Explore Montgomery, Alabama’s Past and Present on a Weekend Getaway

Montgomery, Alabama’s capital city, is filled with history. Not only was it the birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement, but it was home to many famous people, from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Zelda Fitzgerald to Nat King Cole and Hank Williams, each of whom left their mark on the city — and the country. Here’s how to spend three days getting to know this dynamic Southern city.

As always, check for travel restrictions and closures before planning your trip.

Friday: Explore Montgomery’s Museums

We hope you’re getting to town early today, because there’s a lot of history to cover, starting with one of the most comprehensive museums in the South: the Legacy Museum, which focuses on U.S. history through the lens of slavery.

Situated on a site where enslaved Black people performed forced labor, the museum now brings this history to life using interactive exhibits, art, video and more. The museum aims to shine a light on America’s history of racial injustice, and there is a lot to take in — give yourself at least two hours here.

Next, head over to Dreamland BBQ for lunch. Choose your favorite protein from the pit (the local barbecue chain is known for its housemade sauces and seasonings), but be sure to save room for the fabulous banana pudding.

Afterward, visit the Legacy Museum’s partner property, the National Memorial for Peace & Justice. It’s the first memorial in the country to reckon with the inhumane legacy of lynching. Each county where the Equal Justice Initiative has documented a lynching gets a steel plaque, on which names and dates are inscribed. Spread out over six acres, it’ll probably take an hour or two to walk through.

Next check out Kress on Dexter, a recently restored, mixed-use building full of galleries, shops and eateries.

While away a few hours, browsing the purveyors — and be sure to stop into 1977 Books, the BeYOUtiful Boutiques and Prevail Union Coffee Shop. Be on the lookout for the StoryBooth (it looks like an old-school telephone booth), where you can listen to podcast-style stories recorded by locals.

For dinner, consider Vintage Year for surf and turf, SaZa for authentic Italian or Kabuki for Japanese. Wrap up with a bourbon flight and a stogie from 23 Court Cigar Bar or a craft cocktail at Lower Lounge.

Saturday: Consider MLK’s Lasting Legacy

Start slow with a coffee and a bagel from Café Louisa, where housemade bread and pastries draw locals and travelers alike.

From there, head over to the King Memorial Baptist Church before it gets too busy. Take a tour of the space where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. served during the Montgomery bus boycott in the mid-1950s, and get a better understanding of how his congregation played a part in making the young pastor a Civil Rights icon.

Afterward, walk a few blocks to the nearby Dexter Parsonage Museum, where the Kings lived from 1954 to 1960. The house was bombed a handful of times over the years but has since been restored to look as it did during King’s time.

Hungry yet? Cahawba House (named for Alabama’s first state capital, from 1820 to 1825) is known for their sandwiches — the meatloaf sandwich and the pimento grilled cheese are perennial favorites, as is the classic Southern “Meat & Three,” a choice of protein and three stick-to-your-ribs sides.

Continuing your Civil Rights education, head to the Civil Rights Memorial on Washington Avenue. The fountain-like memorial was designed by Maya Lin (who also designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in D.C.).

The artist has said the piece was inspired by the passage from King’s “I Have a Dream” speech that reads “…we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.” The water trickles over the names of 41 people who were killed during the Civil Rights Movement. If you have time, go inside the Civil Rights Memorial Center to check out the exhibits.

For pre-dinner drinks, check out Common Bond Brewers, the only production brewery in Montgomery. Alternatively, Goat Haus Biergarten, in a restored Victorian mansion, sits atop a hill and offers stunning views of downtown Montgomery.

Start the evening’s meal with fresh seafood appetizers at Capitol Oyster Bar. It’s a delightfully divey spot with a deck that overlooks the river. From there, go to City Grill for your main course. The upscale American eatery has menu items like miso-glazed salmon, sautéed Gulf shrimp over angel hair pasta and marinated grilled lamb chops with housemade gnocchi.

Sunday: Choose Your Own Adventure

How is it the final day already? By now you’ve seen so much, but there’s still so much more to do. Having visited the heaviest hitters already, spend today picking and choosing the institutions that most speak to you.

Perhaps you want to spend part of the day getting to know Rosa Parks’ story, in which case, pop over to the Rosa Parks Museum. The museum doesn’t focus solely on her, but also covers the early days of the Civil Rights era. For example, you’ll find exhibits on all those involved with the Montgomery bus boycott.

Just down the road is the Freedom Rides Museum, found in a former Greyhound bus station.

Interested in the arts? Go to the Scott & Zelda Fitzgerald Museum. Zelda was born in Montgomery in 1900, and both Fitzgeralds lived in the city for a bit. Inside are some of their books, possessions and clothes. Follow it up with a visit to the museum of another favorite son of Montgomery, musician Hank Williams.

If you’re a sports fan, check to see if the Minor League Baseball team is playing a home game. Keep an eye out for their mascots, Big Mo (an orange beast that has a Cookie Monster-like obsession with biscuits) and Monty (an anthropomorphized buttermilk biscuit).

For your final meal, head to Central for elevated soul food. The hot-honey fried chicken, strawberry glazed pork chop and Alabama Gulf crab fried rice are all as magical as they sound. After that, swing by Leroy Lounge or La Salle Bleu Piano Bar to toast an educational and eye-opening weekend in Montgomery.