Meet Montgomery: Home Run Spots to Eat, See and Play

After spending four years as a pitcher for the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, Tyler Higgins has become bit of an expert on some of the smaller cities in the South—especially those that his team visits during their 125-game regular season. One place Higgins has come to know well throughout his time as a pitcher for Jacksonville’s Double-A minor league baseball team: Montgomery, Alabama.

“It’s a really fantastic old-school Southern town,” he says.

While on his latest visit to the capital of Alabama, Higgins took some notes on the best things to do, see and eat. Here’s what he recommends.

Get down to the river

Sure, Higgins always recommends that out-of-towners head down to the baseball stadium for a game. But visiting Riverwalk Stadium, where the Montgomery Biscuits play, is like touring a historic landmark.

“The stadium is right on the outskirts of town and is super cool because it’s actually built out of an old railroad shed,” Higgins says of the ballpark, which sits on the Alabama River down the street from a century-old train depot. After a game, be sure to tour the river walk area, where you can take in live outdoor music at the Riverwalk Amphitheater while noshing on a picnic with friends. If you’re in town on the third Tuesday of the month, head to the Cloverdale Playhouse where, for just $10, you can catch local musicians singing and telling stories all night long.

Also on the Alabama River in Prattville, about 30 minutes away, is the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Capitol Hill. Book a tee time at this stunning site, which was named one of the 10 public courses in America worthy of hosting the prestigious U.S. Open by Golf Magazine. It’ll be worth the drive from Montgomery.

Take in the history

A visit to this storied city isn’t complete without a stop to see the restored city bus on which Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat at Troy University’s Rosa Parks Library & Museum. Photo Credit: foap.com

You’d miss out if you didn’t take in every one of Montgomery's historic Civil Rights sites. Start with a visit to the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, the National Historic Landmark where Martin Luther King Jr. first preached. Another must-see: the Rosa Parks Museum, which honors Parks and the participants of the 1955 Montgomery bus boycotts. Don’t forget about Montgomery’s music scene, either. A trip to the Hank Williams Museum—a popular stop that pays tribute to country music’s first superstar—will have you humming along to some of the greatest hits in country music history.

Go for Southern food

Taste the Gulf with fresh oysters served any way you like them at Wintzell’s Oyster House. Photo Credit: Wintzell’s Oyster House

Though it’s a few hours from the Gulf Coast, Montgomery offers some of the area’s best seafood. Case in point: Wintzell’s Oyster House, which serves fresh oysters, shrimp and housemade gumbo daily. No trip to Alabama would be complete without getting in some barbecue. There’s perhaps no better spot in Montgomery than Dreamland Bar-B-Que; delight in smoked ribs, pork, sausage and all the fixins at this hot spot. Still not satisfied? Make a trip to Chris’ Famous Hot Dogs, Montgomery’s oldest family-run restaurant. Choose one of Chris’ world-famous dogs—get the cheese dog!—or a cheeseburger with a side of onion rings. You won’t be disappointed.

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