Montgomery, capital of Alabama, lies in the centre of the state on the east bank of the Alabama River. It can be said to be the birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement, and in the Baptist church in Dexter Avenue the first activities gathered around Martin Luther King. Nearby is the Civil Rights Memorial in memory of a man who gave his life for the movement. Old Alabama Town with its 19th C houses preserves something of the atmosphere of old Montgomery, once an important cotton market. Other places of interest are the Capitol and the White House, the oldest in the Confederate states. On the eastern outskirts of the town are the Museum of Fine Arts and the renowned Alabama Shakespeare Festival Theater. 43 mi. east of Montgomery is Tuskegee University, which originated as a college for the education of blacks founded by the former negro slave Booker T. Washington in 1881.
Alabama Shakespeare Festival operates year-round with presentations of classical and contemporary plays in two theaters, the 750-seat Festival Stage and 225-seat Octagon.
Address: Alabama Shakespeare Festival, 1 Festival Drive, Montgomery, AL 36117, United States
Phone: 1 (334) 271-5353, Fax: 1 (334) 271-5348
Hours:
November 15 to September 15: 7:30pm-am; Fri:8pm-am; Sat:8pm-am; Closed: Mon
The current State Capitol building in Montgomery was reconstructed in 1850 after the original was burned down after only 2 years. Built in Greek Revival style, as both the state Capitol and the Capitol of the Confederacy during the Civil War. The original governor's suite, house chamber, and senate chamber are open for tours.
Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church had the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr as its pastor from 1954-1960. The church can trace its roots back to 1877 where it was founded in a slave trader's pen. A mural inside the church features Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's journey from Montgomery to Memphis.
The First White House of the Confederacy in Montgomery was the home of Jefferson Davis and his family after he was inaugurated in 1861.
The First White House was moved 10 blocks to its present location in 1921 and then restored. The house features double parlors and a library. Mrs. Jefferson Davis donated many items for display including period furnishings, war relics and some of Davis' personal property.
First White House of Confederacy (early 1861), built (1832-5), Montgomery.
Entrance to the First White House of the Confederacy in Montgomery.
Exhibits at the Hank Williams Museum in downtown Montgomery include the 1952 powder blue Cadillac, a Steinway piano, autographed record jackets, and costumes.
Memorial to Hank Williams in Montgomery.
Address: Hank Williams Museum, 118 Commerce Street, Montgomery, AL 36104, United States
Phone: 1 (334) 262-3600, Fax: 1 (334) 262-0686
Jasmine Hill features over 20 acres of gardens with classical Greek sculptures. Jasmine Hill began as "A Little Corner of Greece" in the 1930s by Benjamin and Mary Fitzpatrick. It has grown into an outdoor museum featuring reproductions of famous Greek works of art.
Olympic heroes and mythical gods are highlighted with statuaries throughout the gardens. A full-scale replica of the Temple of Hera ruins has also been added to the collection.
Address: Jasmine Hill Gardens and Outdoor Museum, Box 6001, Montgomery, AL 36106, United States
Phone: 1 (334) 263-5713, Fax: 1 (334) 263-5715
Tips: Opened on announced weekends in March, April, and May for Spring blooming season.
Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts has a primary focus of American art including paintings, prints, and a graphics collection. Other highlights include 19th C American decorative arts, furnishings, porcelain and glass as well as European Masters.
The museum also features traveling exhibtions and educational programs.
Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts.
Address: Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, Box 230819, Montgomery, AL 36123-0819, United States
Phone: 1 (334) 240-4333, Fax: 1 (334) 240-4384
Hours:
10am-5pm; Sun:12pm-5pm; Thu:10am-9pm; Closed: Mon
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), American Independance Day (July 4), Thanksgiving - USA (4th Thursday, November ), Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Old Alabama Town is a village depicting lifestyles of pioneers during the 19th and early 20th C. Buildings on the grounds include an 1850 three-story townhouse, salve quarters, a country doctor's office, a cotton gin, blacksmith shop and drugstore.
The restored buildings feature a cross-section of lifestyles from pioneer living to the elegant life in a townhouse.
Address: Old Alabama Town, 301 Columbus Street, Montgomery, AL 36104-2624, United States
Phone: 1 (334) 240-4500, Fax: 1 (334) 240-4519
Hours:
9am-4pm; Closed: Sun
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), Thanksgiving - USA (4th Thursday, November ), Christmas - Christian (December 25)
The F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum in Montgomery is located in the house where the Fitzgerald's lived during the writing of his 'Tender is the Night' and her 'Save Me the Waltz.' Two of the rooms pertain to Zelda, who was born and raised in Montgomery while other sections feature a collection of F. Scott Fitzgerald memorabilia.
St John's Episcopal parish in Montgomery was organized by a small group of pioneer settlers in 1834. By 1837, St John's parishioners had bought and occupied all 48 pews of the first brick church in town. The pew in which Jefferson Davis worshipped is marked.
In 1855 a larger church was built at the other end of the same block. In 1865, St. John's along with all the other Episcopal churches in Alabama was closed by order of the Union Army. They re-opened again in 1866.
Address: St. John's Episcopal Church, 113 Madison Avenue, Montgomery, AL 36104, United States
Phone: 1 (334) 262-1937, Fax: 1 (334) 262-1931
The Mooseum is a children's museum devoted to the beef cattle industry. Interactive exhibits such as livestock or pioneers will appeal to all ages, including Dusty, who has a horn span of six feet from tip to tip.
Address: The Mooseum, 201 South Bainbridge Street, Montgomery, AL , United States
Phone: 1 (334) 265-1867, Fax: 1 (334) 265-5326
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Alabama State Capitol, Montgomery
First White House of the Confederacy, Montgomery
Alabama State Capitol, Montgomery
Alabama State Capitol, Montgomery
Alabama State Capitol, Montgomery
Alabama State Capitol, Montgomery
Alabama State Capitol, Montgomery
