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Montgomery's F. Scott Fitzgerald Museum a must-stop for lit fans
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Fitzgerald House Museum
Okay here’s a pop quiz, which famous author and his wife have a museum dedicated to them in Montgomery, Alabama? You might have said F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald and you would be right.
This museum is unique in that it was saved from demolition in 1986 by the neighbors of the couple who did not want to see it destroyed or the plot turned into a condominium complex. From the outside it just looks like any other house, but this is one of Montgomery’s best-kept secrets. It is the only remaining residence of the famous couple anywhere in the world. Fitzgerald authored the Great Gatsby while his wife authored her one and only book “Save Me the Waltz”. The couple lived here with their daughter Scotti from 1931 to 1932.
The building itself was originally constructed in 1909 and these days it houses apartments upstairs which help fund the expenses of the museum downstairs.
Fitzgerald was originally born and brought up in St. Paul Minnesota to a family that cared about social etiquette and encouraged Scott to hobnob with the social elite and to always stay well dressed. When he moved on to university at Princeton, he gained notoriety for his writing skills. His most famous novel came about after he had written and published several short stories.
That famous book, the Great Gatsby is regarded as one of the best literary works of the 20th century but did you know that it didn’t bring Fitzgerald much fame or fortune at all at the time? He later went on to being a screenwriter in Hollywood.
It was actually Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald who was born in Montgomery, Alabama and the couple met at a dance in the Montgomery Country Club while F. Scott was serving in the army. They married once he was discharged from the army and later moved to the home on Felder Street. It was in this house that Fitzgerald’s novel “Tender is the Night” was completed.
The museum was opened in 1989 and has limited hours of operation. It contains many artifacts special to the family. There are two marble-topped tables from Zelda’s childhood home in Montgomery, several of Zelda’s paintings and many photographs and letters from the family. The 30-minute documentary that’s available is well worth checking out.
The museum celebrated its 20th anniversary on July 25, 2009. Zelda would have been 109 years old at the same time. The museum is open Wednesday through Friday 10-2pm and Saturday and Sunday 1pm to 5pm. The museum is well worth a visit. Don’t miss it.
More: www.visitingmontgomery.com
Rare footage of F. Scott Fitzgerald
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