Museum of Alabama

The Museum of Alabama is the public museum of the Alabama Department of Archives and History, located on Washington Avenue in downtown Montgomery directly across from the Alabama State Capitol. It shares a large classical building with the state archives and research room, placing it within easy walking distance of the Capitol, the First White House of the Confederacy and other landmarks in the capitol complex. The location makes the museum a natural companion to a tour of the Capitol and the surrounding historic district.

The department itself dates to 1901, when it was created as the first publicly funded, independent state archives agency in the nation. Its founder, Thomas M. Owen, led the agency until his death in 1920, when his wife, Marie Bankhead Owen, succeeded him and directed it for 35 years. In 1940 the collections moved into the current building, originally known as the War Memorial Building. A wing named for trustee Clinton Jackson Coley was completed in 1974, and a west wing added in 2005 expanded research space and storage for the growing collections. Its position across from the Capitol has made the building a fixture of the state government district for more than eight decades.

The centerpiece of the museum is Alabama Voices, an award winning permanent exhibition that follows Alabama history from the 1700s into the early 2000s. Opened in 2014, it draws on the department’s vast archival holdings and uses the words of Alabamians themselves, through letters, diaries, speeches and recorded memories, to tell the story of the state across three centuries. Artifacts, documents, photographs and media stations fill the galleries. Because it spans three centuries, the exhibition moves visitors through many eras in a single walk, connecting major events to the experiences of ordinary residents.

Other galleries broaden the picture. Alabama Military Stories honors the service and sacrifice of Alabamians in uniform. The Land of Alabama looks at the geology and natural resources that shaped where people settled and how the economy developed. A redesigned Children’s Gallery on the second floor, opened in 2025, uses play spaces and animal guide characters to help young visitors explore the state’s history, ecology, industry and community life. A new exhibit, First Peoples of Alabama, focused on the state’s Indigenous history, is planned to open in late 2026. Together these spaces give families and casual visitors several different ways into the state’s past.

Beyond the exhibits, the building serves researchers, genealogists and students. The research room holds government records, private papers, maps, photographs and newspapers, and it is open to the public on a separate schedule. The museum welcomes school field trips and group tours, which are arranged in advance through the tours office, and it also supports self guided visits. A museum store on site offers books and Alabama themed gifts. Many visitors pair a museum visit with family history research, since the archives hold records widely used by genealogists.

The main building and museum are open Monday through Saturday from 8:30am to 4:30pm and close on state holidays. The research room keeps Tuesday through Saturday hours, and the museum store is open weekdays until 4pm. Admission is always free. Limited free parking is available behind the building off Adams Avenue, where visitors will also find the accessible entrance, and street parking is available nearby. Wheelchairs can be borrowed, and staff are available to assist. Groups should contact the tours office at 334-242-4364 to schedule a visit.