One of the best preserved historical military sites here in the United States. The movie in Hanger…read more2 is awesome. When you visit the airfield and its buildings, it feels like you're stepping back in time. I visited on a Saturday and there was only two other families there. Every room I walked into I was the only one in there so I was able to really immerse myself in the settings, sounds, and smells. You can not only go into all the different offices in the hangars, but you can also climb the old control tower. The staff are helpful and friendly. It's free to visit but I would recommend leaving a donation. The site also has a nice little gift shop.

This place will take you back in time. To the time of when it happened and where it was. It is a…read morenice exhibit. You can tell that it needs some upkeep so please donate. Make sure you check out everything and it put you in the mindset of the past and how lucky we are for the future.

I visit this treasure of a museum every time I'm in Auburn. I've been here at different time to…read morecapture it's beauty and also attended an evening event a few months ago. The Jule Collins Smith is not large, so it allows you to take your time walking the galleries. Upon entering look up at the Chantilly chandelier in the lobby. Admission is free, however a donation of $5 is a suggestion. There is a gift shop and cafe up front. Visitors can see unique wood art known to the area as "wood turning". A special collection from the 1930's Alabama state fair stored for 70 years was displayed during my visit. The museum is owned and operated in conjunction with Auburn University. If you have and hour or so I would recommend a tour. Although the museum closes in the late afternoon its lighting in the evening is spectacular.

Sure, it's not the Met, but for this college town, the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art is…read morepretty dandy. I will admit to being in love with the museum building itself and the grounds. They'd be a perfect setting for a wedding or some such event. It's a modern spacious building that gets lots of light and overlooks a pond next to College Street. The small size works to its advantage. Sometimes extremely massive museums can be overwhelming. Since the Smith Museum isn't that large, you can see it all in a reasonable timeframe. Just a heads up that the museum is often closed during school breaks and holidays. So check the website or call before you head over if it's during those times. But all is not lost if the museum isn't open; you can stroll around the property which includes fountains, gardens, and outdoor art. The current exhibit outside is called Out of the Box, and it is really cool. Highly recommended and Instagram-able. The little gift shop is worth a quick peek. There is lots of parking. And best of all, it's free! Pop in for your dose of culture and class.

Montgomery Civil Rights Walk of Freedom Self-Guided (GPS) Walking Tour…read more As a retired 20-year veteran who grew up during the Watts Riots, I've seen a lot in this country--but I can honestly say this experience gave me something I didn't know I was missing. Taking this walk through Montgomery alongside my younger brother made it even more meaningful. We lost our mother early in life, so moments like this--where we can learn, reflect, and grow together--carry a different kind of weight. This wasn't just a tour for us; it was a chance to connect with each other and with a history that wasn't fully taught to us growing up. Hearing the stories of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks while standing where it all happened brought a level of understanding I never got in school. It filled in gaps and gave voice to experiences that shaped not only the country, but generations like ours. The self-guided format allowed us to take our time, have conversations, and really absorb what we were learning. There was no rush--just space to reflect, remember, and appreciate how far we've come and how much more there is to understand. For me, this was more than history--it was personal, it was healing, and it was something I'm grateful I got to share with my brother Mark.

We visited the Legacy Museum on Jan 8, 2026 as part of Road Scholar's "The Civil Rights Movement -…read moreAtlanta, Montgomery, Selma, Birmingham" program. It is one of the three Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) Legacy sites in Montgomery, AL, and one of the two where photography is not allowed. The latter was emphasized at the security checkpoint, of which there was only one line. I surrendered my foldable (smartphone) tripod to the staff, and would later do it two more times at the other two sites. Within the exhibition halls, staff members are positioned every 100 feet (give or take) to ensure visitors are on their best behaviors, i.e. no photography, no vandalism, etc. The transatlantic slave trade is the subject of the first two halls, with the first focusing on the transits of the captured from Africa. Sets of pictorial, written and video content fill every wall. There is no particular order of viewing. The next hall continues with the arrival, transactions and transits from ports to new colonies in the New World. Life-sized models of slaves naked and in chains act as passageway that visitors pass to move on. Despite being previously informed, I did not understand the sheer volume of the museum's content. I stopped to read every content in detail because of the no-photography policy. By the time I was done perusing the transatlantic slave trade, more than 30 minutes had passed. One section consists of small rooms designed to look like prison cells, each showing a brief holographic projection of a moment in the life of a slave. These projections are triggered by motion sensors. Another hall focuses on federal and state court decisions - most of them ruling against African-Americans - as well as numerous hate crimes and other (violent) racial injustices, all of which that had occurred since Reconstruction. Past that is a larger hall that displays copies of newspaper ads of slaves for sale on one side, and life during Reconstruction on the other. I had started to peruse the latter when I realized that I was approaching two hours in time spent in the museum. Deciding to head on to the other two sites, I was surprised to discover many more sections - including an art gallery - and the volume of content in each that I would miss. The Legacy Museum requires up to a day to truly appreciate its treasure. It is certainly worth visiting given its low admission price ($5 as of Jan 2026). However, I do not give this 5 stars because of the unnecessary security checkpoint to do the boat ride from Boat Launch at 101 Morris Street to Freedom Monument Sculpture Park, and vice versa. See attached image for further details At 12:56pm, after visiting the National Memorial for Peace and Justice (NMPJ), I showed up at Boat Launch. There was a security checkpoint. I was told to turn over my tripod before getting on the boat. The big, burly bespectacled guy in the suit claimed that tripods could be used to vandalize the sculptures, and I could take the boat back and to this pier to get it back. He gave no explanation as to how a tripod would be a hazardous or dangerous object on a boat ride itself. The Sculpture Park has its own security checkpoint where I would turn over the tripod, and I wasn't planning on coming back to this pier just to pick up my tripod. It would be a waste of time. So I waited for the shuttle to take me back to the Legacy Museum after stopping over at NMPJ. When I finally arrived at Sculpture Park, 45 minutes of my time was wasted. This limited the time spent there. There was no necessity to have security checkpoint at Boat Launch when Sculpture Park has its own security checkpoint. Until EJI Legacy updates their policy to one that makes sense, this EJI site gets no more than three stars.

If you're an Auburn student you know how valuable the Donald E. Davis Arboretum is to the…read moreuniversity and community. Although the primary objective is a living breathing outdoor museum, it is also a university classroom. I will focus on what the Davis Arboretum is best known for, The Founders Oak. I was fascinated by my visit. The native Southern trees and plants is the real gem of the arboretum. The crown jewel would be the "Founders Oak". The tree symbolizes the strong foundation and a deeply rooted history. The tree measures 88 feet tall by 47 inches wide. It's expected to see the start of the next century. The Oak serves as a symbol of the City of Auburn in history and spirit. There is much, more to the 13.6 acre arboretum that you will love to explore. They also rent out their space on the cheap for weddings. I encourage a visit.

Not that Auburn is a concrete jungle or anything, but the Davis Arboretum is a perfect escape into…read morenature, all while being on Auburn's campus and close to downtown and major roads. There's a parking lot off Garden Drive and some street parking on Lem Morrison Drive. The arboretum is free to all, not just those with university affiliations, and is open from dawn to dusk. If you like trees, especially southern ones, you're in luck. The place has undergone some cosmetic improvements over the years and seems to have expanded. I'm partial to the pond, and the pitcher plant area is super cool, especially when you can hear frogs rumbling. Spanning 13+ acres and home to 300 native plant species, the arboretum is sure to have something for you, whether you just like to wander amidst the trees, need to squeeze in a run, have to study for class, or want to explore with your kiddos.

This is a very interactive space museum for families and kids. We loved every game and experience…read moreavailable. Usually when you go to space museums, all the experiences require an extra cost but not here. All of it is included. There is a planetarium which is an extra fee but I do appreciate that they run programs every hour. Parking is in the garage adjacent to the museum. It's nice to get shaded parking especially in the thick of a Georgia summer.

A cute little museum in downtown Columbus. It's on the water, and a great space to see real and…read morereplica space shuttle pieces. The staff was welcoming and very knowledgeable when we asked questions. I do wish it was a little bigger but you can't beat it for the price. We really enjoyed the space shuttle experience!

We visited the Civil Rights Memorial Center in Montgomery, AL on Jan 7, 2026 as part of Road…read moreScholar's "The Civil Rights Movement - Atlanta, Montgomery, Selma, Birmingham" program. As the name indicates, it's a memorial and not a true museum. Tickets were covered by our program. We spent less than an hour here, in part because we got two other similarly small museums to visit in our day's itinerary. At the entrance of the Center is a security screening. We were directed to line up in rows. The security guard was friendly. He nicknamed me "Big T" since my name started with "T". I replied, "I wish I was big." To which he went, "Me too," and we both laughed. Row by row, we went up to the counter to surrender our personal items prior to the screening. The guard allowed me to keep my belt on even though the buckle is metal. Then each of us went through the screening. No issues encountered. We were then joined by a museum guide. The first section is the Martyr Room, dedicated to the 40 that were killed during the Civil Rights Movement. Collage of photos and individual profiles positioned at eye level filled every wall. There is a console in the middle of the room for visitors to learn more. A short while later, we were led to the Orientation Theater where we watched a short film called "Apathy is not an Option". It started with a highlight reel of the Movement and connects it to contemporary events of social justice. After that, we continued on to "The March Continues", a hallway of murals depicting contemporary social justice. The end of the hallway leads the "Wall of Justice" room. On one wall is a large, wide screen with names of people involved in civil rights through the ages, set to a photo of - presumably - the Selma March. By the opposite wall are inscribed quotations from historical figures, including one from Robert Kennedy (Sr.) during a trip in Cape Town, South Africa in 1966. The best was saved for last. We arrived at the Memorial table to see water literally flowing down onto its surface where the names of the 40 are etched. The artwork is indeed magnificent. Footage is in the video "Day 4 & Day 5: Civil Rights Memorial Center, Legacy Plaza, Legacy Museum" on my YouTube channel, in playlist "2026-1: The Civil Rights Movement - Atlanta, Montgomery, Selma, Birmingham". If it was up to me, I'd spend a few minutes more in the Martyr Room. It has the most content of all the sections. Overall, the Civil Rights Memorial Center is a good, albeit modest-sized center. It is worth the visit if done in conjunction with the Rosa Parks Museum and the Freedom Rides Museum, both of which are within walking distance.

Parking here can be tricky. I was able to find some free street parking. There is metered street…read moreparking available as well within a reasonable walking distance. Outside you will find a waterfall running down a wall that has a quote from Martin Luther King. There is also a large circular black granite water table that has the names of 41 people killed (Martyrs) in the name of the civil rights struggle. It was designed by Maya Lin in 1989. In order to enter here you must have a must, submit to a temperature check and go through security screening. This is one of the few museum in the area that allows photos inside. The Center is very small. The first room that you come to is the The Martyr Room and features 74 people, that are known as "The Forgotten", and the 41 "Civil Rights Martyrs" that are listed on the memorial outside. Sadly, it is an extensive list and has Emmet Till, Martin Luther King, Medgar Evers, and other less notable names. The main section of the Center is the Apathy is Not an Option: Orientation Theater. It seats about 75 or so and is very nice. The movie that they play here is on a schedule and the timer is located in the previous room. It tells you when the next showing is. The movie is amazing and is a must see. It is well put together. I really loved it and am glad that I waited for it. The rest of the Center has pictures of people on the walls with phrases and/or personal stories on them It is titled The March Continues: Today's Activist. The Center's last area is the Wall of Justice: A Space of Reflection, a video wall with names falling down. You can put your name on the wall, by agreeing to a pledge. It does not stay there, so if you are going to get a picture of it then you better do it fast. You end you tour in the small gift shop that sells key chains, t-shirt, and pencils/pens, and pictures. It does not take long to make it through the center. I spent about 45 minutes here and that included watching the movie. There is not much to the Center, but is is still worth a visit if you are in the area and have time.

This is the best museum we have seen on our civil rights tour so far. Lots of movie clips…read moreintegrated with the exhibits so sitting alternates with standing and listening and watching alternates with reading. Take the Time machine ride in the children's wing first if you possibly can. And watch for references to all the women leading the movement that we often don't hear about.

We visited Troy University's Rosa Parks Museum in Montgomery, AL on Jan 7, 2026 as part of Road…read moreScholar's "The Civil Rights Movement - Atlanta, Montgomery, Selma, Birmingham" program. As the name indicates, this museum is entirely about the titular civil rights icon. Tickets were covered by our program. We spent less than an hour here, in part because we got two other sites to visit in our day's itinerary. Our tour guide informed us that photography was not allowed inside the exhibition rooms. (Judging by the content on this business listing, that didn't stop other visitors from taking photos.) In the first room, we saw a short film that summarizes the segregation in Montgomery prior to Parks' historic act. After that, we went another room and were standing in front of a bus modeled after the one that Parks boarded and refused to give up her seat. The bus's windows serves as screens for another short film that re-enacted the historic moment. The dialogue is boosted by surround sound all over the room so that visitors could feel what it was like at that moment. After that, we went into the third and final room of exhibits showing what happened after Parks' arrest and its impact on the Civil Rights Movement. I recalled life-size figures, a model of a 1950s car and dimmed lighting. (Many thanks to Lulu Wang and her article "Rosa Parks Museum: Take You Back to 1955, Montgomery, AL" in medium.com for helping with my recollections.) The museum is clearly focused on Rosa Parks the civil rights icon, but not Rosa Parks the person, family member and human being. To my recollection, there was little mention about her life before and after the bus boycott (and the larger Civil Rights Movement). Nor was there a mention of the asteroid named after her: 284996 Rosaparks. I learnt about that from a "Doctor Who" episode (series 11, episode 3, titled "Rosa"). I don't recall if the exhibits mention of Parks' prior encounter with the bus driver James Blake 12 years earlier. After paying her fare at the front entrance, she tried to enter through the back entrance. But Blake drove off without her. Some accounts claimed that she refused to board. It'd be nice to know what's the museum's take on that incident. Of the three Montgomery mini-sites about the Civil Rights movement - the other two being the Civil Rights Memorial Center and the Freedom Rides Museum - the Rosa Parks museum is the smallest in space and content, and the only one that does not allow photography. I was the least happy with it. It's certainly worth the visit if done in conjunction with the Civil Rights Memorial Center and the Freedom Rides Museum, both of which are within walking distance. In addition to that, go see the Rosa Parks statue at the Rosa Parks Bus Stop on Court Square, which is also within walking distance.

I was a ROTC student at Tuskegee and two of the Original Tuskegee Airmen served as Professor of…read moreAerospace Science during that time. Every time I visit the facility or read about it I am transformed!!! I am hopeful that funding will become available to expand the facility so that it can better tell the full and accurate history of those brave men and women. See em all around the flagpole.

I highly recommend a visit to this National Historic Site. Not only is it a unique experience…read moredetailing unique history in World War II but the self-guided tour in the actual training site provides a sense of immersion into the rigors and machinery/planes that were used. I have taken a number of friends and guests there. It is always a treat for them...rather like finding a hidden treasure. It is self-guided so you can spend as much time as you have or choose the items that you want to see. I especially like the Tea Room and its authentic restaurant feel. Even the Coke bottles are from the 1940's!