A Guide to the Birthplace of Civil Rights: A Montgomery Tour

As both the birthplace of Civil Rights and the Cradle of the Confederacy, Montgomery played a pivotal role in slavery, the Civil War, and the rise of the Civil Rights Movement. It’s practically an open museum with historical sites on almost every corner. You’ll see most of them on this walking tour as I introduce you to this important city’s humble beginnings. The tour begins with emotional heft outside the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, dedicated to the country’s victims of racial lynching. From there, you’ll wind your way through the city center and see a smattering of museums dedicated in some aspect to the Civil Rights Movement, including the Freedom Rides Museum, Rosa Parks Museum, Civil Rights Memorial Center and the Legacy Museum, where our tour ends. Along the way, you’ll visit the almost 200-year-old Court Square Fountain, which served as the starting point of Montgomery when two independent towns merged to form the new city. You’ll hear how the picturesque square surrounding the fountain was one of the most prominent slave auction sites in the South. I’ll also show you the First White House of the Confederacy where former president Jefferson Davis resided in 1861. From there, you’ll walk down the historical Dexter Avenue and away from the Alabama State Capitol, where the march from Selma culminated in a passionate speech by Dr. Martin Luther King in 1965. On this two-hour tour, you’ll also: • Take in the city’s iconic memorials including the Rosa Parks Bus Stop, Hank Williams Statue and Korean War Memorial • Find out about Montgomery Riverwalk Stadium’s history as a Civil War prisoner-of-war camp in the late 1800s • See where Martin Luther King Jr spoke about Rosa Parks’ arrest outside the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church • Hear about the city’s country music legend while passing by the Hank Williams Museum • Grab a bite or a refreshing drink at local favorites Chris’ Famous Hotdogs, Tower Taproom, or the Aviator Bar By the end of this tour, you’ll have a better grasp of the role Montgomery played in shaping the South and the United States into what it is today. So get ready to learn, explore, and have fun!

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