Watch Us Grow
The Scottsboro Boys Museum is beginning our efforts to offer visitors and our community a reflective outdoor space at the museum. The land our building, historic Joyce Chapel, lives on adjoins to the rail system that the Scottsboro nine were riding on the day of their arrest. This project hopes to connect the written history of the Scottsboro Boys told inside of the building to living relics of the case, like the railroad track. The mission for this project is to offer a green space while still centering this pivotal civil rights history. Most of all, we want to inspire everyone who visits to KNOW THEIR STORY.
See the future plans below!
Learn about the plans
slide 1: Overall site plan
This shows an aerial view of the plans. West Willow street ( front entrance of the museum) is on the right side of the screen and the train tracks that adjoin with West Mary Hunter Avenue (facing the back of the museum building) are on the left.
Letters A through C show an extended parking area. Our existing building,Joyce Chapel, is labeled with the Letter D. Letter E is the welcome plaza followed by Letter F that has and exhibits that guide visitors through the space. Letter L is outdoor restroom and additional facilities. Letter H shows the outdoor amphitheater/classroom with Letter G being an accompanying green space. Letter I is the Ada Weight memorial garden. Letter J is a model boxcar. Letter K is the reproduction if a shotgun house.
Slide 3: greenspace Entrance + statue
Visitors will enter the outdoor space from the front of the welcome plaza. Here an interpretive artwork by a Birmingham based metal artist will be displayed. The entrance starts under the wooden arch that imitates the shape of a boxcar.
Slide 5: Lawn Area
The lawn area offers guests an area to recreate, eat lunch, and commune. It is in direct eyesight of the amphitheater and can be used as additional seating for events. Benches and picnic tables will also be available for use.
Slide 7: ada wright memorial garden
The Ada Wright Memorial Garden is a place of reflection and remembrance to honor the mothers of the the Scottsboro Boys. The garden will have a selection of native plants and herbs for visitors to enjoy. It will also have a water feature in tribute of Mrs. Wright.
Slide 2: Main entrance + Visitor parking
This is a rendering of the view from West Willow Street. There will be a museum welcome sign surrounded by greenery that leads into the front parking lot.
Slide 4: interactive Entrance exhibit
After passing through the archway, visitors are led into a maze of metal bars that are meant to symbolize the Scottsboro Boys journey from being detained, wrongfully imprisoned, and convicted. This interactive element serves to remind visitors of the years of freedom an unjust legal system stole from the nine.
Slide 6: Multipurpose amphitheater
The amphitheater has a 360 view and offers a raised platform for speaker/performers. This area can seat 170 people and includes additional shade for a seated audience. This space will be used to give lectures, host concerts, and talk to visiting students.
Ways to support our growth
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The museum has a Garden Committee that meets as needed to develop a plan for the Ada Wright Memorial Garden. If you are interested in joining go to the Support tab of our website and click Volunteer. You can sign up there. If you have any specialized skills with outdoor work (landscaping, surveying, irrigation, other) and you want to help with any of the projects, please call the museum.
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If you have any of these items that you are interested in donating, please call the museum. We ask that all seed donations be native draught tolerant plant species.
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Financial donations are always needed and greatly appreciated. You can go to the Donate page under the Support tab at the top of the screen. You can also use the button on this page to donate.
