Joseph Zoettl, a Benedictine monk, constructed most of the buildings. Since his death in 1961, local artisans have added new buildings. Battleship Alabama was presented to Alabama by the U.S. government in 1964. It is now anchored in Mobile Bay. Bellingrath Gardens, in Mobile, is world famous for its displays of azaleas in the spring and chrysanthemums in the autumn.
Flowers bloom in the gardens the year around.
Many waterfowl populate the gardens. Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, in Montgomery, was the site at which Martin Luther King, Jr., first preached his message of peace and brotherhood. A huge mural in the basement of the church depicts important events in King's life. First White House of the Confederacy, in Montgomery, was the home of President and Mrs. Jefferson Davis during the first months of the Confederacy. The white frame house was built in 1835.