Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce
Montgomery, the capital city of Alabama since 1846, sits in the River Region of Alabama that is well known for its natural beauty. An early financial center, its business leaders were instrumental in the founding of the City of Birmingham in 1871. The City boasts a numberof significant historical landmarks, including Maxwell Air Force Base, built on the site of the Wright Brothers Aviation School; historical downtown, home of the first electric trolley system and including Union Station, the Alabama River Front Park, the Hank Williams Museum and the Capitol, a national historic landmark with its surrounding government buildings; and Old Alabama Town, depicting life in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
But perhaps its best known attraction in addition to the capitol complex is the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. The Shakespeare Festival, the fifth largest of its kind in the nation, is housed in The Carolyn Blount Theater Complex, housing two separate theaters with a combined seating of over 1,000 people. The Festival Stage and the Octagon Stage, modeled after Shakespeare's Globe Theater, are set on abeautiful 250-acre park. The Winton M. Blount Cultural Park also houses the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts and boasts a garden modeled on those of the English herb gardens of the Renaissance period. The theater complex was made possible through a donation from Mr. Winton Blount, a long-time Bradley Arant client, in honor of his wife. Montgomery is also home to the Retirement Systems of Alabama, the impetus behind the legendary Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail that attracts visitors to the state from all over the world. The Trail was the largest golf course construction project ever undertaken at any one time anywhere in the world, and now includes nine spectacular sites throughout the State. The most recent addition to the Trail is Capitol Hill located just north of the City. Montgomery has a thriving economy that includes a growing information technology sector. The City was recently ranked by Expansion Magazine as one of the "Hottest Cities in America" for business relocation and expansion.
