Birmingham Attractions

Housed in the historic Carver Theatre, the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame honors jazz artists of Alabama. The Carver Theatre was built in 1935 and designed in art-deco style. Displays include photographs, instruments, costumes and other artifacts. Jazz performances are scheduled from March through November.

The Alabama Sports Hall of Fame features various sports-related displays and films that highlight memorable sports moments. Over 5,000 sports artifacts are displayed along with athletic achievements of several sports champions including Jesse Owens, Hank Aaron, Joe Louis, Willie Mays, and Carl Lewis.

Arlington is an example of Greek Revival architecture dating from the 1840s. The house was built by Judge William S. Mudd, one of the ten founders of Birmingham and furnished with a collection of 19th C decorative arts.

Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in Birmingham began when George Barber decided to start a museum which reflected the history of motorcycles around the world. Over 900 vintage and modern motorcycles are on display at The Barber Motorsports Park.

The exhibits feature bikes from 1904 to present day and from 16 different countries.

Birmingham Botanical Gardens began in the early 1960s as an idea for "the biggest attraction of this type in the Southeast." The 67ac garden consists of flowers, trees and shrubs as well as a conservatory and a Japanese garden. Over 230 species of birds have been recorded when sighted on the grounds.

The grounds of the Birmingham Botanical Gardens are also home to a library of horticultural materials. Visitors are welcome to picnic on the grounds.

Birmingham Zoo is home to birds, reptiles and mammals - over 750 animals from around the world. There are numerous endangered species from six continents. The botanical exhibit features hundreds of butterflies from more than 20 species - all are native to Alabama.

Within the Birmingham Zoo is the Hugh Kaul Children's Zoo, dedicated to children and urban/rural animals of Alabama.

McWane Science Center in Birmingham allows visitors to experience the world through science adventures and interactive exhibits. Hands-on exhibits feature motion, energy, light and sound. Exhibits from other museums around the world are constantly visiting McWane Science Center.

World of Water is an interactive aquarium exhibit that features habitat tanks of aquatic creatures. Visitors can make waves on an eroding shoreline, check out salt marsh creatures and explore the story of water and what it means to us!

The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail features 11 golf courses located throughout the state of Alabama. The locations include include Hampton Cove (Huntsville), Silver Lakes (Anniston/Gadsden), Oxmoor Valley (Birmingham), Grand National (Auburn/Opelika), Cambrian Ridge (Greenville), Highland Oaks (Dothan), Magnolia Grove (Mobile) and Capitol Hill (Prattville).

Ruffner Mountain Nature Center offers opportunities for hiking, bird watching and outdoor enthusiasts to explore and learn. The wildlife sanctuary is home to raptors, snakes, turtles, frogs, salamanders, and mammals.

Mining sites, quarries and mining equipment remain on Ruffner Mountain from the many iron ore mines that dotted the landscape from the 1880s to the 1950s.

On Sunday September 15, 1963, the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, was bombed by the Ku Klux Klan bombed which resulted in the death of four girls. This act brought a nation together and played a big part in ensuring the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

The Sloss Furnaces began producing pig iron in 1882 and continued for almost 90 years. Today the Sloss Furnaces in Birmingham operate as a museum of industry with the massive furnaces, web of pipes, and tall smokestacks still standing.

The blast furnaces and buildings of Sloss Furnaces Historic Landmark highlight the history and industry of the area. The landmark is also surrounded by a 32ac park.

Aircraft on display at the Southern Museum of Flight include memorabilia from the early days of flight, one of Delta Air Line's first planes, a Huff Daland crop duster, a 1912 Curtiss Pusher replica, an A-12 Blackbird and F- 4 jet fighter. The Alabama Aviation Hall of Fame features aviation art, photographs and murals.

The 56-foot statue of Vulcan, Roman god of fire, was built by steel town Birmingham as an exhibit for the Palace of Mines and Metallurgy at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. Vulcan currently stands atop a 124 foot pedestal/observation deck.

Visitors to Vulcan Park can enjoy a picnic on the grounds, view an art exhibit at the Linn Henley Gallery, and enjoy a panoramic view of Birmingham's skyline.

Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum, in Calera, features standard and narrow gauge trains that are still in operation, two restored depots, an indoor collection of railroad artifacts and memorabilia. Outside visitors can view the collection of railroad cars, locomotives, and cabooses.

The Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum works to restore and preserve railway equipment to offer educational opportunities and highlight the history of the railroad in Alabama.

The Karl C. Harrison Museum of George Washington in Columbiana was started by a sixth generation granddaughter of Martha Washington. The collection focuses on art and artifacts from the colonial period through 1865. Items on display belonged to the first family and their descendants including paintings, writing instruments and tools from George Washington' s survey case, letters, furniture, porcelain, Martha's prayer book, glassware, silver, and jewelry.

Tannehill Ironworks operated from 1829 to 1865 turning out 22 tons of iron per day. A major Confederate munitions supplier during the Civil War, it was destroyed by Union forces in 1865. The Iron and Steel Museum houses artifacts from the industry including heay industrial equipment and a cotton gin house. Visitors can enjoy hiking, camping and recreation activities on the 1,500 acres of preserved land.

American Village near Montevallo presents reenactments of the Colonial period, especially times and events that shaped American history. Stroll through Constitution Green, the Southern Living Colonial Gardens and Liberty Bell Garden commemorating more than 250 years of Freedom.

Patrick Henry, Betsy Ross and Benjamin Franklin come alive as costumed interpreters of these historical figures interact with visitors!

Oak Mountain State Park, with almost 10,000 acres of mountains, lakes, and forests is suited to hiking, biking, and fishing, golfing, horse-back riding, and other day use facilities.

Rickwood Caverns State Park is the site of underground caverns with 260 million-year-old limestone formations, blind cave fish and underground pools. The park also features an Olympic size swimming pool, picnic area and campground.

Rickwood Cave was carved from an ocean bed, the evidence is found in the shell fragments and fossils of marine life, which are clearly visible along the ceiling and walls.