From the Civil War to Civil Rights and new visions for tomorrow, Montgomery is steeped in history, tested by rebellion and always courageous and changing.
Things to do in Montgomery
Civil Rights Memorial
The Civil Rights Memorial honors the achievements and memory of those who lost their lives during the Civil Rights Movement, a period framed by the momentous Brown v. Board decision in 1954 and the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King in 1968. Call (334) 242-4076 for more information.
201 Monroe St # 110, Montgomery, AL
First White House of the Confederacy
Civil War buffs should not miss the First White House of the Confederacy, where Jefferson Davis and his family once lived. The Confederate White House contains period furnishings and many of Davis's personal belongings. It was here in Montgomery that Confederate President Davis gave the order to fire on Fort Sumter, which launched the Civil War. Call (334) 242-1861 for more information.
644 Washington Ave., Montgomery, AL
Hank Williams Museum
The centerpiece of the museum is the baby-blue 1952 Cadillac in which Williams was riding when he collapsed and died in the back seat. Other galleries overflow with vinyl 78 records; many of Williams's personal belongings, costumes, and guitars; and an antique jukebox on which visitors can punch buttons to hear such classics as "Hey Good Lookin'" and "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry." Williams is buried in Oakwood Cemetery Annex, 1304 Upper Wetumpka Rd., and there's a bronze statue of the lanky entertainer in the heart of downtown. Call (334) 262-3600 for more information.
118 Commerce St., Montgomery, AL
Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts
The free museum features Southern regional art as well as paintings and prints by the old masters. If the museum has a signature artwork, it is probably Edward Hicks's well-known The Peaceable Kingdom (ca. 1830). The museum's special exhibitions in 2005-06 will focus on the work of a wide variety of artists, including James McNeill Whistler, Ansel Adams, and James Jacob Lawrence. Call (334) 244-5700 for more information.
1 Museum Dr., Montgomery, AL
Rosa Parks Museum
Through a series of stunning galleries, interactive displays help viewers empathize on a personal level with the black seamstress Rosa Parks, who sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955 by refusing to give her seat on the bus to a white man. Her subsequent arrest made international headlines and led to a citywide boycott of public transportation, led by the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. An emotional highlight of the museum is the gallery that re-creates a 1955 street scene with a replica of the bus on which Parks rode. Call (334) 241-8615 for more information.
252 Montgomery St., Montgomery, AL