POPE’S TAVERN MUSEUM
The building now known as Pope’s Tavern was built in the 1830s as a two-room brick house. It expanded to serve as a boarding house in the 1850s. United States and Confederate Army soldiers used it as a field hospital during the Civil War. It was later a private residence until it opened as a museum in 1968. Visitors can explore early Alabama history with exhibits devoted to slavery, Civil War history and medicine, food preparation, and daily life in the 1800s. The Slavery in the Shoals exhibit won an award of excellence from the American Association of State and Local History in 2022 and features the work of textile artist Valerie S. Goodwin. The site is also part of an ongoing archaeological excavation. The museum hosts frequent workshops and programs meant to bring people together around a shared desire to learn about -and learn from- the past.
In October of 2021, the Museum opened a permanent exhibit, Slavery and Cotton in the Shoals, featuring a textile art map by Valerie S. Goodwin.
Open Tuesday – Saturday, 10 am – 4 pm
$5 for adults, $2 for students
(256) 760-6439
Check out this podcast episode from Lily Flagg’s Signal, Interview: The Pope’s Tavern Crew, featuring Brian Murphy and Daniel Rhodes discussing Archeology at Pope’s Tavern.
Episode description: "What is Pope's Tavern and why does it have an active archaeological dig? I'm glad you asked! Join me in my chat with Brian Murphy, director of Florence (Alabama) Arts and Museums, and Daniel Rhodes, Pope's Tavern archaeologist and host of the Archaeology After Dark podcast, as we discuss the marketing power of a name and legends, the things learned from a hole in the ground, the importance of digging through historical trash, and ways that you can get involved in public archaeology and stopping looters in North Alabama." (38 minutes)
Find Lily Flagg’s Signal episodes online here.
Archaeology at Pope’s Tavern
Slavery in the Shoals Exhibit
Lessons & Field Trips
Pope’s Tavern Collection
Read about the AHA Healing
History Initiative here!
Pope’s Tavern Outdoor Redesign
We are proud and grateful to announce that we have received a grant from the Alabama Historical Commission to create a new design for the outdoor space at Pope’s Tavern. The new design will allow us to:
Connect the Museum to our new exhibit
Interpret the exterior exhibits
Envision outdoor classroom and presentation space
Enhance accessibility
Stay tuned as we start to imagine a better community space at Pope’s Tavern.