Trip report -- Montgomery, Alabama
Mar 29th, 2009, 02:32 PM
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Trip report -- Montgomery, Alabama
As part of a larger trip to Atlanta, decided to take a day-long side jaunt to Montgomery, Alabama. Here’s a report, since Fodor’s doesn’t cover this city.
Took a Greyhound bus out and back, which takes about 3-4 hours each way. First, note that Montgomery’s bus station is a good ways from downtown, well to the southwest. And trying to get a cab to come out and take me downtown was tough – after 45 minutes as a no-show and an admonition from the dispatcher after a second call to “be patient,”, decided to catch a passing city bus, which requires two transfers before reaching the capitol building area and goes through a lot of scruffy neighborhoods. Not so bad during mid-morning, though, and people were helpful getting me transferred to the right buses on route. The immediate downtown has very little beyond government buildings and attractions to see, as what exists of the downtown business section contains many boarded-up businesses, so I didn’t have a sit-down lunch or poke around stores, as there were very few options. Saw the following, all within an easy walk of each other in the immediate downtown:
-State Capitol Building. If you like your capitols very austere and plain, this one’s for you. This is an attractive enough Greek Revival style domed edifice from the outside with a few statues scattered on the surrounding lawn. Inside, there’s almost nothing in terms of ornament, statuary, paintings, and the trappings one usually finds in such places. The most interesting rooms to see were the two old legislature halls (which had Civil War historical interest) and the old archives room (containing the most architectural ornament), all on the second floor. The rotunda has some OK murals around the perimeter. There’s been some renovation here in past, which may still be going on in limited touch-up capacity. Seen via self-guided tours, free.
-The legislature now meets in the Alabama State House, a newer building behind the capitol. Saw both the House and Senate chambers there, which were of recent vintage and painfully ordinary. Oddly enough, one cannot access the Senate public viewing gallery via elevator. Free, self-guided.
-The First White House of the Confederacy was where Jefferson Davis and his family resided during the brief period that Montgomery served as the Confederacy’s capital. It’s an attractive early 19th century building incongruously surrounded by the big government monoliths in the area. It has several period furnishings and decorative items, as well as plenty of Davis’s personal effects, a pleasing example of its type. Seen via self-guided tours, free.
-The Hank Williams Museum is presumably a must if you’re heavily into this country artist, otherwise maybe not so much. It has loads of personal items and memorabilia, including records and instruments as well as the Cadillac car Williams died in (the museum says from a heart attack) at age 29. I thought the $8.00 admission was steep for what you get here.
-The Rosa Parks Library and Museum was excellent, and for someone like me who knew little about the Montgomery Bus Boycott of the 1950s, this was fascinating. It describes the circumstances surrounding and during the boycott in great detail, and features a period city bus that within its windows vividly recreates via film projections Parks’s civil disobedience and subsequent arrest on the bus. The $5.50 price was fair. Well worth it, the best attraction in the city.
-Allied to this was a tour of the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church. It’s a late 1800s brick church, with a relatively prosaic interior. This was where Martin Luther King had his first pastor’s job out of college, and was the first test case for his non-violent protest style during the Montgomery Bus Boycott. There’s a large, attractive mural on the lower level that depicts the boycott and King’s life in general – maybe not a technical masterpiece as murals go, but very affecting in content. The sanctuary upstairs is pleasantly attractive, not especially ornate. Seen via hour-long tour at somewhat limited hours (at 10, 11, 1, 2, 3, and when I was there, no one answered the door for a tour at 11 or 1 – but fortunately did get to see the 3:00 tour), and the $2 charge is modest. Definitely worth doing.
-Also splendid was the memorial fountain outside the Civil Rights Memorial and Center, just down the street from the Dexter Avenue Church. This was designed by Maya Lin, who also produced the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, DC. It’s a black granite entity consisting of a back wall and forward fountain basin; the latter is flattened like a circular table and on its top contains the names of several people killed during the civil rights movement in the South during the 50s and 60s. A very elegant and moving piece of public art, absolutely a must-see.
Getting a cab from downtown back to the bus station worked out better. I walked to what appears to be one of the few downtown hotels, the Embassy Suites, and asked to have a taxi called. It came shortly afterward, and the ride to the bus station was relatively quick and easy.
Had there been more time and access to a car, I would have considered including some sights located outside this immediate downtown perimeter to varying degrees: the Dexter Parsonage, Old Alabama Town, F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum, and the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts. But this made for a worthwhile day trip, especially for the civil rights related attractions.
Took a Greyhound bus out and back, which takes about 3-4 hours each way. First, note that Montgomery’s bus station is a good ways from downtown, well to the southwest. And trying to get a cab to come out and take me downtown was tough – after 45 minutes as a no-show and an admonition from the dispatcher after a second call to “be patient,”, decided to catch a passing city bus, which requires two transfers before reaching the capitol building area and goes through a lot of scruffy neighborhoods. Not so bad during mid-morning, though, and people were helpful getting me transferred to the right buses on route. The immediate downtown has very little beyond government buildings and attractions to see, as what exists of the downtown business section contains many boarded-up businesses, so I didn’t have a sit-down lunch or poke around stores, as there were very few options. Saw the following, all within an easy walk of each other in the immediate downtown:
-State Capitol Building. If you like your capitols very austere and plain, this one’s for you. This is an attractive enough Greek Revival style domed edifice from the outside with a few statues scattered on the surrounding lawn. Inside, there’s almost nothing in terms of ornament, statuary, paintings, and the trappings one usually finds in such places. The most interesting rooms to see were the two old legislature halls (which had Civil War historical interest) and the old archives room (containing the most architectural ornament), all on the second floor. The rotunda has some OK murals around the perimeter. There’s been some renovation here in past, which may still be going on in limited touch-up capacity. Seen via self-guided tours, free.
-The legislature now meets in the Alabama State House, a newer building behind the capitol. Saw both the House and Senate chambers there, which were of recent vintage and painfully ordinary. Oddly enough, one cannot access the Senate public viewing gallery via elevator. Free, self-guided.
-The First White House of the Confederacy was where Jefferson Davis and his family resided during the brief period that Montgomery served as the Confederacy’s capital. It’s an attractive early 19th century building incongruously surrounded by the big government monoliths in the area. It has several period furnishings and decorative items, as well as plenty of Davis’s personal effects, a pleasing example of its type. Seen via self-guided tours, free.
-The Hank Williams Museum is presumably a must if you’re heavily into this country artist, otherwise maybe not so much. It has loads of personal items and memorabilia, including records and instruments as well as the Cadillac car Williams died in (the museum says from a heart attack) at age 29. I thought the $8.00 admission was steep for what you get here.
-The Rosa Parks Library and Museum was excellent, and for someone like me who knew little about the Montgomery Bus Boycott of the 1950s, this was fascinating. It describes the circumstances surrounding and during the boycott in great detail, and features a period city bus that within its windows vividly recreates via film projections Parks’s civil disobedience and subsequent arrest on the bus. The $5.50 price was fair. Well worth it, the best attraction in the city.
-Allied to this was a tour of the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church. It’s a late 1800s brick church, with a relatively prosaic interior. This was where Martin Luther King had his first pastor’s job out of college, and was the first test case for his non-violent protest style during the Montgomery Bus Boycott. There’s a large, attractive mural on the lower level that depicts the boycott and King’s life in general – maybe not a technical masterpiece as murals go, but very affecting in content. The sanctuary upstairs is pleasantly attractive, not especially ornate. Seen via hour-long tour at somewhat limited hours (at 10, 11, 1, 2, 3, and when I was there, no one answered the door for a tour at 11 or 1 – but fortunately did get to see the 3:00 tour), and the $2 charge is modest. Definitely worth doing.
-Also splendid was the memorial fountain outside the Civil Rights Memorial and Center, just down the street from the Dexter Avenue Church. This was designed by Maya Lin, who also produced the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, DC. It’s a black granite entity consisting of a back wall and forward fountain basin; the latter is flattened like a circular table and on its top contains the names of several people killed during the civil rights movement in the South during the 50s and 60s. A very elegant and moving piece of public art, absolutely a must-see.
Getting a cab from downtown back to the bus station worked out better. I walked to what appears to be one of the few downtown hotels, the Embassy Suites, and asked to have a taxi called. It came shortly afterward, and the ride to the bus station was relatively quick and easy.
Had there been more time and access to a car, I would have considered including some sights located outside this immediate downtown perimeter to varying degrees: the Dexter Parsonage, Old Alabama Town, F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum, and the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts. But this made for a worthwhile day trip, especially for the civil rights related attractions.
Mar 29th, 2009, 03:03 PM
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Thanks for the trip report on a rarely mentioned state capital.
I've been places like this; very frustrating for a car-less traveller like myself... Where Greyhound's the only public transit into the city and drops one off WAY out of the city center... no taxi comes even when you call...bus connections require multiple transfers (in some cases with spotty service)... it's almost like they don't want my sort of traveller to visit (only those with cars welcome)!
How wonderful that you navigated the city with a worthwhile day trip to boot! Daniel
I've been places like this; very frustrating for a car-less traveller like myself... Where Greyhound's the only public transit into the city and drops one off WAY out of the city center... no taxi comes even when you call...bus connections require multiple transfers (in some cases with spotty service)... it's almost like they don't want my sort of traveller to visit (only those with cars welcome)!
How wonderful that you navigated the city with a worthwhile day trip to boot! Daniel
Mar 30th, 2009, 07:12 AM
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Glad to hear an update since my last (& I also mean LAST) visit there. I have been berated in the past for talking about how the downtown area is boarded up. Thank you for the update (it seems little has changed) glad you enjoyed your trip.
Mar 30th, 2009, 03:07 PM
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I should add that while most of the downtown businesses were indeed boarded up, I never felt unsafe in the area during the business-hours stretch I was there. People were walking around, the buildings with boarded up fronts weren't themselves especially run down, the area was peppered with several government buildings and attractions, and the streets are wide and open in this area. If you're a window shopper or want a lot of sit-down meal options, there's no question that downtown Montgomery is a poor choice. And it's entirely possible this may not be a good spot to linger after business hours, but I didn't opt to do so in any event.
Still, I did like the sights there -- made for an enjoyable day trip, especially for civil rights related stuff.
Still, I did like the sights there -- made for an enjoyable day trip, especially for civil rights related stuff.
Apr 2nd, 2009, 02:01 PM
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yk--
Have been to 13 so far (visited the capitol building at each via guided or self-guided tour) and hope to see more over the next few years. I understand there are some real die-hard "capitol chasers" out there who hope to say they've seen all or most all of them. Don't know if I'll go that far, but I find these to make very interesting visiting. So far, I've found all these buildings to be at least reasonably interesting -- and some are stunners.
Have been to 13 so far (visited the capitol building at each via guided or self-guided tour) and hope to see more over the next few years. I understand there are some real die-hard "capitol chasers" out there who hope to say they've seen all or most all of them. Don't know if I'll go that far, but I find these to make very interesting visiting. So far, I've found all these buildings to be at least reasonably interesting -- and some are stunners.
Apr 2nd, 2009, 03:45 PM
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yk--
For state capitol buildings, have so far seen those at Augusta (ME), Concord (NH), Boston (MA), Montpelier (VT), Providence (RI), Hartford (CT), Albany (NY), Trenton (NJ), Indianapolis (IN), St. Paul (MN), Salt Lake City (UT), Montgomery (AL), and Atlanta (GA). I thought the most impressive (counting inside as well as outside) were at Albany, Hartford, and Trenton, the least impressive at Augusta, Montgomery, and Concord. But even the least impressive were worth seeing.
I avoid driving partly on principle (prefer to use public transport that's already running or just walk rather than burn another tank of gas), partly because you see other areas of a city you wouldn't when you take public transport (for better or worse), partly because I prefer not to drive, partly because I dislike dealing with rental cars and rental car companies, and partly because I don't currently own a vehicle.
For state capitol buildings, have so far seen those at Augusta (ME), Concord (NH), Boston (MA), Montpelier (VT), Providence (RI), Hartford (CT), Albany (NY), Trenton (NJ), Indianapolis (IN), St. Paul (MN), Salt Lake City (UT), Montgomery (AL), and Atlanta (GA). I thought the most impressive (counting inside as well as outside) were at Albany, Hartford, and Trenton, the least impressive at Augusta, Montgomery, and Concord. But even the least impressive were worth seeing.
I avoid driving partly on principle (prefer to use public transport that's already running or just walk rather than burn another tank of gas), partly because you see other areas of a city you wouldn't when you take public transport (for better or worse), partly because I prefer not to drive, partly because I dislike dealing with rental cars and rental car companies, and partly because I don't currently own a vehicle.
Aug 5th, 2013, 03:24 PM
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he Hank Williams Museum admission fee is ten dollars now.
It did have some treasures such as Hank's car and death certificate. There were some things I didn't like. You can't take pictures, and they will tell you to put your camera away. They won't let paying customers of the museum use the bathroom. Not knowing that, I actually contributed money to the donation jar. The girl who took my money told my husband and me that they didn't have a bathroom, and we could probably find a bathroom in a store downtown somewhere. A first-rate esta
It did have some treasures such as Hank's car and death certificate. There were some things I didn't like. You can't take pictures, and they will tell you to put your camera away. They won't let paying customers of the museum use the bathroom. Not knowing that, I actually contributed money to the donation jar. The girl who took my money told my husband and me that they didn't have a bathroom, and we could probably find a bathroom in a store downtown somewhere. A first-rate esta
May 23rd, 2019, 04:54 AM
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An update for anyone interested in visiting Montgomery: The Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration and the Memorial for Peace and Justice opened in 2018 and are very powerful reminders of the story of racial inequality in our country.
https://museumandmemorial.eji.org/
https://museumandmemorial.eji.org/
May 23rd, 2019, 05:18 AM
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I did a long weekend trip to Montgomery last month, and I'll be writing about it shortly for Fodors.com. I was really surprised and impressed by the city, and I had a great time. I couldn't agree more about the Legacy Museum and the Memorial for Peace and Justice. Those alone are worth the trip.
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