ATTRACTIONS
Amusements
American Village, The
P.O. Box 6 • Montevallo, AL205-665-3535, 877-811-1776
Go back in time to the birth of our country by joining costumed historical interpreters in a village of living history. You will witness significant events that led to the birth of the nation and explore recreations of historical sites, including the President's House. more...
Historic Homes & Buildings
Arlington Antebellum Home and Gardens
331 Cotton Avenue Southwest • Birmingham, AL 35211
205-780-5656
Arlington, the city's only antebellum mansion and now a decorative arts museum, has a fine collection of 19th century furniture, textiles, silver, and paintings. This historic site includes gardens for weddings and a tearoom for meetings and food service events. mapBessemer Hall of History
1905 Alabama Avenue • Birmingham, AL 35211
Bessemer
205-426-1633
A renovated Southern Railway depot houses the Bessemer Hall of History, which chronicles the history of Bessemer, Jefferson County and Alabama. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. mapBirmingham Civil Rights Institute
520 16th Street North • Birmingham, AL 35203
205-328-9696, 866-328-9696
State-of-art facility housing historical events from post-World War I racial separation to present-day racial progress. more... mapSixteenth Street Baptist Church
1530 Sixth Avenue North • Birmingham, AL 35203
205-251-9402
The site of the most horrific occurance of the American Civil Rights Movement when a bomb shattered the quiet of a Sunday morning and took the lives of four young girls. The Sixteenth Street Baptist Church is a landmark to both man's inhumanity and capacity for love and forgiveness. map
Historic Sites & Monuments
Alabama State Fairgrounds ~ Fair Park
2331 Bessemer Road • Birmingham, AL 35208
205-781-3782
This historical venue has been in business for nearly 60 years. The Chamber of Commerce sponsors two annual events on the grounds, the Spring Fling and Fall Fair & Festival. more... mapRickwood Field
1137 second avenue west • Birmingham, AL 35203
205-458-8161
A massive restoration project is underway at this, the world's oldest ballpark, in order to create a baseball lover's treasure trove of memorabilia and nostalgia. Some of the biggest names in the game of baseball; from Babe Ruth to Willie Mays to Reggie Jackson; have played at Rickwood. more... mapSloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark (circa 1881)
Twenty 32nd Street North • Birmingham, AL 35222
205-324-1911
This museum of history and industry preserves an extraordinary collection of buildings, industrial structures, machinery, and iron art. Sloss is the only 20th century blast furnace in the country that is being preserved and interpreted as a museum. Sloss is also an unusual community gathering place and hosts a wide variety of education programs, concerts, festivals, and conferences. more... mapTannehill Ironworks Historical State Park
12632 Confederate Parkway • Birmingham, AL 35111
McCalla
205-477-5711
The old Tannehill Ironworks and a large collection of 19th century cabins give visitors a glimpse into the life lived by Alabamians in the 1800s at Tannehill Historical State Park. The park has 200 improved camp sites, a train for kids, and an excellent restaurant, The Furnace Master's Inn. more... mapVulcan Park
1701 Valley View Drive • Birmingham, AL 35209
Birmingham's Red Mountain
205-933-1409
Vulcan Park is home to the world's largest cast iron statue and features spectacular panoramic views of Birmingham. Vulcan, the Roman god of fire and forge, was originally built in 1904 for the St. Louis World's Fair to represent Birmingham's iron industry. He has stood as a symbol of Birmingham for over 100 years. Visitors to Vulcan Center find interactive exhibits and displays. Multipurpose function room and outdoor locations can host private events. Vulcan Park is open seven days a week from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. Vulcan Center and Tower is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 1-6 p.m. Evening hours for Vulcan Tower are daily from 6 - 10 p.m. Admission charged. more...
Libraries & Research Centers
Birmingham Public Library
2100 Park Place • Birmingham, AL 35203-2794
205-226-3610
This is one of the largest libraries in the Southeast. It consists of 19 branches and a main library in the city center. The main library is made up of two buildings: the East Building, with its dramatic atrium, and the 1927 Linn-Henley Research Library. more... map
Museums & Galleries
Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame
1631 Fourth Avenue North • Birmingham, AL 35203
205-254-2731
This museum tells the story of musical greats like Sun Ra, Lionel Hampton, Nat King Cole, Erskine Hawkins, W.C. Handy, Cootie Williams, Amos Gordon, John T. Fess Whatley, and many others. Exhibits and memorabilia are displayed in the historic, art deco Carver Theater. more... mapAlabama Museum of the Health Sciences
1700 University Boulevard • Birmingham, AL 35233
3rd Floor, Lister Hill Library
205-934-4475
This museum was established to document the growth and development of education, research, and practice in the field of health sciences in Alabama. It features surgical instruments invented by Dr. Walker Reynolds, Jr. of Alabama. more... mapAldrich Coal Mining Museum
137 Highway 203 • Birmingham, AL 35115
Montevallo
205-665-2886
Coal mining memorabilia and equipment and a collection of vintage photographs of Aldrich during the town's peak coal mining days highlight the attractions at this museum. more... mapBirmingham Museum of Art
2000 8th Avenue North • Birmingham, AL 35203
205-254-2565
The largest municipal art museum in the Southeast, the Birmingham Museum of Art features an outstanding permanent art collection of over 17,000 works of art from many diverse cultures, including European, American, Asian, and African. Don't miss the multi-level sculpture garden and the Beeson Collection of Wedgwood china. more... mapHeart of Dixie Railroad Museum
1919 Ninth Street • Birmingham, AL 35040
Located in Calera
205-668-3435, 800-943-4490
A haven for railroad buffs, this museum houses a large group of locomotives, rail cars, equipment, and other rail relics. They are displayed on museum grounds and in a 100-year-old depot. more... mapKarl C. Harrison Museum of George Washington
50 Lester Street Columbiana • Birmingham, AL 35051
205-669-8767
Located in the Mildred Harrison Regional Library one block east of Shelby County Courthouse, this museum boasts the largest collection of George and Martha Washington memorabilia outside Mount Vernon. more... mapNaked Art
3815 Clairmont Avenue South • Birmingham, AL 35222
205-595-3553
Naked Art is not your typical gallery. Its colorful walls and its fun and unique approach to art has caught the attention of many publications,including the cable channel Turner South and the national travel guide, Eccentric America. more... mapSamuel Ullman Museum
2150 Fifteenth Avenue South • Birmingham, AL 35205
205-934-5634
For years, Samuel Ullman and his prose poem Youth have been known and admired by the Japanese. The Samuel Ullman Museum was created to advance Ullman's vision by examining his civic, educational, and religious ideas and endeavors. The museum provides visitors with an opportunity to explore the life of the poet and to be inspired by his work. mapSouthern Museum of Flight
4343 Seventy-Third Street North • Birmingham, AL 35206
205-833-8226
Explore the miracle of flying. Take off to the Southern Museum of Flight where visitors can view eight decades of aviation history through aircraft, models, and memorabilia of some of the greatest aviation pioneers of all time. more... map
Parks, Gardens & Zoos
Alabama Veterans Memorial
P.O. Box 36972 • Birmingham, AL 35236
205-733-1066, 800-288-7890
This memorial park is 21-acres situated on a beautiful, wooded hilltop. The remarkable complex includes a modern Education Center, a fascinating historical timeline walkway, a spectacular Regiment of Columns which display stories, letters and art work cast in metal, and a temple engraved with the 11,000 names of Alabamians lost to war in the 20th Century. more...Aldridge Gardens
3530 Lorna Road • Birmingham, AL 35216
Southwest of Downtown in Hoover
205-682-8019
Aldridge Gardens is located in Hoover, Alabama, which is part of the Birmingham metro area. They are a 30-acre botanical garden specializing in hydrangeas. There is a half-mile walking trail around a 7-acre lake. Check out the Snowflake Hydrangea developed and patented by Eddie Aldridge. more... mapBirmingham Botanical Gardens
2612 Lane Park Road • Birmingham, AL 35233
205-414-3900
Located near several lodging, dining and shopping options, Alabama's largest living museum offers a collection of more than 10,000 different plants that includes roses, camellias, wildflowers ferns, and irises that flourish in this quiet setting. The Gardens features the largest public horticulture library in the United States, conservatories, a wildflower garden, two rose gardens, the Southern Living garden, and Japanese Gardens with a traditionally crafted tea house. more... mapRuffner Mountain Nature Center
1214 Eighty-First Street South • Birmingham, AL 35206
205-833-8264
Visit this 1000 acre urban nature preserve featuring hiking trails, a visitor's center, animal exhibits, and historical exhibits. Nature education programs are offered to the public. more... map
Science & Technology
McWane Center
200 Nineteenth Street North • Birmingham, AL 35203
205-714-8300 or 205-714-8414
This exciting science center offers hands-on exhibits, larger-than-life IMAX films and extraordinary programs. Take a magnetic journey to a place as engaging as the human imagination. more... map
Tours & Cruises
ZooLight Safari
2630 Cahaba Road • Birmingham, AL 35223
Mountain Brook
205-879-0458
Enjoy more than 500,000 shining lights on display at the Birmingham Zoo. Walk through the zoo grounds or ride the ZooLight Express Train. Nightly musical entertainment available. Call for a schedule of crafts, animal demonstrations and games. Dinner and snacks are also available. Pre-purchased discount group tickets available. map
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