Alabama Archives and History Foundation

Since 1901, the Alabama Department of Archives and History has been the home of Alabama history--the place where our citizens and visitors from around the world have discovered their roots, toured fascinating exhibits, and learned about Alabama's central role in the larger story of American history.

Now, the Department is undertaking a museum renovation and expansion that will create the new Museum of Alabama. For the first time, our vast collections of artifacts and records will form the basis of a walk through Alabama history from the arrival of the first nomadic Indians to the turn of the 21st century.

Phase I of the project opened in August 2011 to great acclaim. The first of two galleries, The Land of Alabama, introduces the state’s geologic history and tremendous biodiversity—sources of the natural resources that have shaped our history.

The second gallery, The First Alabamians, tells the story of Indians who arrived in Alabama 14,000 years ago and how their descendents adapted to a changing environment through technological innovation, ultimately creating a rich, powerful culture that rivaled those of Europe in the Middle Ages.

In Phase II we will install Alabama Voices, the centerpiece of the museum. Resuming the story in 1700, on the eve of European settlement, the exhibit will take visitors through three centuries of growth, conflict, and achievement that created the Alabama we know today. And it will invite visitors to reflect on the challenges that we face currently and in the future.

Visitors will experience history through the voices of Alabamians who experienced it—voices gleaned from their letters, diaries, speeches, newspapers, and recorded sound and images.

The exhibit will benefit more than just the visitors who walk through the doors. Already, the stories and objects selected for the exhibits are being used to improve history education throughout the state. We provide training to teachers on how to incorporate primary sources in the classroom, and we equip them with lesson plans that tie these activities directly to the state course of study.

The new museum exhibits will be Smithsonian-quality, featuring beautiful graphics, state-of-the-art cases and lighting, and technology that will help the story of Alabama’s past come alive.

And the similarity to our national museum does not end there. Like the Smithsonian, the Museum of Alabama will be the product of a public-private partnership. Space for the new exhibits was provided by a $20 million, state-funded building expansion completed in 2005.

Now, we are relying on the generosity of Alabamians to raise the $7 million needed for construction and installation of the exhibits. More than $5.2 million of that is in hand. Won’t you help us close the remaining gap?

We invite you to visit the Department of Archives and History soon, and to see for yourself the first stages of our transformation. With your help, we can create a destination and educational resource unlike any other—one that will make Alabamians proud of their home state, and help them understand its fascinating past.

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