Alabama Things to Do

 
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The Twickenham Historic District

by traveldave

The Twickenham Historic District is just one of three historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Huntsville. Twickenham, which was an early name for the City of Huntsville, was named after a London suburb where the poet Alexander Pope lived. He was a relative of one of the early settlers in Huntsville. Twickenham is the largest antebellum district in Alabama, with many fine examples of early nineteenth-century homes in Federal, Italianate, and Classical architectural styles. Many were designed by Virginia-born architect George Steele. The oldest home in the district dates from 1814, and most were built around 1818. The city's early attorneys, bankers, and merchants built fashionable brick homes in the area, many of which were seized by the Union army during the American Civil War. This probably saved them from being destroyed during the war.The Twickenham Historic...

The Birmingham Botanical Gardens

by traveldave

Occupying 67 acres (27 hectares) among the rolling hills south of the downtown area, the Birmingham Botanical Gardens is a nice place to visit in order to relax and enjoy plants, flowers, and landscape design. It is the most visited free attraction in Alabama.The botanical gardens contains more than 12,000 plants and features over 30 themed gardens with different categories of plants classified into one of three types: Gardens of Collections, Gardens of Nature, and Gardens of Culture. Gardens of Collections focus on plants from one genus, family, or other identified group. Gardens of Nature feature trees and plants native to the southeastern United States. And Gardens of Culture showcase particular styles of landscape design or aspects of human culture.There are miles of walking trails that wind through the gardens and trees, more than 30 works of outdoor sculpture, and benches and...

Vulcan

by traveldave

Overlooking the city of Birmingham from the top of Red Mountain, Vulcan is a cast-iron statue that depicts the Roman god of fire and the forge. It was intended to reflect the city's iron- and steel-producing heritage. At 56 feet (17 meters) tall, it is the largest cast-iron statue in the world, and the second-largest statue in the United States, after the Statue of Liberty in New York City. Vulcan was commissioned by the Commercial Club of Birmingham for the city's exhibit in the 1904 World's Fair in Saint Louis. It was designed by Italian sculptor Giuseppe Moretti, who began work in 1903. He sculpted a clay master model in New Jersey which was shipped to Birmingham for casting. The frame is composed of 29 cast-iron components that are bolted together internally. The castings were made in Birmingham entirely from locally produced iron. The heaviest casting is the head, which weighs...

The Southern Museum of Flight

by traveldave

Founded in 1966, the Southern Museum of Flight is one of the largest and most comprehensive aviation museums in the South. Its main focus is on civilian, military, and experimental aircraft, as well as the history of early aviation and the pioneers who made flight possible. The museum's exhibits are housed in a 75,000-square-foot (6,966-square-meter) facility which contains more than 90 aircraft, 38 engines, 200 models, artifacts, and hundreds of photographs and paintings. Some of the more noteworthy aircraft include a Fokker D-VII and a MiG-15. The collection of artifacts includes pieces from the Red Baron, Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart, the Tuskegee Airmen, and the light bulb used by the Wright Brothers on their first night flights.Major exhibits feature certain aspects of aviation history and include Korean War Jets, the Tuskegee Airmen, the Lake Murray B-25 (a Second World...

The EarlyWorks Children's History Museum

by traveldave

The EarlyWorks Children's History Museum is the largest hands-on history museum in the South. Exhibits portray Alabama's early history in ways that are fun, and at the same time educational, for children.All the exhibits are designed for touching and learning. Older children can explore The Gallery, where they can hear stories told by the Talking Tree, play giant instruments at the Alabama Grandstand, build a house at the interactive architectural exhibit, explore a 46-foot (14-meter) river keelboat, buy and trade at the General Store, sign Alabama's constitution at the courthouse, learn facts about the state from the Talking Clock, and try on clothing from the 1800s at the Federal House.Toddlers and younger children will enjoy Biscuit's Backyard, which features touch-and learn exhibits, including a general store, barn, garden, post office, treehouse, water table, and even karaoke.

The Birmingham Museum of Art

by traveldave

Founded in 1951, the Birmingham Museum of Art is the largest municipal museum in the Southeast, with over 24,000 works of art from the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Its collection is housed in a building that was designed by the architectural firm of Warren, Knight and Davis. Completed in 1959, the building has since undergone several major expansions, giving it its current total of 180,000 square feet (16,723 square meters) of space.The collection, which dates from ancient to modern times, includes paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures, decorative arts, and textiles. The museum contains one of the finest collections of Asian art in the Southeast, and its collection of Vietnamese ceramics is arguably the most comprehensive in the nation. And it houses the world's largest museum collection of Wedgwood china. The museum also has an impressive collection of paintings, ranging from...

The Huntsville Museum of Art

by traveldave

The Huntsville Museum of Art is northern Alabama's premier visual arts center, and has been named as one of the state's top ten destinations by the Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel.The museum was established in 1970, but did not put on its first gallery exhibit until 1973. Its collection was first housed in the Von Braun Center in 1975, and it was moved to its present location in 1998. The museum's new building has a total of 52,000 square feet (4,831 square meters), including 15,000 square feet (1,394 square meters) of gallery space.The museum's seven galleries house a 2,300-piece permanent collection divided into two categories: American art and regional artists, and other arts from Europe, Asia, and Africa. Notable artists represented in the American collection include Andy Warhol and James Whistler. Examples of works from around the world include European and Japanese prints,...

The Arlington Antebellum Home and Gardens

by traveldave

The two-story Greek Revival Arlington Antebellum Home and Gardens is a fine example of the antebellum plantation houses that were once a common sight in the South. Unfortunately, many of these beautiful homes were destroyed during the American Civil War. The Arlington Antebellum Home and Gardens is the only antebellum mansion left in Birmingham.The house was built between 1845 and 1850 by Judge William S. Mudd, one of the ten founders of Birmingham. It was originally located in the town of Elyton, the former county seat of Jefferson County. As nearby Birmingham grew and expanded, it eventually enveloped and incorporated Elyton, which no longer exists as an independent municipality.During the American Civil War, the mansion was used as a regional headquarters by Union troops as they planned the burning of the University of Alabama.Nowadays, the Arlington Antebellum Home and Gardens serves...

The Birmingham Zoo

by traveldave

Opened in 1955, the Birmingham Zoo is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Alabama. It is situated on 122 acres (49 hectares) of wooded land south of the downtown area and features over 800 animals representing more than 200 species from six continents. Special habitats include the Alligator Swamp; the Savannah, which recreates the African veldt and includes giraffes, greater kudus, gazelles, and ostriches; the Flamingo Lagoon; the Macaw Plaza which features these large, colorful parrots; the Children's Zoo; and an interactive aviary where visitors can feed and pet lorikeets and parrots. Another popular attraction is the sea lion show that is staged at different times throughout the day.In addition, situated among the grounds of the zoo are different buildings which house exhibits restricted to certain families or categories of animals, including the Predator House, the Primate...

The Weeden House Museum

by traveldave

What is now the Weeden House Museum was built in 1819 by Henry Bradford. The two-story brick home was built in the Federal style, a type of of architecture popular at the time. It was later owned by Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, John McKinley. However, the house is better known as the birthplace and home of poet and artist Maria Howard Weeden, whose poetry and paintings captured the essence of nineteenth-century Southern culture. Dr. William Weeden purchased the house in 1845, and Maria Howard Weeden, the youngest of the Weeden children, was born in the house in 1846. She later went on to become a noted watercolorist and poet.During the American Civil War, the house was requisitioned for use by Union officers, which probably saved it from being destroyed.Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Weeden House is now a fine museum that depicts Southern...

Fun things to do in Alabama

Top 3 Hotels in Alabama

The Battle House: A Renaissance Hotel  Mobile

 2 Reviews and 259 Opinions  the original battle house hotel was built on the site of general andrew jackson's headquarters... 

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Hampton Inn Birmingham / Mountain Brook  Birmingham

 1 Review and 125 Opinions  This is a nice hotel in a very nice part of town. I originally planned to stay at an airport hotel... 

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Drury Inn & Suites Montgomery  Montgomery

 1 Review and 166 Opinions  the drury inn & suites is a very good moderately priced hotel located south of downtown. the drury... 

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Alabama Things to Do

Reviews and photos of Alabama things to do posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Alabama sightseeing.
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Things to Do: Cities in Alabama
  1. Gulf Shores Things to Do
  2. Mobile Things to Do
  3. Dauphin Island Things to Do
  4. Birmingham Things to Do
  5. Orange Beach Things to Do
  6. Montgomery Things to Do
  7. Tuscaloosa Things to Do
  8. Huntsville Things to Do
  9. Selma Things to Do
  10. Fort Morgan Things to Do
  11. Eufaula Things to Do
  12. Fort Payne Things to Do
  13. Auburn Things to Do
  14. Cheaha State Park Things to Do
  15. Tuskegee Things to Do
  16. Spanish Fort Things to Do
  17. Chewacla State Park Things to Do
  18. Dothan Things to Do
  19. Talladega Things to Do
  20. Gulf State Park Things to Do
  21. Perdido Key Things to Do
  22. Tannehill State Park Things to Do
  23. Anniston Things to Do
  24. Gadsden Things to Do
  25. Russell Cave National Monument Things to Do
  26. Fort Gaines Things to Do
  27. Scottsboro Things to Do
  28. Demopolis Things to Do
  29. Horseshoe Bend National Military Park Things to Do
  30. Mountain Brook Things to Do
  31. Saint Stephens Things to Do
  32. Tuscumbia Things to Do
  33. Florence Things to Do
  34. Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge Things to Do
  35. Decatur Things to Do
  36. Blakeley Things to Do
  37. Cullman Things to Do
  38. Fairhope Things to Do
  39. Monroeville Things to Do
  40. Moundville Things to Do
  41. Theodore Things to Do
  42. Bay Minette Things to Do
  43. Brewton Things to Do
  44. Chatom Things to Do
  45. Dadeville Things to Do
  46. Grove Hill Things to Do
  47. Kymulga Things to Do
  48. Lowndesboro Things to Do
  49. Marion Things to Do
  50. McCalla Things to Do
  51. Mentone Things to Do
  52. Oneonta Things to Do
  53. Pelham Things to Do

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