Places to visit in Montgomery, AL.
If you’re traveling to Alabama, you’ll want to visit its capital city, Montgomery. The city is home to many museums and attractions. These include the Rosa Parks Museum, the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, and the Alabama Safari Park. In addition, the city is home to the Civil Rights Memorial, which commemorates the civil rights movement of the 20th century.
Montgomery is a fascinating city and offers many things to do. There are plenty of museums to explore and many historical sites. And Montgomery has a wide variety of food and drink options. You can also check out the Montgomery Zoo, which has more than 750 animals worldwide.
Alabama State Capitol
The Alabama State Capitol is one of the most important landmarks in Montgomery. The building was built in 1851 in the Greek Revival style. It has been designated as a National Historic Landmark.
The building’s original facade has a sizeable pilastered portico. It is a three-story structure that rises from a low basement. Its rear wing accommodates two floors of offices and a sizeable judicial library. There is also a gift shop in the basement.
During the Civil War, the building was the Confederacy’s Capitol. A Confederate monument on the north lawn marks the site of the inauguration of Jefferson Davis, who became the first president of the Confederacy.
After the war, the Capitol was renovated. Gas lighting was installed in the building. New desks and chairs replaced nineteenth-century appointments in the legislative chambers. And neoclassical relief plasterwork replaced Reconstruction-era trompe l’oeil in the central dome.
In addition to being a landmark, the Alabama State Capitol is a working museum of the state’s history. Several areas are open to the public, including the governor’s office, the Senate Chamber, and the House of Representatives.
Montgomery Zoo & Mann Wildlife Learning Museum
The Montgomery Zoo and Mann Wildlife Learning Museum in Alabama is a great place to learn about animals. This zoo features animals from around the world. It is home to 750 animals, representing 140 species. There are plenty of animals to see and explore, such as alligators, pygmy hippos, ring-tailed lemurs, and monkeys. You can also learn about conservation and animal behavior.
There are a variety of exhibits at the zoo, each categorized by continent. You will find animals from Africa, South America, Asia, and North America, as well as some native animals. Those who visit the zoo will have the chance to observe alligators, tigers, cheetahs, lions, and even killer whales (orcas).
Visiting the Mann Wildlife Learning Museum at the zoo is a fun way to learn about the natural world. Here, you can touch, smell, and even hold animals. The animals displayed in the museum are three-sided, so you can see what they look like from all sides. Guests can also interact with the antlers of some of the animals.
The zoo is a member of the Zoological Association of America and is accredited. It is on 42 acres of land and features a wide variety of animals, a petting zoo, and a miniature train.
The Legacy Museum
The Legacy Museum is an immersive experience that brings the history of slavery and lynching to life. The museum is a new venture created by the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), a Montgomery-based nonprofit organization that provides legal aid to those who need it.
For many years, the EJI has researched the issues surrounding racial inequality. They are based on the belief that America’s past of racial injustice continues and that more must be done to ensure equal justice for all citizens.
Their mission is to provide legal assistance to those who need it while educating people about the enduring legacy of racial inequality in America. In addition, they have launched an outreach program that educates about the history of racial segregation and the need for truth and reconciliation.
The Legacy Museum is housed in a former cotton warehouse and is a project of the Equal Justice Initiative. It is located in Montgomery, Alabama, near the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, a memorial that bears the names of the victims of lynchings throughout the United States.
Exhibits are based on the group’s extensive research. They focus on the historical legacy of slavery in the United States, lynchings, and codified racial segregation. These exhibits use art, sculpture, sound, and light to create an experience that immerses visitors in the historical and contemporary issues associated with mass incarceration.
Visitors will encounter replica pens used by enslaved people, photographs of publicized hangings, and other interactive content. A timeline of Supreme Court rulings related to slavery and racial segregation is also displayed.
The National Memorial for Peace and Justice
The National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama, honors the legacy of enslaved Black people and people of color harmed by white supremacy. It also commemorates victims of police violence and lynching. This memorial is a project of the Equal Justice Initiative.
Bryan Stevenson, a public interest lawyer and MacArthur Fellow founded the memorial. His group spent years researching the archives of lynchings in Alabama and other southern states. They compiled a database of nearly 4,400 lynchings.
The National Memorial for Peace and Justice is situated on six acres in downtown Montgomery. In the former slave market building, visitors can learn about the history of slavery and racial segregation.
The monument is also home to a museum and gift shop. A nearby parsonage cottage is where Dr. Martin Luther King’s family lived.
Alabama Safari Park
If you’re looking for a wildlife park in the southeast, the Alabama Safari Park may be an excellent place. This park is a 350-acre wildlife park located in Hope Hull, Alabama. It is open to the public daily and is a drive-through attraction. You can even hand-feed the animals if you’d like to.
The park has over three miles of gravel roads, making it easy for you to interact with the animals. You can feed giraffes, elephants, zebras, ostriches, anteaters, and llamas. They come to the car, and you can feed them from the windows. Whether you’re feeding the animals or watching them, you’ll be amazed at what you find.
There is also a petting zoo where you can get to know the animals. You’ll find baby llamas, potbellied pigs, chickens, and giant anteaters. These are all used to people and are usually quite friendly. However, it would help if you kept your doors and tailgate closed to prevent the animals from coming out.
The park isn’t a commercial rival, but it is an excellent place to go if you’re looking for an enjoyable day in the great outdoors. There are plenty of animal attractions, including the Kangaroo Walk-About, which features bouncing marsupials. Plus, the petting zoo has a friendly staff and good petting facilities.
Rosa Parks Museum
The Rosa Parks Museum is the only museum dedicated to the life of Rosa Parks. It is a 7,000-square-foot facility located on Troy University’s Montgomery campus.
The Rosa Parks Museum offers a variety of exhibits to educate visitors on the life and legacy of civil rights activists. Visitors can also participate in tours and other educational programs.
One of the museum’s most notable features is a multimedia reenactment of the events that led to Rosa Parks being arrested. This event sparked the Civil Rights Movement.
Rosa Parks’ arrest led to a citywide boycott of public buses in Montgomery, Alabama. In turn, it ignited a national revolution.
If you would like to learn more about the history of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, you can sign up for a tour or purchase a ticket to view the exhibit. Several of the displays include original works of art. You can also shop for civil rights-themed items in the gift shop.
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