Montgomery County Alabama Shakespeare Festival
In a landscaped park on the edge of Montgomery, one of the largest Shakespeare festivals in the world has made its home for four decades. The Alabama Shakespeare Festival produces a full season of classical and contemporary theater each year, staged in a pair of purpose-built theaters that anchor the state’s cultural life.
The festival began in Anniston in 1972 and moved to Montgomery in 1985, when a major gift made possible the performing-arts complex in what is now the Winton M. Blount Cultural Park. Since then it has staged hundreds of productions and drawn visitors from across the country and around the world.
Alabama Shakespeare Festival: Quick Facts
| Location | Carolyn Blount Theatre, Winton M. Blount Cultural Park, Montgomery, Alabama |
| Founded | 1972, in Anniston; relocated to Montgomery in 1985 |
| Admission | Ticketed; season and single tickets available |
| Productions | Six to nine shows a year, typically including Shakespeare |
| Scale | Hundreds of performances and hundreds of thousands of visitors annually |
| Setting | A 250-acre landscaped cultural park |
A Theater Company With National Reach
The festival is a fully professional regional theater, and its reputation extends well beyond Alabama. It is counted among the ten largest Shakespeare festivals in the world, and it stages a rotating season that mixes the classics with modern plays and new work. That range keeps the company relevant to audiences who might not otherwise seek out Shakespeare.
The scale is substantial. A typical year brings six to nine productions and hundreds of performances, drawing a large and diverse audience. The festival’s education programs and its work developing new scripts have made it a significant force in American theater, not just a local attraction.
For a look at how another Alabama county builds a festival around its own community and history, see the Monroe County Alabama Olde Tymers Tractor & Car Show for a useful comparison.
The Theaters and the Park
The company performs in two theaters of different sizes and shapes. The larger Festival Stage seats hundreds and handles the big classical productions, while the smaller Octagon provides an intimate setting for more experimental work. The contrast gives the season its variety.
The theaters sit within a large landscaped park, alongside the city’s fine arts museum and sculpture garden. That setting makes a visit to the festival easy to pair with an afternoon of art and a walk through the grounds, turning a single show into a fuller cultural outing.
Productions are built in the company’s own shops, which means the sets, costumes, and props are created on site. That in-house capacity is part of what allows the festival to mount ambitious work, and it is a point of pride for the organization.
Planning Your Visit
The festival runs a season that spans much of the year, with different shows opening at different times. Tickets are sold individually and as part of subscription packages, and popular productions can sell out, so booking ahead is wise. Check the current season before you plan a trip around a specific play.
The theater sits in the cultural park, reachable by car from across Montgomery and the surrounding region. Parking is available on site, and the park’s setting makes arriving a little early part of the pleasure.
Montgomery offers plenty to do around a performance. The city’s civil rights history, its museums, and its riverfront are all within reach, and a meal downtown is an easy addition to an evening at the theater. Many visitors build a full day around a matinee.
Making a Weekend of It
A theater weekend in Montgomery is easy to arrange. Stay downtown, spend the day exploring the city’s museums and historic sites, and finish with an evening performance at the festival. The combination of a nationally regarded theater and a city rich in history makes for a rewarding trip.
If you are traveling with children, look for family-friendly productions or educational programming, which the festival offers alongside its mainstage season. The company’s commitment to education is one of its defining features.
How It Compares to Other Festivals
Montgomery’s calendar includes the state fair, wine and harvest events, and a range of arts gatherings. The Shakespeare Festival stands apart as a year-round professional theater rather than a seasonal street festival. It is the county’s deepest cultural institution, and the one with the longest reach.
A Short Checklist
Check the season schedule and book tickets early for popular shows. Arrive with time to park and find your seat, and consider pairing the performance with a visit to the museum and park. Dress is generally smart-casual, and there is no need to overthink it.
Beyond the Festival
Montgomery’s cultural life extends well past the theater. The city’s museums, its role in the civil rights movement, and its historic districts make it a destination in its own right. The Shakespeare Festival is a good reason to visit and a good introduction to everything else the city offers.
Why It Matters
A world-class theater in a mid-sized Southern city is a rare thing. The Alabama Shakespeare Festival has built one, and it has done so with a commitment to education, new work, and the classics alike. For Alabama, it is a cultural anchor; for visitors, it is a reason to plan a trip.
Why Montgomery
The festival’s move to Montgomery in 1985 was transformative. A major gift from a local family made possible a purpose-built performing-arts complex set in a landscaped park, and that facility allowed the company to grow from a struggling operation into a nationally regarded theater.
The city gained a cultural institution that draws visitors from around the world, and the festival gained the stability and space it needed. It is a rare example of philanthropy and civic ambition combining to create something durable.
The Craft Behind the Curtain
A production at the festival involves far more than the actors on stage. Sets, costumes, props, and lighting are designed and built by the company’s own artisans, and the scale of that in-house operation is part of what allows the festival to mount ambitious work.
For visitors, that craft is visible in the polish of the productions. For anyone curious about theater as a discipline, the festival’s education programs and its work with new scripts offer a window into how a professional company operates from the ground up.
A Season for Every Taste
The festival’s season is built to appeal to more than Shakespeare devotees. Alongside the classics, the company stages musicals, modern dramas, and new work, and it has commissioned and developed original scripts through its writers’ program.
That range means a visitor can plan a trip around whatever suits their taste. A family might choose a musical, a student might seek out a Shakespeare history play, and a regular might come for a new work. The season’s variety keeps the theater relevant to a broad audience.
The Education Mission
Education is central to the festival’s purpose. The company runs programs for students and teachers, offers performances and workshops, and works to make theater accessible to young audiences who might not otherwise encounter it.
That mission extends the festival’s reach far beyond its ticket buyers. By investing in the next generation of theatergoers, the company builds a lasting audience and a lasting appreciation for the art form, which is a benefit to the whole state.
The Park and the Museum
The theater sits within a landscaped cultural park that also includes the city’s fine arts museum and a sculpture garden. That concentration of cultural attractions makes the park a destination in itself.
Visitors can pair a matinee with an afternoon at the museum, or spend a morning in the garden before an evening performance. The setting turns a single show into a full cultural outing, which is part of what makes the park so valuable to the city.
Behind the Scenes
The festival’s productions are built in its own shops, where artisans create sets, costumes, and props. That in-house capacity is unusual for a regional theater and allows the company to mount ambitious work without relying on outside vendors.
For visitors, the craftsmanship shows on stage, but it is also worth remembering that a production involves hundreds of hours of work by designers, builders, and technicians. The festival’s quality is the result of a deep bench of skilled professionals.
A Cultural Anchor for Alabama
The festival’s importance extends beyond Montgomery. As one of the largest Shakespeare festivals in the world, it brings national attention to Alabama and provides a cultural resource that residents of the whole state can claim.
That status is the result of decades of investment and hard work. The festival has become an institution, and its continued vitality is a sign of the state’s commitment to the arts. It is a point of pride, and a reason to visit the capital.
Tickets and Access
The festival offers a range of ticket options, from single seats to season subscriptions, and pricing varies by production and seating. For visitors, the flexibility makes it easy to sample the season without committing to a full subscription.
Discounts and special programs often exist for students, educators, and groups, so it is worth checking before you buy. The festival’s education mission means access is a priority, and there are usually ways to attend affordably.
A Theater for the State
The festival’s role as a state theater gives it a significance beyond its own season. It represents Alabama’s cultural ambitions on a national stage, and its productions and education programs reach audiences far beyond Montgomery.
That role comes with responsibility, and the company has embraced it. Its commitment to the classics, to new work, and to education reflects a broad vision of what a state theater can be, and it has earned the festival its reputation.
Visiting the Cultural Park
A trip to the festival is an opportunity to explore the wider cultural park. The grounds, the museum, and the sculpture garden make the area a destination, and a visit can be built around more than a single performance.
Arriving early or staying after the show lets you take in the park at a relaxed pace. It is a pleasant way to extend an evening at the theater into a fuller cultural experience, and it makes the most of the setting.
Festival Area Map
The map below places the festival at the Carolyn Blount Theatre in the Winton M. Blount Cultural Park in Montgomery, with the main roads and the surrounding city marked so you can plan your route. The theater sits within a large landscaped park.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Alabama Shakespeare Festival season?
The festival runs a season across much of the year, with different productions opening at different times. Check the current schedule for dates.
Where is the festival located?
It is housed in the Carolyn Blount Theatre in the Winton M. Blount Cultural Park in Montgomery, Alabama.
Do I need tickets?
Yes. The festival is a professional theater, and tickets are sold individually and as subscriptions. Booking ahead is recommended.
How many productions does it stage?
A typical season includes six to nine productions, with hundreds of performances across the year.
Is the festival only for Shakespeare fans?
No. The season mixes Shakespeare with modern plays and new work, so there is something for a range of tastes.
Is there programming for children?
Yes. The festival offers family-friendly productions and educational programs alongside its mainstage season.
What to Expect From the Next Shakespeare Festival Season
How often does the festival stage productions?
It is a year-round professional theater with a rotating season, not a single annual event.
When is the next season?
Productions are announced and staged throughout the year. Check the festival’s official season listing for upcoming shows.
Will the lineup change?
Yes. The productions change from season to season, so the schedule is worth checking before you plan a visit.
Last updated: October 2026
The Alabama Shakespeare Festival is the kind of institution that quietly elevates a city. Big productions, intimate ones, and a season built to last. Book a seat, arrive early enough to walk the park, and let a long afternoon or evening at the theater do the rest.
