Alabama's One-Of-A-Kind Village Is An Engaging Interpretive Museum Centered Around American History

Fragments of America's fascinating history are scattered across all 50 states. You can walk the alabaster halls of Washington D.C.'s Capitol Hill before heading to George Washington's presidential house in Philadelphia. Or you can relive the dawn of the Revolutionary War by visiting the Old North Bridge in Concord, Massachusetts. You would need several months to check off all the dramatic places and events filling the history books. Alternatively, you can visit the American Village in Montevallo, Alabama.

An engaging interactive museum centered on American history, this town-sized place includes reproductions of the above sites and many more. Far from being a static display, this one-of-a-kind village brings American history to life with live historical reenactments and epic celebrations held on notable days. Located just off the Alabama Highway 119, the American Village is easily accessible from Interstate 65 if you're driving southbound toward Montgomery or northbound toward Alabama's cultural and culinary capital, Birmingham.

With more than 20 sites from residential manors to solemn memorial gardens, the American Village has enough to fill your senses for an entire day. The imposing red brick exterior of Liberty Hall is the first thing you see as you are welcomed into the complex. Inside lies a brightly lit ballroom with chandeliers, used for historical dances as well as private events. Just a short walk eastward will take you to the leafy National Veterans Shrine, which separates the Visitor Center — containing a replica of the White House East Room – from the prettiest section of the village.

As you step into the neatly gardened space, the towering Colonial Chapel will catch your eye immediately. The chapel was built to look like the Bruton Parish Church in Williamsburg, Virginia, attended by the likes of Thomas Jefferson and George Washington in their day. Another must-see attraction connected to Washington's life is the President's House just opposite, fashioned after his home at Mount Vernon in Virginia. Another marker of the War for Independence lies on the margins of the village. A lake and wooden bridge represent Concord Old North Bridge in Massachusetts, where the "shot heard 'round the world" that started the Revolution was fired.

There is no better place to end your tour than the full-sized reproduction of the White House Oval Office. This replica is faithful to what the original looked like when the village was built in 1999.

When the American Village first opened as an initiative for schools in 1999, its goal was to teach young people the values of liberty and democracy by bringing key people and events from history books to the stage. This ethos is still alive today, with characters reenacting historical moments across the village, setting it apart from similar quirky, walkable villages in Alabama and truly bringing American history to life.

When strolling along the leafy paths, it's not unusual to see a revolutionary gentleman tipping his black hat politely at you. Each character that populates the colonial village has a unique story to tell, as you will learn when stepping into the Colonial Courthouse. Inside the austere building, you can witness vignettes set around the Revolutionary War era, including a Mayflower-based performance around Thanksgiving and regular performances from actors playing the Marquis de Lafayette and discussing the Stamp Act.

It's clear Alabama loves history. The state's quirky rendition of England's Stonehenge could have been a hint, but the work of visionary educator Tom Walker and architect Mike Hamrick, who established the American Village, is a testament to the state's commitment to preserving and educating people about the past.