Editing Montgomery, Alabama (section)

==Culture==
Montgomery has one of the biggest arts scenes of any mid-sized city in America. The [[Winton M. Blount Cultural Park]] (named for [[Winton M. Blount]]) in east Montgomery is home to the [[Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts]]. The museum's permanent collections include American art and sculpture, [[Southern United States|Southern]] art, master prints from European masters, and collections of porcelain and glass works.<ref name="MMFA collections">{{citation |url=http://www.mmfa.org/collections.cfm |title=Museum Collections |publisher=[[Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts]] |access-date=September 6, 2008 |format=Scholar search |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061014101553/http://www.mmfa.org/collections.cfm |archive-date=October 14, 2006}}</ref> The Society of Arts and Crafts operates a co-op gallery for local artists.<ref name="SAC">{{citation |url=http://www.sacsgallery.org/aboutsociety.html |title=About SAC's Gallery – About the Society of Arts & Crafts |access-date=September 14, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080719121850/http://sacsgallery.org/aboutsociety.html |archive-date=July 19, 2008}}</ref>

[[Montgomery Zoo]] holds more than 500 animals, from five continents, in {{cvt|40|acre|km2}} of barrier-free habitats.<ref name="Zoo">{{citation |url=http://www.montgomeryal.gov/index.aspx?page=117 |title=About the Zoo-Mann Museum |publisher=City of Montgomery, Alabama |access-date=September 6, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080917012119/http://www.montgomeryal.gov/index.aspx?page=117 |archive-date=September 17, 2008 }}</ref> The [[Hank Williams Museum]] contains one of the largest collections of Williams memorabilia in the world.<ref name="Hank museum">{{citation |url=http://www.thehankwilliamsmuseum.com/mtour.htm |title=The Hank Williams Museum |access-date=September 14, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080624065305/http://www.thehankwilliamsmuseum.com/mtour.htm |archive-date=June 24, 2008}}</ref> The Museum of Alabama serves as the official state history museum and is located in the [[Alabama Department of Archives and History]] building downtown.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://museum.alabama.gov/ |title=Museum of Alabama |publisher=Museum.alabama.gov |access-date=August 11, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140818144858/http://www.museum.alabama.gov/ |archive-date=August 18, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref> This museum was renovated and expanded in 2013 in a $10 million project that includes technological upgrades and many new exhibits and displays. The [[W. A. Gayle Planetarium]], operated by [[Troy University]], is one of the largest in the southeast United States and offers tours of the night sky and shows about current topics in [[astronomy]]. The [[planetarium]] was upgraded to a full-dome digital projector in 2014.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.troy.edu/planetarium/index.html |title=Troy: W. A. Gayle Planetarium |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201040317/https://www.troy.edu/planetarium/index.html |archive-date=December 1, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Carolyn Blount Theatre.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Alabama Shakespeare Festival]]'s Carolyn Blount Theatre]]
Blount Park also contains the [[Alabama Shakespeare Festival]]'s Carolyn Blount Theatre. The Shakespeare Festival presents year-round performances of both classic plays and performances of local interest, in addition to works of [[William Shakespeare]].<ref name="ASF">{{citation |url=http://www.asf.net/aboutus/index.aspx |title=About Us |publisher=[[Alabama Shakespeare Festival]] |access-date=September 6, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080615152822/http://www.asf.net/aboutus/index.aspx |archive-date=June 15, 2008}}</ref> The 1200-seat [[Davis Theatre for the Performing Arts]], on the [[Troy University at Montgomery]] campus, opened in 1930 and was renovated in 1983. It houses the [[Montgomery Symphony Orchestra]], [[Alabama Dance Theatre]] and [[Montgomery Ballet]], as well as other theatrical productions.<ref name="Davis Theatre">{{citation |url=http://montgomery.troy.edu/davis/brochurepage2.htm |title=A Bit of History |publisher=[[Troy University]] |access-date=September 14, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080705105431/http://montgomery.troy.edu/davis/brochurepage2.htm |archive-date=July 5, 2008}}</ref> The Symphony has been performing in Montgomery since 1979.<ref name="Symphony">{{citation |url=http://www.montgomerysymphony.org/about_MSO.htm |title=Welcome to the Montgomery Symphony Orchestra |access-date=September 2, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080930185041/http://www.montgomerysymphony.org/about_MSO.htm |archive-date=September 30, 2008 }}</ref> The Capri Theatre in [[Cloverdale, Montgomery|Cloverdale]] was built in 1941, and today shows [[independent film]]s.<ref name="Capri">{{citation |url=http://www.capritheatre.org/ |title=Capri Theatre Montgomery, AL |publisher=Capri Community Film Society |access-date=September 14, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080915224302/http://www.capritheatre.org/ |archive-date=September 15, 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> The 1800-seat state-of-the-art Montgomery Performing Arts Center opened inside the newly renovated convention center downtown in 2007. It hosts a range of performances, from Broadway plays to concerts, and performers such as [[B. B. King]], [[Gregg Allman]], and [[Merle Haggard]].

Numerous musical performers have roots in Montgomery: Toni Tennille of the duo The Captain and Tennille, jazz singer and pianist [[Nat King Cole]], country singer [[Hank Williams]],<ref name="Hank">{{citation |url=https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/database/williams_h.html |title=American Masters. Hank Williams |publisher=[[PBS]] |access-date=September 1, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050526080359/http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/database/williams_h.html |archive-date=May 26, 2005 |url-status=live}}</ref> blues singer [[Big Mama Thornton]], [[Melvin Franklin]] of [[The Temptations]], and guitarist [[Tommy Shaw]] of [[Styx (band)|Styx]].<ref name="Tommy Shaw">{{citation |url=http://www.alamhof.org/tommyshaw.html |title=Alabama Music Hall of Fame Tommy Shaw |access-date=September 1, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080914031101/http://www.alamhof.org/tommyshaw.html |archive-date=September 14, 2008}}</ref>

Author and artist [[Zelda Sayre]] was born in Montgomery. In 1918, she met [[F. Scott Fitzgerald]], then a young soldier stationed at an Army post nearby. The house where they lived when first married is today operated as the [[F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum]].<ref name="Fitzgerald">{{Citation |last=Milford |first=Nancy |author-link=Nancy Milford |title=Zelda: A Biography |year=1970 |publisher=[[Harper & Row]] |location=New York |page=24}}</ref><ref name="Fitz Museum">{{citation |url=http://www.visitingmontgomery.com/details.cfm?site_id=12DFB018-5C1D-4A35-94525180CD41666E |title=F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum |publisher=Montgomery Convention Center and Visitor Bureau |access-date=September 14, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080609233226/http://www.visitingmontgomery.com/details.cfm?site_id=12DFB018-5C1D-4A35-94525180CD41666E |archive-date=June 9, 2008}}</ref> Poet [[Sidney Lanier]] lived in Montgomery and [[Prattville, Alabama|Prattville]] immediately after the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], while writing his novel ''Tiger Lilies.''<ref name="Lanier">{{citation |last=Henry |first=Susan Copeland |url=http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-533&sug=y |title=Sidney Lanier (1842–1881) |series=[[New Georgia Encyclopedia]] |publisher=Georgia Humanities Council and the [[University of Georgia Press]] |access-date=September 14, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090223213013/http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-533&sug=y |archive-date=February 23, 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In addition to those notable earlier musicians, some of the rock bands from Montgomery have achieved national success since the late 20th century. Locals artists [[Trust Company (band)|Trust Company]] were signed to [[Geffen Records]] in 2002. [[Hot Rod Circuit]] formed in Montgomery in 1997 under the name Antidote, but achieved success with [[Vagrant Records]] after moving to [[Connecticut]].

===Sports===
Montgomery is home of the [[Montgomery Biscuits]] baseball team. The Biscuits play in the [[Double-A (baseball)|Class AA]] [[Southern League (1964–2020)|Southern League]]. They are affiliated with the [[Tampa Bay Rays]], and play at [[Montgomery Riverwalk Stadium]]. Riverwalk Stadium hosted the [[NCAA Division II]] National Baseball Championship from 2004 until 2007. The championship had previously been played at [[Paterson Field]] in Montgomery from 1985 until 2003.<ref name="D2 Baseball">{{citation |url=https://www.ncaa.org/library/records/baseball/baseball_records_book/2008/2008_baseball_records.pdf |title=Official 2008 NCAA Baseball Records Book |publisher=[[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] |date=January 2008 |page=224 |access-date=September 2, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080716221146/http://www.ncaa.org/library/records/baseball/baseball_records_book/2008/2008_baseball_records.pdf <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date=July 16, 2008}}</ref> Riverwalk Stadium has also been host to two Southern League All-Star games in 2006 and 2015.

[[File:Montgomery Riverwalk Stadium.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Montgomery Biscuits]] play in [[Montgomery Riverwalk Stadium|Riverwalk Stadium]]]]
The [[Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic]] women's golf event is held at the [[Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail]] at Capitol Hill in nearby [[Prattville, Alabama|Prattville]].<ref name="LPGA">{{citation |title=LPGA.com |url=http://lpga.com/tournament_microsite.aspx?id=13688 |access-date=September 2, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080502005543/http://www.lpga.com/tournament_microsite.aspx?id=13688 |archive-date=May 2, 2008}}</ref> [[Garrett Coliseum]] was the home of the now-defunct [[Montgomery Bears]] [[Indoor American football|indoor football]] team.

Montgomery is also the site of sporting events hosted by the area's colleges and universities. The [[Alabama State University]] Hornets play in [[NCAA Division I]] competition in the [[Southwestern Athletic Conference]] (SWAC). The [[American football|football]] team plays at Hornet Stadium, the basketball teams play at the Dunn-Oliver Acadome, and the baseball team plays at the ASU Baseball Complex, which opened in 2010. [[Auburn University at Montgomery]] (AUM) fields teams in [[NCAA Division II]] competition. [[Huntingdon College]] participates at the NCAA Division III level and [[Faulkner University]] is a member of the NAIA and is a nearby rival of AUM. The [[Blue–Gray Football Classic]] was an annual college football [[all-star game]] held from 1938 until 2001.<ref name="Blue-Gray">{{citation |url=http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/bowls/bowl_results.php?bowlid=35 |title=Blue-Gray All-Star Classic Games |publisher=College Football Data Warehouse |access-date=September 2, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090223211614/http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/bowls/bowl_results.php?bowlid=35 |archive-date=February 23, 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2009, the city played host to the first annual Historical Black College and University (HBCU) All-Star Football Bowl played at Cramton Bowl. Montgomery has also hosted to the [[Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference]] (SIAC) football championship and  the [[Camellia Bowl (2014–present)|Camellia Bowl]].<ref name=ESPNNewCB>{{cite news |last=McMurphy |first=Brett |title=Bowl created for MAC, Sun Belt |publisher=ESPN |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/9581531/espn-creates-bowl-mac-sun-belt-teams |access-date=August 20, 2013 |date=August 19, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130820215706/http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/9581531/espn-creates-bowl-mac-sun-belt-teams |archive-date=August 20, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref> Montgomery annually hosts the Max Capital City Classic inside Riverwalk Stadium which is a baseball game between rivals [[Auburn University]] and the [[University of Alabama]].

Several successful professional athletes hail from Montgomery, including [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]]r [[Bart Starr]]<ref name="Bart Starr">{{citation |url=http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/member.jsp?PLAYER_ID=200 |title=Bart Starr |publisher=[[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] |access-date=September 2, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071211165107/http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/member.jsp?player_id=200 |archive-date=December 11, 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Athletics at the 1984 Summer Olympics|two-time Olympic gold medalist]] in track and field [[Alonzo Babers]].<ref name="Alonzo Babers">{{citation |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ba/alonzo-babers-1.html |title=Alonzo Babers Biography and Statistics |publisher=Sports-Reference.com |access-date=September 2, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090221084426/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ba/alonzo-babers-1.html |archive-date=February 21, 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Civic organizations===
Montgomery has many active governmental and nonprofit civic organizations. City funded organizations include the Montgomery Clean City Commission (a Keep America Beautiful Affiliate) which works to promote cleanliness and environmental awareness. BONDS (Building Our Neighborhoods for Development and Success) which works to engage citizens about city/nonprofit programs, coordinates/assists neighborhood associations, and works to promote neighborhood and civic pride amongst Montgomery residents.

A number of organizations are focused on diversity relations and the city's rich [[civil rights]] history. Leadership Montgomery provides citizenship training. Bridge Builders Alabama works with high school youth to promote diversity and civic engagement. The group [[One Montgomery]] was founded in 1983 and is a forum for networking of a diverse group of citizens active in civic affairs. Montgomery is also home to [[The Legacy Museum]], [[Civil Rights Memorial]], [[The National Memorial for Peace and Justice]], [[Freedom Monument Sculpture Park]], [[Freedom Rides Museum]], the National Center for the Study of Civil Rights and African-American Culture, and the [[Rosa Parks Museum|Rosa Parks Library and Museum]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://visitingmontgomery.com/play/see-and-do/civil-rights1 |title=See and do &#124; Montgomery Alabama &#124; Convention & Visitors Bureau |access-date=October 21, 2021 |archive-date=October 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211021034813/https://visitingmontgomery.com/play/see-and-do/civil-rights1 |url-status=dead}}</ref>