Florence, AL Tourist Attractions
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Florence was incorporated in 1818 and named for the Italian surveyor's favorite city in Italy. Civil War history abounds including exhibits at Popes Tavern, which served as a hospital for both Union and Confederate troops - depending on who had control at the time.Wilson Dam, east of Florence, has one of the world's highest single-lift navigation locks.
Frank Lloyd Wright Rosenbaum House Museum
Rosenbaum House was house was built for Stanley and Mildred Rosenbaum as newlyweds in 1939. The house is the only structure, in the state of Alabama, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.The house, located in Florence, is constructed of cypress, glass and brick. The Usonian design features a flat, multi-level roof, and board and batten walls. The house has its original Wright-designed furniture.The Rosenbaums were the only owners and occupants of Rosenbaum house until 1999, when it was purchased by the City of Florence and restored. It is the only house in the southeast that is open to the public.
Indian Mound and Museum
The pre-Columbian Indian mound near Florence measures 43 feet high and is typical of the work of the early Native Americans who inhabited prehistoric Alabama. Relics found in the area depict the Paleo, Transitional, Paleoarchaic, Archaic, Woodland, Mississippian, and historic periods of Native Americans displayed in chronological order.The museum houses artifacts that date back over 10,000 years such as pottery, axes, celts, shell necklaces, and blades.
Pope's Tavern Museum
Pope's Tavern in Florence was a stagecoach stop during the early 1800s. During the Civil War it was a hospital for Confederate and Union soldiers. Exhibits include period antiques and Civil War memorabilia such as uniforms and medical equipment. Artifacts from the 18th and 19th centuries illustrate the uses of Pope's Tavern as an inn and private residence.
W.C. Handy Home and Museum
The W.C. Handy Home and Museum is a log cabin with memorabilia and artifacts that belonged to "the father of the blues." He lived in the cabin when he wrote "Beale Street Blues" and "Memphis Blues."Exhibits include W.C. Handy's trumpet and the piano on which many of his songs were written.
Marriott Shoals Hotel and Spa
The Marriott Shoals Hotel and Spa is located in the Tennessee River Valley and offers lovely views of Florence, AL. It offers 200 rooms, private balconies, two championship Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail courses and a European spa.
