The PRD Group began working with the Alabama Department of Archives and History (ADAH) in 2002, with the commencement of multi-year visitor studies and an exhibit masterplan to create the Museum of Alabama, as a new state museum and separate visitor destination within the Archives’ building. Detailed research of ADAH’s archival and artifact collections, and a collaborative design process, including consultation with a team of advising scholars, moved the project forward in a series of iterative phases structured to provide time for fundraising and developing support capacity within ADAH.
Phase 1 was completed in 2011, with the opening of two galleries:
- The Land of Alabama, an exploration of the state’s
distinct physiographic regions and their impact on
Alabama’s human history - First Alabamians, an artifact focused overview of the
Indigenous history of the state up to European contact
Phase 2 culminated in 2014 with the opening of Alabama Voices, a 10,000 square foot overview of state history from 1720 to 2010. The exhibit’s “big idea” is that the story of Alabama is the story of its people; to learn this story, we must listen to their voices. This award-winning exhibit was the first historical treatment of Alabama in any form to treat the stories of Indigenous peoples, African Americans, and European Americans as equal players in the history of the state.
After years of accolades, ADAH re-engaged with PRD to launch Phase 3 in 2022. Inspired by a renewed commitment to NAGPRA collections consultation, ADAH seized the opportunity to complete the vision of the original masterplan, with multiple exhibits and interpretive elements:
- Placemaking: the creation of visitor-friendly environments within its stately marble lobbies and on its grand facades.
- The Children’s Gallery: a new space for young learners, designed for purposeful play centered on themes relevant to life in Alabama
- Alabama Military Stories: a completely reimagined military gallery capable of showcasing ADAH’s incredible collections
- Surgical enhancements to Alabama Voices, intended to expand on the coverage of difficult social issues and allow for clear Native American perspectives on the history of Alabama
- First Peoples of Alabama, opening in the fall of 2026, provides entirely new perspectives on Indigenous peoples with ties to Alabama, centering their story in an exploration of cultural identity and continuity
- Client: Alabama Department of Archives and History
- Location: Montgomery, AL
- Timeline: Phase 1 & 2: 2003–2014; Phase 3: 2022–2026
- Size: 20,000 sq. ft.
- Exhibit fabrication: Phase 1: ColorAd; Phase 2: D&P; Phase 3: 1220 Exhibits
