Alabama Shakespeare Festival Travel Guide (2026)
The Alabama Shakespeare Festival (ASF) is the State Theatre of Alabama, producing a full season of Shakespeare and contemporary plays in Montgomery’s Blount Cultural Park. Its production quality is the draw: a professional company in a dedicated theater complex, with backstage tours for visitors who want to see how the productions come together. Its most irreplaceable experience is the performance itself — a live professional production, often of the plays that give the festival its name, in the state’s dedicated Shakespeare theatre.
Why It Is Worth Visiting
ASF is the state theatre, and it operates a real season — a roster of Shakespeare and contemporary work that changes through the year — rather than a single annual show. The company is professional, and the festival has been producing in Montgomery for more than forty years, making it one of the region’s leading theater institutions. Visitors can see mainstage productions, join backstage tours that go behind the scenes of the theater’s operation, and walk the grounds of Blount Cultural Park, which also hosts the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts. Because the festival runs on a season schedule, the experience depends on planning around what is on stage during your visit.
DananaGo’s read is that this is a plan-around attraction: the value is a live professional production, so the visit works when you build it into an evening, not as a drop-in during the day.
DananaGo’s verdict: This is a Secondary Attraction — a city B-grade stop worth scheduling on a three-to-five-day Montgomery stay. The reasons are concrete: it is the state’s professional theatre, it offers a full season rather than a single event, and its backstage tours add a daytime dimension. It suits theater travelers, Shakespeare fans, and visitors planning a Montgomery evening. A reasonable stay is 2–3 hours for a performance, or about an hour for a backstage tour. Travelers not interested in theater can skip it; for anyone who plans around the schedule, it is the city’s cultural evening essential.
What to Experience
A Mainstage Production
The core of the festival is the season: Shakespeare’s plays alongside contemporary works, musicals, and family productions. Check the performance calendar and book tickets for whatever is on stage during your visit. The productions are the reason the festival exists, and they set the standard for the experience.
The Backstage Tours
When available, the festival offers backstage tours that take visitors behind the scenes — the shops, the stage, and the workings of the theater. These add a daytime option for visitors who want to see the production side of the festival.
Blount Cultural Park
The theater sits in Blount Cultural Park, a landscaped setting that also holds the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts. The park makes the visit a cultural afternoon rather than only a performance stop.
Plan Your Visit
| Address | 1 Festival Drive, Montgomery, AL 36117 |
|---|---|
| Recommended time | 2–3 hours for a performance; about an hour for a backstage tour |
| Hours | Performance times vary with the season schedule; box office and tour hours follow the production calendar — confirm before visiting |
| Admission | Varies by production; tickets purchased through the ASF box office or online; backstage tours are ticketed separately |
| Best time | Around a scheduled performance; evenings for shows, daytime for tours |
| Getting there | In Blount Cultural Park, about 10 minutes east of downtown Montgomery; free on-site parking |
Check the official website for current opening hours, admission prices, reservations, and key visitor policies.
A Focused Visit Route
Start by checking the season calendar and booking tickets for a performance that falls during your stay. If you want the daytime dimension, take a backstage tour when one is offered. Arrive early to walk Blount Cultural Park and, if time allows, visit the adjacent Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts. End with the mainstage production as the centerpiece of the visit.
DananaGo Tips
- Book tickets well in advance — the festival’s productions sell out, especially on weekends.
- Plan the visit around the schedule; a performance is the reason to come, not a drop-in.
- Check for backstage tours on your dates; they are the daytime option for non-performance visits.
- Combine the theater with the Museum of Fine Arts in the same park for a full cultural visit.
Explore More of Montgomery
Montgomery has more to offer beyond the theatre — use the city map below to find other sites worth your time.