After the Meeting

Skipping a Session?

Did you know that Montgomery is home to two of the most cataclysmic events in our nation’s history? Two events that shaped the image of our nation…the Civil War and the Civil Rights movement.

While you’re skipping your session at the conference, take an hour or so to walk the streets of downtown Montgomery and learn what went down in this historical city. The telegram to fire shots on Fort Sumter was sent from the Winter Building at Court Square. Just steps from this location was where Mrs. Rosa McCauley Parks boarded the infamous bus that put her down in the history books. A few blocks down from the bus stop now sits a world-class museum that tells the story of her courageous stand and the impact of the Montgomery Bus Boycott in the 1950’s. In addition to these events, you’ll find more intriguing history that happened right here in our southern city. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was the pastor at Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist church and lived just a few blocks from the church at the Dexter Parsonage. The church still has an active congregation and the home is now a museum dedicated to his good works here in Montgomery. And, you definitely won’t want to miss the First White House of the Confederacy, the Alabama Department of Archives and History (the Smithsonian of Alabama) or the Civil Rights Memorial and Center. Of course, there are many more cultural attractions that’ll take you back in time here in Alabama’s historic capital.

Afternoon Outing

In town for a conference, meeting or just visiting Montgomery? Got a free afternoon for an outing? Don’t miss a chance to experience Montgomery’s hidden jewel in Blount Cultural Park. This 350-acre park in the center of the city is home to the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts and the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. This luscious park mimics an English countryside with rolling green hills, a beautiful and serene lake as well as walking trails, artistic sculptures and even black swans! Admission to the Museum is free and is open Tuesday – Sunday for patrons. Inside the Museum you will find an extensive collection of 19th and 20th century American paintings, Southern regional art, Old Master prints and decorative art. It also houses an interactive gallery for children called ARTWORKS. Café M, inside the Museum offers a casual but scrumptious lunch for you and your friends! All events at the museum can be found at www.mmfa.org. Opposite the Museum is the captivating Alabama Shakespeare Festival. This theatre is ranked among the top ten Shakespeare Theatres in the world and draws more than 300,000 visitors from all over the globe each year. ASF puts on a wide variety of productions that all share one thing: world-class. Learn more about the theatre or other fun things to do in Alabama.

If I were out on the Town

A day in Montgomery could easily be filled with antique shopping, gallery browsing and stocking up on Alabama-made items to surprise your family members back home. If you’re one for items of the past, don’t pass up an opportunity to visit the shops of the Mulberry district and Old Cloverdale. Sometimes you can find your most treasured items when you weren’t planning on looking. On Mulberry Street, you’ll find old homes turned into antique shops, clothing boutiques or cupcake shops. The store owners could even tell you a little bit about Montgomery’s historical past! And, in Old Cloverdale, the hippest part of town, you’ll find more antique shops, unique jewelry and clothing stores as well as intriguing art galleries! While you’re in the area you could also take a peak back to the roaring 20’s if you visit the F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum. Infamous author F. Scott Fitzgerald and his flapper wife Zelda live at 919 Felder Avenue in Old Cloverdale while he was stationed here in the military. The museum curator can fill you in on all the facts about Scott and Zelda and their home here in Montgomery. Who knew?? To take a piece of your trip back home, several gift shops in the area offer a little piece of Alabama to all visitors. A few shops to make note of are: The Stop at Union Station at the Montgomery Area Visitor Center, the Goat Hill Gift Shop inside the state capitol building and the Governor’s Mansion Gift Shop on Finley Avenue. Find a complete list of Alabama attractions.