Old Town Alabama - Montgomery Alabama

Old Town Alabama is one of the many things that is in Montgomery that can often be overlooked by the traveler. However this particular historic tour is something that I think everyone should make the time to see. While it is considered a tour you do not have to actually go with a tour group to see all the buildings and sites on the tour. You can do a self guided tour. When you buy your tickets you will be given a map of the sites included in your ticket. What I found very interesting is that they have people in costumes that are placed throughout the tour and you can stop and talk to them and ask questions, and the are very informative. You can also leave and come back throughout the day if you need to take a break or go get something to eat and come back.

I do recommend making sure that you check the weather when you are planning to go because this is an outdoor tour. While you can go inside many of the buildings you will be walking from one to another and they are not always that close together. They also have some gardens that are around some of the old homes and those are worth looking at, especially if you have hit the right time of year so the flowers are in bloom. I found when I went that it was nice to go see a few of the buildings and then find a cool place to sit. Me and the person that I was with were actually lucky enough to be able to find a cool place where someone that worked there was,
so we were talking with him and asking him questions and learned a lot. It was really something that I enjoyed. There are all kinds of little things that you can learn by asking a lot of questions if you aren't too shy.

You are free to roam in and out of all the buildings and can look at your own pace but the Ordeman
House is the only one that you have to have a guided tour of. That is included in your admission so it is not extra, but I would make sure that you look to see what times the tours are when you get your tickets and do it. The inside is amazing, but the outside and the garden are even better. If you are planning to try and see all the buildings and sites then I would make sure that you have the ablity to go for an entire day. It's very nice and relaxing and the more time you have and the better the weather is the more fun you will have. It's also a good idea to make sure that you wear clothes that are comfy and shoes for walking. It's not like a hike would be but it's a fair amoung of walking.

Overall this was something that I though might be nice, but it was much better than I thought it would be, and I wish that I had alloted more time to see the tour. I plan on going back and seeing the tour in a more relaxed timeframe, and I recommend that should you find yourself in the Montgomery area you make sure that you check out this tour, and bring your camera.

Hours are Mon.-Sat. 9AM-4PM last ticket sold at 3PM Mon.-Fri. and 2:30PM on Sat.
Closed Sundays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day
Admission is $10 for adults and children are $5, children under 6 are free

The list of complete buildings on the tour can be found at The Old Town Alabama's Website.

Alabama Shakespeare Festival - Montgomery Alabama

The Alabama Shakespeare Festival is located in Montgomery Alabama. It's something that many people around the south have heard of, but few have actually been there and fewer know the history behind this great treasure. The Festival was orginally located in Aniston Alabama and was in a high school and only ran plays six weeks out of the year. In the early 80s the festival faced financial problems, which is when the new building was built in Montgomery on a 250 acre park, by a lover of the arts. Thus creating the Shakespeare Festival that we know today. This Festival will show about 14 different plays each year and at least three will be some of Shakespeare's works, the other stages will perform other classics from writers such as Shaw, Chekhov, Wilder, and many more.

I myself have been to this Festival two times, when I was younger and once when I was older. The

first two trips that I took, were as school trips and I had fun but didn't truly appreciate it until I was a

little older. The building itself is something to see, but also the grounds. The festival sits on 250 acres of land that is a site to see just driving to the stages. The park is open from dusk until dawn every day, and well worth seeing and it's a great place to picnic and even bring your dog, (but dogs must be on a leash). The normal rules do apply, things like do not harm the wildlife, or mess up the pieces of art that are on the property, pick up after yourself, things that are not only rules but just the right things to do. It's a good idea to make sure that you check the weather schedule before heading out as the more beautiful the day the better.

It's easy to purchase tickets if you wish to see a show at the Festival it's best to contact them through their website. However a few things that you should note, children under the age of six are not permitted in the shows, there might be a show at some point for children but this rule is to ensure the performers safety and the patrons enjoyment of the show. Casual attire is what a lot of people wear to the shows they attend, a wide range of attire can be seen when you go. However the times that I went I worn a casual dress, and felt comfortable and thought it was appropriate, so I would recommend nice, but casual. If you are interested to learn more about the performance or ask the actors any questions you might want to know that after each afternoon performance there is a short question and answer with the cast. I had the pleasure of going to a show that had this and I found out so much about the performances. If you want to know even more about the festival you can book a behind the scenes tour. You should contact the box office to find out when it is available and pricing, I have always wanted to do that, but have not had the chance to yet. Seeing a show here is something that I would highly recommend to anyone.


The Alabama Shakespeare Festival website will have all the information on tickets and shows.