Location: Montgomery
Top Things to do in Montgomery
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10 Budget-friendly Things to do 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. Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 471 reviews
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., used the pulpit of this unassuming red brick church to lead the 1955-56 Montgomery bus boycott, which ignited the civil rights movement. Steeped in history, this church, where Dr. King served as pastor from 1954 to 1960, was also the site of many civil rights meetings during that era.
Reviewed By IdaIllinois
In early March we visited this historical site in the shadow of the State Capitol in Montgomery where Martin Luther King, Jr. was pastor from 1954 to 1960 and organized the Montgomery Bus Boycott from his basement office. There is a tour of the church and parsonage on Tuesday through Saturday at specific times; the fee is very reasonable. Since we arrived halfway through a tour, we were privileged to be a part of two tours with a group of two college student classes. Our docent was Wanda Howard Battle who was a very personal guide to each person and had us all feeling like part of a larger and better group. She made the sanctuary, the basement, MLK’s lectern, and his office come alive with her words of history, culture, spiritualism, art, music, and humanism. It was a very uplifting hour tour, and one which you need to experience when you are in Montgomery.
2. Dexter Parsonage Museum - Dr. Martin Luther King home
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 534 reviews
Martin Luther King's residence from September 1954 to February 1960.
Reviewed By Bearwife - Shoreline, United States
Arrive on the hour or arrange in advance for a group tour of this important civil rights site. This is where Dr. King lived from 1954 to 1956 as the pastor of the Dexter Street church, and was the President of the Montgomery Improvement Association, which led the bus boycott after Rosa Parks’ arrest. The parsonage was bombed and subjected to 40 plus telephone death threats during that time too. Down the street is the very important Harris house and behind the interpretive center is a thought provoking garden.
3. Wynton M. Blount Cultural Park
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 52 reviews
4. 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.
5. National Memorial for Peace and Justice
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 488 reviews
Reviewed By narbiter
This and the Legacy Museum are long overdue and have been desperately needed for decades.Travel to see it, bring your children, friends, family and co-workers. Talk about it when you go home. Tell the people who teach your children. Lobby to get our text books change. Vote against mass incarceration.... and remember this is where prejudice travels to ....As someone once said sooner or later we sit down to the banquet of consequences... We are in the middle of that banquet in the United States... time to wake up to it, and be active -- it is a memorial... and it is also a call to action-- to remember and stand on the shoulders of what we have learned..... and not repeat.... Thank you Equal Justice Initiative Team.
6. 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.
7. First White House of the Confederacy
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 567 reviews
Built in 1835, this was the home of the Confederacy President, Jefferson Davis.
Reviewed By Abodenheimer
It is in remarkable condition, and is FREE to get in. The docents are incredibly helpful and nice. When my daughter told them that she is a history major, they even gave her a free book from the book store. The furnishings and other period pieces, such as clothing and jewelry, were beautiful and well preserved.
8. Hank Williams Memorial - Oakwood Annex Cemetery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 148 reviews
Grave sites of Hank Williams, his wife, mother and sister in the Oakwood Cemetery Annex. Managed by the Hank Williams Museum. 118 Commerce Street, Montgomery, AL 36104. This is one of the most famous and most visited graves in Alabama.
Reviewed By R3683IUsandrah - Alabama, United States
I came in from Las Vegas to visit family in Montgomery. Being a fan, i enjoyed the visit to pay respect to an American country music icon. It touched my heart that this plot is for Audrey also. A family plot. This made it more special. I saw Audrey with Hank Jr in the late 60s. This was an experience I enjoyed and will never forget. Well worth the visit.
9. 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
10. Civil Rights Memorial
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 199 reviews
The names of 40 people killed in the battle for civil rights between 1954, when the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed segregation, and 1968, the year of the assassination of Martin Luther King, are embedded forever in this round, flat, granite sculpture. Water flows gently over the surface of the inspiring memorial, designed by Maya Lin, who also created the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
Reviewed By kathykoons1 - Oviedo, United States
Maya Lin, who designed the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington DC, has created another moving tribute. This time, the names of those who died in the Civil Rights struggle and the history of the struggle are engraved in the stone. It can be difficult to read at times due to the action of the water on the stone.
