The Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum
Exploring Alabama’s oldest continuously operating historical museum.
“You don’t write because you want to say something, you write because you have something to say.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Fitzgerald museum is one of the most historical places in the state of Alabama. With its outstanding features, no wonder it’s on everyone’s bucket list. The museum itself is the actual home of novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda Fitzgerald.
The structure of the home was built in 1910. The land was bought in 1905 from the Western Railway Co. Unfortunately, the original blueprints have been lost for the home, but it is typically a craftsman styled home. The museum was among the first land purchased for the Cloverdale neighborhood, being one of the first 10 or 15 homes built in that area. It is in the same proximity as Alabama State University and The former Country Club. Scott and his wife originate from the Jazz age. The museum is the last of four extant homes that survived the Fitzgerald’s travels across the world.
The museum is the only dedicated museum to their lives and legacies. After they moved out, it was subdivided into four apartments.The space was actively rented until 1986 and was set to be demolished until the museum founders, Julian & Leslie McPhillips, purchased the home and donated it as it is now- The Scott & Zelda Fitzgerald Museum. The museum continued to be actively rented in a portion of the structure until 2016. Now, it houses a writer’s residency/Airbnb, and the museum is housed in the entire downstairs floor. Little changes have been made to the home/landscape itself, but more to the neighborhood that surrounds it.
There are eight original wallpapers within the museum and are in process of being preserved and relayed. F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote portions of his novel “Tender is the Night”. One of the apartment residents was former Democratic Senator Silas D. Cater
When Scott & Zelda lived Montgomery in the 30s, it was a single family home. Zelda, a native to Montgomery, wrote her debut novel while in the home and grew up in nearby Cottage Hill. She was infamously dubbed “the first flapper” and was a prolific artist, a proficient ballerina and remains to be influential.
The museum will continue to preserve the home as it was when the Fitzgerald’s lived there, as the single family home on the downstairs floor and the apartments maintained above. The project is estimated at $1 million and will include light and humidity control to function as a museum, in addition to preservation of the outbuilding and original pond on the grounds.
More than 200 people visit the museum annually to explore the life of both Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. The two was a remarkable and interesting couple. There are numerous amounts of books and arts to enjoy. The amount of traffic that comes and goes through the museum has increased exponentially since its established.
“ Life is essentially a cheat and its conditions are those of defeat; the redeeming things are not happiness and pleasure but the deeper satisfactions that come out of struggle.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald
Location and Photos
My classmate Mike Breen also wrote about the museum.
More about this article:
This article was written as a creative project assignment for a journalism course, Media Writing II, at Auburn University at Montgomery in Spring 2018. The course was taught by Eman Shurbaji in collaboration with Exploring Montgomery’s founder, Cyle Conoly.
The project’s articles showcase many diverse buildings and their history in Montgomery.
- A bit of worship history at Old Ship African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church by Jayla Coleman
- The State Farmers Market by Cierra Juett explores a popular — and largely healthy — shopping destination
- Community love for the performing arts is seen at Cloverdale Playhouse by Brittany Vallely
- In depth coverage of the beloved Alabama Shakespeare Festival by Kodi Robertson and a short article by Brittany Nobles
- Photos capture great heights at AUM in Ida Belle Young Library Tower by Kaleria Jackson
- More coverage (with Curtiss the Warhawk!) of the Ida Belle Young Library Tower by Selina Johnson
- Tourist attraction F. Scott & Zelda Fitzgerald Museum is examined in light of the home by Kywanna Johnson and the writing ventures by Mike Breen
- Free and growing Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts is covered in light of its official website by Nyla Hooks
- Iconic Civil Rights moments are revisited at the Rosa Parks Museum by Brandon Barker
- A closer look at downtown entertainment landmark Davis Theatre by Alexandrea Moore
- Independent films and a deep roots are explored at Capri Theatre by Destin Davis
- State-of-the-art sports venue Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Stadium is visited by Dana Horton
