Montgomery Tourist Information and Tourism

(Montgomery, Alabama - AL, USA)

A fairly sleepy city and state capital, Montgomery was settled in the early decades of the 18th century, being incorporated in 1819 and achieving capital status in 1846. In 1861, it was even awarded the prestigious title of Confederate States of America capital.

Montgomery sits alongside the curving Alabama River, which aided its rise to power by providing a convenient port for the shipping of cargo, such as cotton. Civil rights and equality have long been associated with the capital, a big part of which was the famous and successful 1955 bus boycott, prompted by the actions of local Rosa Parks. Tourists wishing to learn more about this period and event will find it well documented in a dedicated museum. A further Civil Rights protest was held in the mid-1960s, with a march between Selma and Montgomery being led by Martin Luther King Jr.

The Wynton M. Blount Cultural Park serves as an important recreational space in the city and it is here where the famous Alabama Shakespeare Festival takes place, being established in 1922. Today, the festival lays on over 400 different performances and attracts in excess of 300,000 visitors, meaning that the demand for hotel rooms can rocket during this time. For advice about accommodation and general tourist information, the Montgomery Area Convention and Visitor Bureau on Water Street, just down the road from the Riverfront Park, is the place to come.

Montgomery Tourist Information and Tourism: Top Sights

With a really rather long and appealing list of tourist attractions, Montgomery certainly tries to accommodate its visitors, whatever the season or the weather. If you are on holiday in Alabama's capital and have brought your children, then they will certainly appreciate being taken to see the numerous large and exotic animals living at Montgomery Zoo on the Coliseum Parkway, where pedalos on the lake and the Zoofari Skylift ride are particular highlights.

If you are simply looking to familiarise yourself with your new surroundings and meet the natives, then a visit to the trendy Alley Station district is recommended. Those intending to sightsee here will soon realise that this district can easily fill several days, with its plentiful places of interest just waiting to be properly explored. For an evening out, the Capri Theater on East Fairview Avenue and the Davis Theater for the Performing Arts on Montgomery Street will both oblige, with their very decent selection of shows. Sports fans may like to check out the huge New ASU Stadium on University Drive North, which was completed in 2012 at the cost of over US$60 million. Baseball games regularly take place at the Paterson Field venue on Madison Avenue and at the Riverwalk Stadium on Coosa Street, and at the Motorsports Park on North Belt Drive, exciting drag races are often taking place. More information about Montgomery Tourist Attractions.

One of the city's most important and most noticeable landmarks is the Alabama State Capitol Building, which resides on the northerly side of downtown Montgomery, close to the Centennial Hill area. The Capitol dates from the middle of the 19th century and features an elegant Greek Revival facade, complete with a huge lantern and dome, and welcomes visitors Monday to Saturday with its guided and self-guided tours. Just a few blocks away is the eye-catching Montgomery City Hall, which is close to the Court Square Plaza Shopping Center and famously hosted the funeral of country music legend Hank Williams in 1953, with some 20,000 mourners lining the street outside.

Home to more than 50 historical buildings, Old Alabama Town covers roughly six blocks and resides within downtown Montgomery, being perfect for sightseeing. Elsewhere, further sites include the Civil Rights Memorial on Washington Avenue, the King Memorial Baptist Church on Dexter Avenue, and the Alabama Governor's Mansion on South Perry Street, which dates from the early 1900s and has been owned by the state since the middle of the 20th century. More information about Montgomery Landmarks and Monuments.

The museums of Montgomery are certainly interesting and tend to concentrate on the lives and accomplishments of famous past residents of the city. At the Hank Williams Museum on Commerce Street, this country music legend is honored, while the Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum on Felder Avenue celebrates the lives of these renowned authors (Scott famously wrote 'The Great Gatsby' in the early 1920s, amongst other novels). Civil rights leaders Vernon Johns and Martin Luther King Junior are both remembered at the Dexter Parsonage on South Jackson Street, and the civil rights theme and fight for equality is continued at the Rosa Parks Library and Museum on Montgomery Street. For fine American art from the 19th century onwards, consider visiting the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts on Museum Drive, with this gallery being rated as one of the best and the oldest that Alabama has to offer. More information about Montgomery Museums and Montgomery Art Galleries.

If you are based in Montgomery for more than just a few days, perhaps on holiday, then the possibility of a day trip or two may well rear its head. Popular nearby destinations suitable for excursions include the Paul M. Grist State Park (northwest), the town of Selma (west) and also Greenville (southwest), where the Sherling Lake Park and Campground is to be found. Various freeways and interstates intersect the city and make getting around fairly straightforward, either by rental car or by bus. If you are prepared to travel as far as the metropolis of Birmingham, Alabama's largest city, then you will be able to choose between quality tourist attractions such as the city's zoological gardens - Birmingham Zoo, the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame and the Visionland Theme Land. Weekend breaks or longer vacations at Atlanta (Georgia) may well appeal and this city resides to the far northeast, being approximately 160 miles / 257 km away, via Interstate I-85. More information about Montgomery Attractions Nearby.

More Montgomery Information / Fast Facts and Orientation

• Country: USA
• Location: Alabama State (AL), Montgomery County, next to Alabama River
• Status: city and state capital
• Area: approximately 156 square miles / 404 square kilometres
• Population: approximately 210,000
• Language: American English
• Currency: US Dollar (USD)
• Time zone: GMT - 6 hours Central Standard Time (daylight saving time is observed)
• Country dialling code: +1
• Telephone area code: 334
• Average daily Montgomery January temperature: 14°C / 57°F
• Average daily Montgomery July temperature: 34°C / 93°F