Location: Montgomery
Top Things to do in Montgomery
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10 Museums in Montgomery That You Shouldn't Miss
Old southern charm meets modern city allure in Montgomery, where the weather is sublime and the food is divine! Explore life in the 19th-century South at Old Alabama Town, sample the city's artsy side at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts or spend the day reliving the era of Civil Rights. Rosa Parks, the African-American woman who changed history in the United States by refusing to ride in the back of the bus, was arrested in Montgomery, and there are a number of interesting attractions in her honor. Literary buffs will be wowed by the Fitzgerald Museum, while kids will want to spend hours at the Montgomery Zoo. Everyone will enjoy the delicious southern cuisine, from black-eyed pea soup to country ham and red-eyed gravy. Fancy or no-frills, a visit to Montgomery will leave you with a taste for more.
Restaurants in Montgomery
1. Marcia Weber Art Objects
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 2 reviews
This gallery is filled with more than 1000 original works of art-- a premier source for Self-Taught Art, Contemporary Folk Art and Outsider Art for more than twenty years. Located in the heart of historic downtown Wetumpka. Best to call ahead to visit. The gallery website is available to browse and you might even catch an exhibit from this gallery in New York, Atlanta or Chicago. The gallery can ship any purchase.
2. SAC's Gallery
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 2 reviews
3. Legacy Museum
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 361 reviews
Reviewed By jillg272019 - Cambridge, United Kingdom
the museum and the memorial are stupendous testimonials to the history of African Americans in USA. a moving and memorable experience.
4. Equal Justice Initiative
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 27 reviews
Reviewed By _lmglevin - Denver, United States
This wonderfully designed museum spans the African American experience from the beginnings of the slave trade, through the Civil War, Jim Crow era, the Civil Rights Movement and racism in the criminal "justice" system. Many mediums are utilized to make the history accessible. Such an important museum.
5. Alabama State Capitol
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 398 reviews
Built in 1851, the capitol building served as the first capitol for the Confederate States of America.
Reviewed By 199dannyc - Wetumpka, United States
The Alabama State Capital is a Beautiful building and well worth the time to tour it! Wen there a few weeks ago and it was awesome. The wood and marble have look as if they were brand new and of course they are over 150 years old. If you appreciate history and architecture, you will really enjoy your time there.
6. The F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 268 reviews
This historic house honors novelist F. Scott, best known for "The Great Gatsby," and his wife, Zelda, artist and author. The museum operates out of the last surviving home they lived in during their lives together. The structure was saved from demolition in 1986. It is the location where Scott worked on "Tender is the Night", and Zelda on "Save Me the Waltz". You can now stay in the house in either Scott or Zelda Suite. Please see the museum website for Airbnb details and availability.
Reviewed By 171judim - Philadelphia, United States
If you are in Montgomery and want a break from all of the Civil Rights venues, this museum is a good break and place to take your mind off of the horrors of slavery. The small museum is located in a home whee the couple briefly lived. It is filled with artifacts from Zeda, Scott and others. Most interesting to me were the actual letter they wrote to each other. I ws also amazed by the quality of elda's paintings. The museum is a work in progress. It is obvious they need money to restore and update the building. But if you follow F. Scott and love his books, this is a place to visit. And even if you aren't a Fitrzgerald expert it is a great example of what life was like in the early 20th century. Put it on your to do list in Montgomery
7. Rosa Parks Library and Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 734 reviews
This tribute to the "Mother of the Civil Rights Movement" honors Rosa Parks, the African-American woman who, in 1955, sparked the civil rights movement by refusing to give her bus seat to a white man. The museum helps visitors relive this tumultuous era with a video, artifacts, historical documents, a lifesize statue of Rosa Parks and a replica of the bus in which she sat that day.
Reviewed By docwgk - Mobile, United States
Very effective presentation of an important historical event. An initial video is followed by a re-enactment of the historic bus ride, the beginning of the modern Civil Rights movement.
8. Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 166 reviews
The mission of the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts is to collect, preserve, exhibit and interpret art of the highest quality for the enrichment, enlightenment, and enjoyment of its public.
Reviewed By VWMAYER
Really a nice museum with an impressive and varied collection! We came to see the Gee’s Bend quilts. We left after seeing some wonderful blown glass, TH Benton, Frank Stella, Deborah Butterfield, Hopper, Rembrandt and on and on and on. What a treat! What’s more, there’s no admission fee.
9. Alabama Department of Archives and History
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 229 reviews
The Alabama Department of Archives and History (ADAH) has been the home of Alabama history for more than a century. It is the nation's oldest state-funded, independent archival and historical agency. Located in downtown Montgomery across the street from the capitol, the ADAH is the official government records repository for the state, a private collections library and research facility, and also home to the Museum of Alabama, the state's history museum. The Museum of Alabama is the only destination where you can explore Alabama's past from prehistory to the present. Permanent exhibitions at the Museum of Alabama include The Land of Alabama, introducing the geology and natural resources that helped shape the state's history, and The First Alabamians, featuring artifacts, murals, and a diorama that tell the inspiring story of fourteen thousand years of Native American culture. An entirely new centerpiece exhibition called Alabama Voices opened in February 2014. This exhibition covers the dramatic unfolding of Alabama history from the dawn of the 1700s to the beginning of the 21st century. More than 800 artifacts, hundreds of images and documents, and twenty-two audiovisual programs tell the story of struggles over the land, the rise of a cotton economy, the Civil War, industrialization, world wars, civil rights, the race to the moon, and more. Voices taken from diaries, letters, speeches, songs, and other sources convey the experiences of Alabamians who lived through and shaped the history of these periods. The Museum of Alabama provides interactive educational resources for children and families in the Hands-On-Gallery and Grandma's Attic. Here, families and children can dress in period costumes, play with toys from bygone eras, make their own crafts, listen to stories, and much more. The Museum of Alabama is open Monday-Saturday, 8:30-4:30 and admission is always FREE! Visit our Research Room, open Tuesday-Friday and the second Saturday of each month from 8:30-4:30, to learn more about your family's contribution to Alabama's history. Get expert guidance from our staff, work with original records and online resources, and start building your family tree. Come find your story!
Reviewed By V8976ZRjob - Hoover, United States
Having played in many concerts in the front of the ARCHIVES I can say I really appreciate this grand building. I took California guests there and they were enthralled with the third floor particularly .It begins with the Giant wooly Mammouth and moves thru then eons of time to modern times..it will hold your interest as it has the latest technology displays and objects...The 3rd floor was designed in cooperation with the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. You can expect excellence and a good use of your travel time.
10. Civil Rights Memorial Center
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 421 reviews
The Civil Rights Memorial Center is sponsored by the Southern Poverty Law Center in downtown Montgomery. It includes a great deal of educational information about the Civil Rights Movement, an original 20 minute film about the Movement, and the Civil Rights Memorial. $2.00 admission charged for adults, under 18 FREE.
Reviewed By sumaksito - Houston, United States
Very worthwhile museum to visit, which provides information on the struggle for civil rights for all, and for counteracting hatred across the globe. The outside ground of the museum are very beautiful and every installation you see has a meaning. The initiative is promoted via testimonials, videos, and historical evidence that seeks to reach a consensus for mutual respect and dignity. The end of the museum is the highlight, where you are presented with the imposing Wall of Tolerance. This is an actual giant video monitor with names that appear and scroll in different directions. These names are people who are committed to fighting hatred, and you can enter your name that will appear on the screen as well. On the side of the wall is the mission that you sign up for. This is a symbolic yet powerful commitment to fight hatred worldwide. Excellent museum.
