Montgomery travel guide

Montgomery is the capital of Alabama, in the River Heritage region of the state. Montgomery has also been recognized nationally for its downtown revitalization and new urbanism projects.

Understand

Montgomery briefly held the title of capital of the Confederacy and was also the site of Jefferson Davis' inauguration. Montgomery was also a pivotal location during the civil rights movement, seeing the arrest of Rosa Parks and the ensuing bus boycott, as well as numerous non violent protests led by Dr. Martin Luther King.

Montgomery's central location in Alabama's Black Belt has long made it a processing hub for commodity crops such as cotton, peanuts, and soybeans. Due to its location along the Alabama River and extensive rail connections, Montgomery has been and continues to be a regional distribution hub for a wide range of industries. Since the late 20th century, it has diversified its economy, achieving increased employment in sectors such as healthcare, business, government, and manufacturing.

In 2019, it was home to just under 200,000 people.

Tourist information

• Convention and Visitors Center, 600 S Court St, ☏ +1 334 262-0013.
• Montgomery travel information from Alabama Department of Tourism

Climate

Montgomery has short, mild winters, warm springs and autumns, and long, hot, humid summers. The daily average temperature in January is 47 °F (8 °C), and there are 3-4 days of sub 20 °F (−7 °C) lows; 10 °F (−12 °C) and below is extremely rare. The daily average in July is 82°F (28 °C), with highs exceeding 90 °F (32 °C) on 86 days per year and 100 °F (38°C) on 4. Summer afternoon heat indices, much more often than the actual air temperature, are frequently at or above 100 °F.

Rainfall is well-distributed throughout the year, though February, March and July are the wettest months, while October is significantly the driest month. Thunderstorms bring much of Montgomery's rainfall. These are common during the summer months but occur throughout the year. Severe thunderstorms – producing large hail and damaging winds in addition to the usual hazards of lightning and heavy rain – can occasionally occur, particularly during the spring. Severe storms also bring a risk of tornadoes. Sometimes, tropical disturbances – some of which strike the Gulf Coast as hurricanes before losing intensity as they move inland – can bring very heavy rains.

Get in

By plane

• Montgomery Airport (MGM IATA), 4445 Selma Hwy, ☏ +1 334 281-5040. The Montgomery Airport is a small airport with American Eagle and Delta Connection operating out of the airport. American Eagle operates to Charlotte, Dallas, and Washington. Delta Connection flies to Atlanta. Consider flying through Atlanta (2 hours away by car) or Birmingham (1½ hours away by car) to save money.

By car

The two major interstate highways that serve Montgomery are I-85, which connects Montgomery with Atlanta, Georgia; and I-65 which connects Montgomery with Birmingham to the north and Mobile to the south.

By bus

• Greyhound, 495 Molton St, toll-free: +1 800 231-2222. Daily 9:30 AM-7:30PM.
• Megabus, 495 Molton St (Intermodal Transit Facility). Service from Atlanta, Mobile, and New Orleans.

Get around

Montgomery Area Transit System (MATS) operates the bus and trolley system in Montgomery.

See

Stained glass under the rotunda of the Alabama State Capitol (Photo: DXR, CC BY-SA 4.0)

• Civil Rights Memorial, 400 Washington Avenue, ☏ +1 334 956-8200.
• Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, 454 Dexter Avenue, ☏ +1 334 263-3970. Tue-Fri 10AM-4PM, Sat 10AM-2PM. Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. preached at the church for six years. Adults $5, Children $3.
• Alabama State Capitol, 600 Dexter Avenue, ☏ +1 334 242-3935. Mon–Fri 8AM–4PM, Sat 9AM–3PM.
• First White House of the Confederacy, 644 Washington Ave, ☏ +1 334 242-1861.
• Montgomery Zoo, 2301 Coliseum Parkway, ☏ +1 334 240-4900.
• Old Alabama Town, 301 Columbus Street, ☏ +1 334 240-4500. Thu-Sat 10AM-3PM. There are no facades or newly constructed buildings here! This 19th century village features completely authentic 19th and early 20th century homes and buildings that have been saved from demolition, carefully restored, and reopened to the public as a history museum. At Old Alabama Town, you will learn how early Americans of all backgrounds lived and worked in Central Alabama. Adults, $15; Children 12 and under free.
• Riverfront Park, 355 Commerce St, ☏ +1 334-625-2100. Wed-Mon 9:00AM-6:00PM. Promenade on the Gun Island Chute of the Alabama River that is a gathering point for visitors and locals alike, with sunset views, riverboat rides, and the old Montgomery Union Station.
• Blount Cultural Park, 6055 Vaughn Road, ☏ +1 334 274-0062. Daily 6AM-10PM. Manicured parkway hosting fine arts museum and Shakespearean festival grounds and old English bridge.
• First Baptist Church on South Perry Street, 305 S Perry St. A historic church, with the oldest parts dating to 1923.
• St. John's Episcopal Church, 113 Madison Ave.
• Old Ship African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, 483 Holcombe St. Oldest African American church congregation in the city, established in 1852. The current Classical Revival-style church building was was completed in 1918

Museums

• The Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration, 115 Coosa Street. A museum about the history of racial injustice in the United States.
• National Memorial for Peace and Justice, 417 Caroline Street. Part of The Legacy Museum, a memorial commemorating the victims of lynching in the United States, intended as a place for people to come and reflect on the country's history of racial injustice.
• Rosa Parks Museum, 251 Montgomery Street, ☏ +1 334 241-8615. Mon-Fri 9AM-5PM, Sat 9AM-3PM.
• Freedom Rides Museum, 468 S Perry St, ☏ +1 334 414-8647. Regarding the efforts to end desegregation on interstate bus travel that culminated in violence at this bus station.
• Museum of Alabama (Alabama Department of Archives and History), 624 Washington Ave, ☏ +1 334 242-4364. Mon-Sat 8ː30AM-4ː30PM. Recounts history of Alabama. Free.
• Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, One Museum Drive, ☏ +1 334 240-4333. Tue-Sat 10AM-5PM, Thu 10AM-9PM, Sun noon-5PM. Classic and contemporary works. Free.
• Hank Williams Museum, 118 Commerce Street, ☏ +1 334 262-3600. Mon-Sat 9AM-5PM, Sun 1-4PM. About the musician who hailed from south central Alabama, with his statue on Commerce St nearby.
• The Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum, 919 Felder Ave, ☏ +1 334-264-4222. Thu-Sun 10AM-3PM. Restored home of the famed American author. $5.

Do

• Alabama National Fair.
• Alabama Shakespeare Festival, 1 Festival Dr, toll-free: +1-800-841-4273. Popular Shakespeare thespian festival generally taking place between August and November.
• W. A. Gayle Planetarium, 1010 Forest Ave, ☏ +1 334 625-4799. Public shows Mon-Thu 4PM, Sun 2PM. $7.50 (ages 5+).
• The Capri Theatre, 1045 E. Fairview, ☏ +1 334-262-4858. Montgomery's only independent movie theatre.
• Wind Creek Casino & Hotel Montgomery, 1801 Eddie L. Tullis Rd., ☏ +1 866-946-3360.
• Montgomery Biscuits, 200 Coosa St, ☏ +1 334-323-2255. Minor league baseball team playing at Montgomery Riverfront Stadium.

Learn

A west view of Troy University buildings including Davis Theatre (Photo: DXR, CC BY-SA 4.0)

• Alabama State University, 915 S Jackson St, ☏ +1 334 229-4800.
• Amridge University, 1200 Taylor Rd.
• Auburn University Montgomery, 7400 East Drive, ☏ +1 334-244-3000, fax: +1 334-244-3795.
• Faulkner University, 5345 Atlanta Hwy, ☏ +1 334 386-7140, fax: +1 334 386-7143. Is a small Christian university.
• Huntingdon College, 1500 E Fairview Ave, ☏ +1 334 833-4497. A small United Methodist affiliated college.
• Air University, 55 Lemay Plaza South. AU is operated by the U.S. Air Force.

Buy

• Eastdale Mall. Anchored by Belk, Dillard's, JCPenney, Sears, and the only in-a-mall indoor ice rink in Alabama.
• The Shoppes at Eastchase (Eastchase Mall), 7274 EastChase Parkway, ☏ +1 334-279-6046.
• Sanctuary Cigars, 7813 Vaughn Rd.

Eat

Montgomery's diners tend to be very basic eaters. Lunch times are often served as a "meat and three plate". That is where a restaurant, during the lunch hour, serves a meat course and three sides (vegetables or potatoes). It tends to be very filling (perhaps too filling) but reliable quantity and quality wise.

There seems to be a preference for corporate generic restaurants (Outback, Olive Garden, Red Lobster). If they have a franchise, Montgomery probably has one.

You need to understand a few southern cuisines when dining in Montgomery and these are applicable throughout the Alabama and Mississippi area.

Most restaurants serve "sweet" tea—sweetened with sugar, and may be too sweet for some. when ordering iced tea, "unsweetened" is also an option.

Bar-B-Que means that meat is slow cooked over a wood fire. Sauce is served seen the full range of sauces (mustard type, tomato based, Tex-Mex).

Montgomery is home for the Hyundai automobile plant. Look for several fine Korean and Pan Asian restaurants and interesting menu items.

Montgomery is in lower Alabama and you can expect, in some of the better restaurants, some Cajun influence.

Budget

• Scott St. Deli, 412 Scott St. A downtown landmark, serves sandwiches and basic deli fare.
• Chris' Hot Dogs, 138 Dexter Ave. Another favorite, serves, as the name implies, hot dogs and the like.

Mid-range

• Jim & Nicks Bar-B-Que, 6415 Atlanta Hwy, ☏ +1 334 213-0046. Chain barbecue restaurant.
• El Rey Burrito Lounge, 1031 E Fairview Ave, ☏ +1 334 832-9688. Tex-Mex with a contemporary flair.
• Dreamland BBQ, 12 W Jefferson St, ☏ +1 334 273-7427. Noted BBQ eatery in town.

Fine dining

• Martha's Place Buffet and Catering, 7780 Atlanta Hwy, ☏ +1 334-226-7743. Buffet Sun 10:30AM - 3PM. Buffet featuring southern cooking.
• La Jolla, 8147 Vaughn Rd, ☏ +1 334 356-2600. Tapas and gourmet dining; known locally for the wine selection.
• Vintage Year, 405 Cloverdale Rd, ☏ +1 334-819-7215.

Drink

• Tavern & Porter Room, 12 W Jefferson St, ☏ +1 334 273-7427. Bar with subdued lighting.

Sleep

A west view of the First Baptist Church, located at S Perry St (Photo: DXR, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Mid-range

• Comfort Suites Montgomery, 110 Folmar Pkwy, ☏ +1 334 613-9843.
• Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites, 9250 Boyd-cooper Parkway, ☏ +1 334 271-5516.
• Holiday Inn Express, 5135 Carmichael Road, ☏ +1 334 270-9199.
• Sonesta ES Suites Montgomery, 1200 Hilmar Court, ☏ +1 334 270-3300, fax: +1 334 260-0907. Suites and outdoor pool courtyard along with complimentary breakfast.
• Wingate by Wyndham Montgomery, 2060 East Boulevard, ☏ +1 334 244-7880.

Splurge

• Embassy Suites Hotel & Conference Center, 300 Tallapoosa Street, ☏ +1 334 269-5055.
• Montgomery Marriott Prattville Hotel & Conference Center at Capitol Hill, 2500 Legends Circle, ☏ +1 334 290-1235, fax: +1 334 290-2111.

Connect

Montgomery's area code is 334.

Stay safe

For emergencies dial 911 for medical and police assistance. Avoid the West and Southwestern parts of the city, as these tend to be where most of the crime is concentrated. Carjacking is not uncommon, so keep your doors locked when not around your vehicle. The Eastern portion of the city, specifically from the Eastern Blvd onward, offers many safe and family friendly shopping attractions and venues.

Cope

During the months of April through October, Montgomery experiences periods of high heat and humidity. Plan your "outside" days accordingly. Be sure to acclimatize to the heat (this should take a few days), take advantage of early mornings and evenings, drink plenty of water.

Go next

• Birmingham

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