Huntsville Attractions

Burritt on the Mountain in Huntsville was the home of Dr. William Henry Burritt, physician and inventor. The 11-room mansion features exhibits such as antique furnishings, archeological artifacts and rock and mineral displays. The grounds are home to restored 19th C rural log homes furnished in period to provide a glimpse of farm life from 1850 to 1900.

The Huntsville Depot served as a passenger station until 1862 when it was seized by Union Forces and used as a prison for Confederate soldiers. At the end of the war, it continued as an active passenger station until 1968. Displays at the Huntsville Depot include locomotives and railway cars, a HO model train exhibit, and a kid's corner with costumes, puzzles, and maps.

Huntsville Botanical Gardens features year-round gardens such as perennial, day lily, rose, annual, wildflower, fern, herb and aquatic gardens. The Tessmann Butterfly House is also located on the grounds.

The demonstration vegetable garden has interpretive labels to educate visitor's and the nature trails with shaded woodlands and wildflowers are available to discover. The Central Corridor Gardens feature aquatic, perennial, and annual displays.

Works by nationally and regionally acclaimed artists are featured at the Huntsville Museum of Art. There are seven galleries with a variety of exhibitions including travelling exhibits, children's art and displays from the 2,500 items found in the permanent collection.

The Huntsville Museum of Art, North Alabama's leading visual arts center, moved to its beautiful facility in Big Spring International Park in March 1998.

Sci-Quest of Huntsville offers over 150 interactive exhibits featuring the basic principles of science such as engineering; electricity and magnetism; world ecosystems and weather sciences; fluid dynamics; physiology; waves, light and sound; chemistry and material sciences; and early childhood education.

The Space and Rocket Center is a space museum with hands-on attractions, a full-size space shuttle, Saturn V rocket, full-size Hubble Space Telescope exhibit, actual Apollo 16 capsule, moon rock, Journey to Jupiter motion-based simulator, Shuttle to Tomorrow, and Russian space artifacts.

Weeden House was the birthplace of artist-poet Maria Howard Weeden. Built in 1819, Weeden House features Federal furniture and architecture. It is considered Alabama's oldest public building.

The curved staircase, central hall, and well-maintained rose garden have made Weeden House a popular location for weddings.

Maria Weeden's watercolor paintings hang on many of the walls, and visitors can enjoy listening to her poetry as it is read during guided tours.