Lowndes County Interpretive Center

   The center is along the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail, a 54 mile section of road (mostly US 80 ) that follows the route of the 1965 Voting Rights March. The march was organized after a young voter’s rights activist, Jimmie Lee Jackson, was shot and died. The plan was to march from Selma to Montgomery where a rally would be held on the steps of the state capitol and where movement leaders intended to meet with Gov. George Wallace.  The danger from mob violence was so great that the marchers had to be protected along the entire route by more that 4,000  soldiers, national guard members and federal agents.     

  The center is accessible. A few of the exhibits are mounted too high on the walls to be easily viewed.
  
  The parking lot has long RV spaces.    Center
32.27036, -86.72708
 

Gunter Hill Campground COE

   This campground is not quite up to the standards of a Corp of Engineers campground. It’s nice but it’s more like a state park with gravel parking pads and not a lot of room between the sites.

   None of the sites are accessible but a good number are level and large enough to be usable. The ground is packed dirt with crushed gravel, easy to roll on. The tables have a short overhang. One site has a paved parking pad and a paved trail to the restrooms which are far away from most of the sites.

  Some bends in the campground roads are a little tight but the sites are large enough for all RVs. Campground
32.36289, -86.45498
 

Civil Rights Memorial Center

      
   The Civil Right Memorial Center features the memorial outside, black granite with flowing water, honoring people who died during the civil rights movement, plus a film and more information inside about civil rights in the past and present. The center is located at the offices of the Southern Poverty Law Center, an organization that tracks and fights against hate groups.

  The center is accessible but getting to it is difficult. Parking is limited and the streets around the center are a little hilly. The sidewalk to the entrance of the center is long and goes up hill. The doors are heavy. Do not go out the exit door without alerting someone because you’ll be stuck in a little area outside with a small revolving exit and alarmed doors which must be opened by security.

  We parked around the block on Adams Street using two spaces on the street. Center
32.37635, -86.30328
 

Alabama Department of Archives and History

  Alabama doesn’t have a dedicated state history museum. The second floor of the archives building has a few rooms with displays covering Native Americans, military, and natural history plus a hands-on children’s room.

  Everything is accessible
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   The archives has a free parking lot on Adams Street. It’s large enough for RVs. The first 1/3 of the lot is level but after that it slopes sharply downhill. Enter at the doors below the inscription –Alabama World War Memorial.  Museum
32.37563, -86.30042

Rosa Parks Library and Museum

   On December 1, 1955 Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger. She was arrested, jailed, charged with disorderly conduct and violating a local ordinance, and found guilty.  Outrage over this incident led to the historic year long Montgomery bus boycott with over 40,000 people refusing to ride the buses until they were completely integrated. The museum is very well done and includes a city bus with a movie that shows through the windows, life sized figures of the boycotters, and touch screens where you can listen to the stories of people who participated in the boycott. No photography is permitted because of the large number of copyrighted photographs in the displays

  Everything is accessible. One of the touch screens is a little too high to see clearly.

  The museum has a few parking spaces by the children’s wing of the museum where cars or vans will fit. We parked a block north on Lee Street by the skate park. There’s also a pay lot across the street from the skate park but it would hard to fit an RV in the spaces. Museum
32.3765, -86.31133

Montgomery Zoo

    The design of this zoo is very good with the animals that are native to each continent housed together in large enclosures. The enclosures have paths circling around them with multiple viewing areas and a raised overlook and café in the center of everything.

  The zoo is mostly accessible but there are some sections of pathway that are a little steep. Some of the informative signs are too high to be easily read. A few of the animals are hard to see because of the cage construction but most have at least one accessible viewing location.

  The parking lot is large enough for RVs parked lengthwise across the spaces. Zoo
32.41956, -86.27481

Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts

   Do not miss the wonderful children's area! This is the first really good hands-on section that we've seen in an art museum. It’s interesting and fun even for adults especially the big kaleidoscope-like light screen which we played with until some kids made us quit. : D  The rest of the museum has a nice selection of artwork and is definitely worth visiting.

   The museum is accessible with push button entrance doors but one gallery has very heavy doors which most wheelchair users will not be able to open.

  The parking lot is large enough for all RVs.  Museum
32.35246, -86.20842

Tuskegee Institute NHS - George Washington Carver Museum

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  This museum showcases the two most famous men associated with the Tuskegee Institute, Booker T. Washington, the school’s founder, and George Washington Carver, agricultural researcher and professor who taught at the college for 47 years.

  The museum is accessible but getting to it from the parking areas is difficult. The main parking lots are behind The Oaks, Booker T. Washington’s house. The route to the museum crosses a busy street and includes some very steep sections – almost impossible to do without help. There’s also a small parking lot behind the museum which we didn’t check but the route on the map doesn’t look very easy either. The best solution for someone who uses a wheelchair or has difficulty walking would be to get dropped off at the museum entrance. The Oaks is accessible on the first floor only. It’s not opened for tours everyday so check for availability before you go.

  The lower parking lot behind The Oaks is large enough for any size RV. The upper lot is for cars only. Museum
32.4296, -85.70679
      
      

Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site

     Black soldiers have served in the US military since the Revolutionary War but in the 1940s most units were still segregated and all the officers were white. Black men, even ones who were already pilots, could not apply for flight training. That changed in 1941 when Tuskegee Institute was chosen to be the home of the newly established 99th Pursuit Squadron, an all black unit, still segregated but nonetheless military pilots and inline for promotions. Of the 996 pilots trained, 445 served overseas earning numerous awards for valor and performance. The museum, which is located in Hanger No.1, tells the story of the founding of the flight school and the training of the pilots. An additional visitor center has exhibits about individual pilots and a theater where historic films are shown. Unfortunately the visitor center is closed because of structural damage and a new one is not expected to be finished for about a year.

  The museum is accessible. Park on the left side of the hanger for easy access to the sidewalk.

  The parking area is large enough for all RVs.  Museum
32.46009, -85.68649

Columbus Museum

   Columbus isn’t a large city so the scope and size of this museum was a pleasant surprise. It’s mainly an art museum with many small galleries displaying a wide range of artwork. There’s also a gallery featuring the history of Columbus.

   Everything is accessible. Wheelchair seating in the theater is very close to the screen, in front of the first row of seats.

   The parking area is big enough for RVs but larger ones may have to be parked across the spaces.  Museum
32.4669, -84.97357