Scott and Zelda
In Montgomery, Ala., in 1987, Julian McPhillips, a civil rights lawyer and a great admirer of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s work, purchased a home the writer shared with his wife, Zelda, and their daughter, Frances. The couple rented the house from 1931 to 1932 and wrote parts of their novels — his “Tender Is the Night,” her “Save Me the Waltz” — while living there. McPhillips rescued the house from demolition and converted its ground floor into the Scott & Zelda Fitzgerald Museum, the only museum dedicated to the tumultuous Jazz Age pair.
The house sits among some of Montgomery’s most distinguished cultural institutions, less than 3 miles from the National Memorial for Peace and Justice and the Rosa Parks Museum. On the ground floor, visitors can browse memorabilia, including original artwork by Zelda Fitzgerald. The F. Scott Suite, whose living room features original palm leaf-printed wallpaper, can be rented through Airbnb for around $73 a night, while the Zelda Suite, outfitted with a sofa donated by the family of one of Zelda Fitzgerald’s friends, is available for about $82 a night. “A lot of couples will rent both suites and stay in one for a week and then move to the other,” said Alaina Doten, who manages rentals for the property and serves as the executive director of the museum.
Before the coronavirus hit, most renters were couples or bridal parties drawn by the Fitzgerald connection, or international tourists interested in Montgomery’s rich cultural history. But Doten said there had recently been a shift in the type of guests who booked the property. “We’re seeing a lot of concerned travelers, passing from one place to another, who feel the suites are safer than a hotel,” she said. “Each suite has its own kitchen, so guests can bring their own groceries and cook, which is a big pull right now.”