Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of Alabama and one of the most consequential small cities in American history: the first capital of the Confederacy, the home of the 1955 bus boycott and the finish line of the 1965 march from Selma.
Within a few walkable downtown blocks you can see the Rosa Parks Museum, Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, the Civil Rights Memorial Center and the State Capitol, then continue to the Legacy Museum and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice. Beyond the history there is a riverfront with a paddlewheel boat, a hall of Hank Williams memorabilia, a living-history village, a zoo and a free fine arts museum, with Selma and Tuskegee an easy drive away. This guide covers 22 sights and experiences, 10 hotels from downtown landmarks to the EastChase district and six guides to help you plan.
The Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration
The Equal Justice Initiative's museum on the site of a former slave warehouse, tracing the line from enslavement through lynching and segregation to mass incarceration with film, sculpture and data.
National Memorial for Peace and Justice
A hilltop memorial to the victims of racial terror lynchings, with hundreds of hanging steel monuments, one for each county where a lynching was documented.
Rosa Parks Museum
The Troy University museum near the spot where Rosa Parks was arrested on December 1, 1955, using a recreated bus scene and artifacts to tell the story of the Montgomery bus boycott.
Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma
The arched steel bridge where state troopers attacked voting rights marchers on Bloody Sunday, March 7, 1965, about an hour from Montgomery.
Hand-picked: every experience here has strong traveler reviews and a verified booking link.
The Equal Justice Initiative's museum on the site of a former slave warehouse, tracing the line from enslavement through lynching and segregation to mass incarceration with film, sculpture and data.
A hilltop memorial to the victims of racial terror lynchings, with hundreds of hanging steel monuments, one for each county where a lynching was documented.
A riverside sculpture park on Walker Street honoring people who were enslaved in America, part of the Equal Justice Initiative's group of Montgomery sites.
The Troy University museum near the spot where Rosa Parks was arrested on December 1, 1955, using a recreated bus scene and artifacts to tell the story of the Montgomery bus boycott.
The red-brick church where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was pastor from 1954 to 1960 and where the Montgomery bus boycott was organized, just steps from the State Capitol.
The modest frame house on South Jackson Street where Dr. King and Coretta Scott King raised their young family and where the home was bombed in 1956.
The Southern Poverty Law Center's memorial and visitor center, with Maya Lin's water table inscribed with the names of those who died in the struggle between 1954 and 1968.
The restored 1951 Greyhound bus station where Freedom Riders were attacked by a mob on May 20, 1961, now a museum of nonviolent protest.
FreeThe 1851 Greek Revival Capitol at the top of Dexter Avenue, where Jefferson Davis took his oath in 1861 and where the 1965 Selma to Montgomery march ended.
FreeA free state history museum inside the Alabama Department of Archives and History, with the Alabama Voices gallery, a children's hands-on space and the nation's first state archives agency.
FreeA free art museum in the Blount Cultural Park, home to a strong American art collection, an interactive family gallery and neighbor to the Alabama Shakespeare Festival.
A downtown museum devoted to the country music legend, with stage costumes, instruments, personal items and the 1952 Cadillac in which he died.
Hotels we would book ourselves, from splurges to good-value bases.
$$$Downtown
A full-service Marriott hotel with a spa, attached to the downtown convention center and close to the riverfront, a polished base for a civil rights weekend.
Check rates →Downtown
An all-suite Hilton hotel with a conference center in the downtown core, known for two-room suites and a cooked-to-order breakfast.
Check rates →Downtown
A downtown Hilton hotel in the heart of Montgomery, close to the Capitol and the main civil rights sites, with the brand's welcome cookie.
Check rates →Downtown
A dependable downtown Hampton with free hot breakfast, comfortable rooms and an easy position for the Capitol, Court Square and the museums.
Check rates →Downtown
A newer all-suite Marriott in downtown Montgomery with roomy studio-style suites, breakfast and an easy position for walking to the main sights.
Check rates →Downtown
An extended-stay style suite hotel downtown with kitchens, ideal for families and longer trips that combine Montgomery with Selma and Tuskegee.
Check rates →Downtown
An IHG extended-stay hotel in downtown Montgomery with suites, kitchens and a hot breakfast, well suited to multi-night civil rights itineraries.
Check rates →Downtown
A newer Hilton suite hotel downtown with kitchenettes, free breakfast and a pet-friendly approach, suited to value-minded travelers.
Check rates →EastChase
A comfortable Hampton in the EastChase shopping and dining district on the east side, handy for restaurants, shops and drives to the Blount Cultural Park.
Check rates →EastChase
A Hilton Garden Inn in the EastChase district, with an on-site restaurant, spacious rooms and easy parking, a comfortable east side alternative to downtown.
Check rates →Ready-made pairings: a top sight and a hotel that suits it. Add both to your trip and book each when you are ready.
Do
The Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass IncarcerationStay
Renaissance Montgomery Hotel and Spa at the Convention CenterDowntown
Do
National Memorial for Peace and JusticeStay
Embassy Suites by Hilton Montgomery Hotel and Conference CenterDowntown
Do
Rosa Parks MuseumStay
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Montgomery DowntownDowntown
A practical introduction to Montgomery: why the city matters, the sights that cannot be missed, how the downtown fits together and how many days to allow.
A walk through the key civil rights sites in Montgomery: the bus boycott, the Freedom Rides, the Selma to Montgomery march and the Equal Justice Initiative sites.
A balanced three-day plan for Montgomery: civil rights sites, the Equal Justice Initiative museum and memorial, a Selma day trip and time to eat and rest.
A guide to choosing a Montgomery hotel: downtown for walkable sightseeing, EastChase for parking and dining, plus what to ask before booking.
What to eat in Montgomery: Southern classics, barbecue, hot dogs, seafood from the Gulf, sweets and drinks, plus tips for planning meals around sightseeing.
Plan day trips from Montgomery to Selma and Tuskegee, plus the best seasons, weather, events and practical tips for the drive.
