorraine Motel still have locked away inside its rooms?

It's digging into the past to form the new future on the site of the National Civil Rights Museum that's part of the first phase of a $26 million renovation currently underway.

“The internal phase. Phase one is basically about enlarging our collections and storage space and renovating one of our many restroom areas,” said Communications Director, Gwen Harmon. “Behind this wall is where we're actually moving our collections and storage from upstairs. We're talking previously unused motel rooms and fixing that up as a storage and collection site. You can hear the activity back there.”

So, on a beautiful March day it was time to step outside and put on hard hats to join project supervisor Brian Hollie and his crew working in the dank catacombs of the motel's second floor.

“We're walking into the regular part of Lorraine. It's a massive destruction right now. There are 7 rooms I believe down there,” said Hollie.

“(Reporter) It’s almost like working on hallowed ground? (Hollie) Yeah, you learn something new every day on it. Something this old, it's an adventure. It really is.”

“Compared to what we do now, I'd like to see in 75 years what some of the stuff we build today's gonna (look) like-if it holds up as good as this,” said Hollie.

Back outside, our attention is focused along the motel's top floor that'll be the focus for the second phase of the project.

“When this complete renovation is finished this will become new exhibition space inside. New exhibits. New audio-visuals. New technologies. So all of that old empty space will be utilized,” said Harmon. ”There's only one Lorraine Motel in the entire world. There's only one place where Dr. King spent his last living moments in the entire world. It's right here in Memphis, Tennessee. No amount of money can ever replace that.”