Well, to be honest- I’ve never been to montgomery. I was actually born in Alabama, but moved when I was four. I visit occasionally, mainly Birmingham and Gadsden.

I don’t know if the Shakespeare Festival will be closed by then, but if it’s not, you should definitely check it out—really nice. Otherwise, if you’re interested in history, I’d recommend visiting Selma and Birmingham (my hometown), both hotspots of the civil rights era. Birmingham’s Civil Rights Museum is fantastic. And if you eat meat, do NOT miss an opportunity to eat at Milo’s, a chain of hamburger restaurants with iced tea so sweet it will make your toes curl. In a good way.

The Shakespeare Festival is the best – but as Caffrin noted it will be closed by then: http://www.asf.net/

The Rosa Parks museum is very interesting – if you are into history.

The Alabama Artist Gallery is very cool – some really interesting pieces there that change all the time.

Of course the State Capital is there.

There is also a lot of Civil War history in the area – fall is usually a good time to check out a re-enactment or two.

If you are into the fall colors – almost all of the state parks have special tours arranged.

For eating in Montgomery, I recommend Sophia’s BBQ: http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/entertainment/diningReviews/sophiasbbqpit.htm

Lek’s Railroad Thai is good as well. It’s near the Hank Williams Museum, which is small & quirky. It even has the car he died in; I don’t know how they fit it in there.

You should definitely visit Birmingham, which isn’t far from Montgomery. You can get a lovely view of the city from the Vulcan statue. Check out the Five Points area, with great shops & restaurants; Charlemagne Music Exchange and the Golden Temple Vegetarian Restaurant will give you a good taste of Birmingham that you might not experience otherwise. Other excellent restaurants in Bham/Hoover include the Pita Stop Cafe, Ted’s Cafeteria, Thai Garden House, Las Pin~atas, Niki’s West, etc. If you have money to burn, try Ocean, Highlands, G, or Bottega. Check out www.bhamdining.com for more info. 18th Street in Homewood is another great spot for shopping & eating, with Laser’s Edge Music, At Home Furnishings & Decor, Savage’s Bakery, DaVinci’s Italian Pub, O’Carr’s Cafe, Demetri’s BBQ, etc. And none of the places I’ve mentioned are chains!

For parks, check out Oak Mountain State Park in Pelham, just south of Hoover. The biggest & best in the state, with a little waterfall you can hike out to, lake swimming, horseback riding, paddleboats, canoes, etc.