Muhammad Ali funeral: ‘The Greatest’ makes final journey through hometown Louisville

Muhammad Ali made his final journey through his hometown Friday in a funeral procession for The Greatest as thousands of mourners lined the streets where the future heavyweight champion of the world once chased school buses in hiking boots to train for his fights. (Source: AP)

The 17-car motorcade set out for a Louisville cemetery on a 19-mile route that was expected to take Ali's body past his boyhood home, the gym where he first learned to box and the museum that bears his name, by way of Muhammad Ali Boulevard. (Source: AP)

Ali, the most magnetic and controversial athlete of the 20th century, died last Friday at 74 after a long battle with Parkinson's disease. A traditional Muslim funeral service was held Thursday, with an estimated 6,000 admirers arriving from all over the world. (Source: AP)

People visit the boyhood home of Muhammad Ali in Louisville. Hundreds of people crowded the streets in front of the funeral home. (Source: AP)

Muhammad Ali chose the cemetery, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, as his final resting place a decade ago. Its 130,000 graves represent a who's who of Kentucky, including Kentucky Fried Chicken founder Colonel Harland Sanders.

Muhammad Ali himself decided years ago that when he died, the funeral would be open to ordinary fans, not just VIPs. As a result, thousands of free tickets were made available and were snatched up within an hour.