Monroe County Museum

Enter the Monroe County Museum, and take a step back in time. Located at 31 N Alabama Ave in the heart of Monroeville, AL, the Heritage Museum occupies the Old Monroe County Courthouse, best known for its association with writers, Harper Lee and Truman Capote. Currently, the museum is home to a fully restored courtroom, as well as two permanent exhibits – Harper Lee: In Her Own Words and Truman Capote: A Childhood in Monroeville.

History of the Old Monroe County Courthouse

Built in 1903 under the leadership of Monroe County Probate Judge Nicholas Stallworth, the Old Monroe County Courthouse was designed by Andrew Bryan, a prominent Southern municipal architect. With the publishing of To Kill a Mockingbird in 1960, the Monroeville, Alabama courthouse garnered national attention. Three years later, the county offices moved out of the old courthouse, and in 1968, a small part-time museum opened on site.
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It wasn’t until 1991 that the museum opened full time and welcomed the first production of the play, To Kill a Mockingbird. That same year, a $2.5 million renovation project got underway that was eventually completed in 2002. Today, visitors can see the restored courtroom with its heart pine flooring, rolled tin ceiling with stamped dogwood pattern, witness chair, judge’s bench and counsel tables.

Harper Lee: In Her Own Words

Fans of Harper Lee and To Kill a Mockingbird can get an in-depth look into the author’s life and her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel at this permanent exhibit. Along with early interviews and Lee’s comments on the movie and book, photos and memorabilia help tell the story of Lee’s childhood, family and the role Monroeville played in her fiction. While visiting, be sure to watch the documentary film, which features Monroeville residents talking about their small town, the excitement surrounding the movie, race relations and more.

Truman Capote: A Childhood in Monroeville

Novelist, screenwriter, actor and close friend of Harper Lee, Truman Capote spent much of his childhood with his Faulk cousins in Monroeville. At the Truman Capote: A Childhood in Monroeville exhibit, you can view photographs, handwritten letters and postcards that paint a picture of how his early life in Monroeville influenced his fiction.