Visitors and new residents alike come to Monroeville to experience its quaint, small-town atmosphere while diving into the city’s exciting history and culture. Looking for things to do in Monroeville, AL? 

MONROEVILLE'S ORIGINS

Settlers had occupied lands upon which the community is now built for many years before the city of Monroeville was ever incorporated. Monroe County itself was founded in 1815 using lands that once belonged to the region’s native tribes, and the town that would eventually be known as Monroeville grew from an 80-acre government land grant that dates back to 1831.

The community, then called Walker’s Mill and Store, became the county seat by the next year, when the town’s name was switched to Centerville. The name held only briefly, however, before the town was renamed Monroeville after former U.S. President James Monroe. Despite its prominent position in Monroe County, the community wasn’t officially incorporated as Monroeville until April 15, 1899.

A DEEP LITERARY HERITAGE

The story of Monroeville, Alabama is interesting in itself, but the city’s literary heritage has played a major role in earning Monroeville widespread attention. Monroeville was the childhood home of world-renowned novelists Harper Lee, who made waves with To Kill a Mockingbird, and Truman Capote, who crafted the true-crime classic In Cold Blood with Lee’s help. Today, this heritage is carried on through regular theatrical performances of To Kill a Mockingbird, the annual Alabama Writers Symposium and numerous other events and attractions.

By proclamation of the State Legislature in 1997, Monroeville gained the distinction of “Literary Capital of Alabama,” because of the great American writers who’ve called it home – including Harper Lee, Truman Capote and contemporary author, Mark Childress – whose acclaimed works include Tender and Crazy in Alabama.

The Harper Lee Connection

Growing up just a few blocks away from Monroeville’s Old Courthouse, Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Harper Lee, drew inspiration from Monroeville, AL for her first novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. Taking place in the fictional Southern town of Maycomb, this novel was also influenced by the Old Courthouse, which is now one of the most photographed historic buildings in Alabama thanks to its distinctive architecture. On the south lawn stands a monument to Atticus Finch, the fictional hero of the novel, representing the first commemorative Legal Milestone in the state’s judicial history. Each spring, Monroeville celebrates its heritage with productions of To Kill a Mockingbird at the Old Courthouse – remember to reserve your seat early for one of Alabama’s most popular productions.

An American Novelist, Screenwriter And Playwright

A close friend and childhood companion of Harper Lee, Truman Capote lived in Monroeville for a good portion of his youth and even inspired the character Dill in To Kill a Mockingbird. Truman Capote composed such classics as In Cold Blood, Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Other Voices, Other Rooms, many of which have been adapted into films. Capote's best-loved sentimental stories, such as A Christmas Memory and The Grass Harp, were inspired by his early life in Monroeville.
South of the Old Courthouse, you’ll find the Truman Capote Historical Marker on the site where the Faulk family home once stood.

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