Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and the Civil Rights Historic District
Horseshoe Bend National Military Park
Little River Canyon National Preserve, Little River Falls.
Natchez Trace Parkway, Natchez Trace National Historic Trail
Russell Cave National Monument
Tuskegee
Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site
Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site
Northern Alabama
National Monuments
Huntsville Metro Area
Huntsville
Burritt on the Mountain [Historical/Natural] – 19th-century mansion with folk museum and trails overlooking the city.
U.S. Space & Rocket Center [Historical/Quirky] – Largest spaceflight museum; home to rockets and Space Camp.
Monte Sano State Park [Natural] – Scenic overlooks, hiking trails, and CCC-era cabins.
Harmony Park Safari [Quirky/Natural] – Drive-thru safari with exotic animals and quirky mini-zoo.
Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment [Quirky] – Massive former mill turned arts center with galleries and studios.
Huntsville Depot Museum [Historical] – Civil War-era train depot with exhibits on rail and local history.
Madison
Dublin Park [Natural] – Family-friendly park with walking trails and a large pond.
Madison Station Historic District [Historical] – Restored buildings from the town’s 19th-century rail era.
Decatur Metro Area
Decatur
Cook Museum of Natural Science [Natural/Quirky] – Interactive museum with live animals and natural exhibits.
Old State Bank [Historical] – 1833 antebellum bank building and Civil War site.
Delano Park [Natural/Historical] – City’s oldest park, established in 1887, with rose garden and trails.
Mooresville
Mooresville Historic District [Historical] – Entire town on the National Register; 1800s architecture.
Florence–Muscle Shoals Metro Area
Florence
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Rosenbaum House [Historical] – Only FLW house in Alabama.
W.C. Handy Home and Museum [Historical] – Celebrates the “Father of the Blues.”
University of North Alabama Lion Habitat [Quirky] – Real lions live on campus!
Tuscumbia
Ivy Green – Helen Keller Birthplace [Historical] – Birthplace and museum of Helen Keller.
Alabama Music Hall of Fame [Historical] – Honors state musicians from all genres.
Spring Park [Natural/Quirky] – Scenic park with waterfalls and musical fountain.
Muscle Shoals
FAME Recording Studios [Historical/Quirky] – Legendary studio behind countless hit records.
Muscle Shoals Sound Studio [Historical] – Another iconic music studio with tours.
Scottsboro
Unclaimed Baggage Center [Quirky] – Giant store selling lost airline luggage items.
Sauta Cave National Wildlife Refuge [Natural] – Bat-filled cave with seasonal emergence viewings.
Fort Payne
Little River Canyon National Preserve [Natural] – Stunning gorge and waterfall with hikes and overlooks.
Alabama Walking Park [Natural] – Trail with sculptures, picnic areas, and creek.
Depot Museum [Historical] – Restored train depot with artifacts from local history.
Guntersville
Lake Guntersville State Park [Natural] – Offers boating, eagle watching, hiking, and cabins.
Guntersville Museum and Cultural Center [Historical] – Local history in a former armory building.
Cullman
Ave Maria Grotto [Quirky] – Miniature world of famous religious sites built by a monk.
Smith Lake Park [Natural] – Campground and recreation area on Lewis Smith Lake.
Cullman Historic District [Historical] – Preserves German-American heritage and 19th-century buildings.
Central Alabama
Birmingham Metro Area
Birmingham
Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark [Historical] – Preserved 19th-century blast furnaces with tours and spooky industrial vibe.
Birmingham Civil Rights Institute [Historical] – Powerful museum chronicling the Civil Rights Movement.
Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve [Natural] – Forested trails and scenic views near the city center.
Red Mountain Park [Natural/Historical] – Park with ziplines, mine ruins, and overlooks.
Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum [Quirky/Historical] – Massive collection of motorcycles and racecars.
Alabama Theatre [Historical/Quirky] – Lavishly restored 1927 movie palace with live organ.
Vulcan Park and Museum [Historical/Quirky] – World’s largest cast iron statue, overlooking the city.
Kelly Ingram Park – Historic park with evocative statues capturing the civil rights movement, ideally visited for context prior to the Civil Rights Institute. Contains sculptures memorializing key historical events.
Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark – Industrial history site featuring self-guided tours, a small interactive museum, and preserved furnaces.
Vulcan Park – the largest cast iron statue
Alabama Walk of Fame — 1807 3rd Ave N, Sidewalk stars honoring famous Alabamians outside the Alabama Theatre.
Birthplace of Veterans Day — 710 20th St N, Granite monument in Linn Park honoring Raymond Weeks, who helped create Veterans Day.
Blaze the Dragon — University of Alabama at BirminghamUAB’s green dragon mascot, introduced in 1996, appears at games and events.
Bronze Statue of Eddie Kendricks — 4th Ave N & 18th St N, Tribute to the Temptations singer, with sculptures of the group on a granite wall.
Full Moon Mural — 2480 6th Ave S, Retro-style moon mural on the exterior of Full Moon Bar-B-Que.
Garage Cafe – Junk-Filled Eatery — 2304 10th Ter S, Quirky bar with outdoor seating surrounded by vintage junk and locked display rooms.
Heaviest Corner on Earth — 20th St N & 1st Ave N, Historic intersection with four early skyscrapers from the 1900s.
Little Miss Fancy — 648 40th St S, Small bronze elephant statue in Avondale Park honoring Miss Fancy.
Miss Electra, Power Goddess — 600 18th St N, 23-ft golden statue atop Alabama Power building, holding lightning bolts.
Miss Fancy the Elephant — Avondale Park, Beloved zoo elephant from 1913–1934, remembered in local lore and art.
Oldest Baseball Stadium in USA — 1137 2nd Ave W, Rickwood Field, built in 1910, is the oldest professional baseball park in America.
Penny the Dog — Regions Field, 1401 1st Ave S, Vintage mechanical dog billboard restored and displayed outside the ballpark.
Racist Dogs Sculpture — Kelly Ingram Park, 520 16th St N, Scrap-iron dogs leap from walls, evoking civil rights-era police brutality.
Ram-Headed Southern Storyteller — Five Points South, 20th St S & 11th Ave S, Goat-headed figure reads to animals in a fountain sculpture by Frank Fleming.
Statue of Liberty Replica — Liberty Park, Liberty Pkwy, One-fifth scale bronze replica of the NYC statue, standing in a landscaped plaza.
Hoover
Aldridge Gardens [Natural] – 30-acre woodland garden with walking paths and lake.
Moss Rock Preserve [Natural] – Boulder field, waterfalls, and forest trails.
Bessemer
Alabama Adventure & Splash Adventure [Quirky] – Regional amusement and water park.
Bessemer Hall of History Museum [Historical] – Housed in an 1916 train depot with local exhibits.
Tuscaloosa Metro Area
Tuscaloosa
Capitol Park Ruins [Historical] – Stone remains of Alabama’s former state capitol.
Paul W. Bryant Museum [Historical] – Honors legendary Alabama football coach Bear Bryant.
Lake Lurleen State Park [Natural] – Wooded park with a lake for swimming, hiking, and fishing.
Children’s Hands-On Museum [Quirky] – Interactive play and learning exhibits for kids.
Anniston–Oxford Metro Area
Anniston
Anniston Museum of Natural History [Natural/Historical] – Dinosaur fossils, minerals, and dioramas.
Longleaf Botanical Gardens [Natural] – Regional plants and butterfly habitat.
Berman Museum [Historical/Quirky] – Spy gear, art, and rare weapons from around the world.
Oxford
Choccolocco Park [Natural] – Wetlands and trails, popular for walking and birding.
Talladega
Talladega Superspeedway [Quirky/Historical] – Iconic NASCAR track with behind-the-scenes tours.
International Motorsports Hall of Fame [Historical] – Motorsports history and memorabilia.
Sylacauga
Blue Bell Creamery Tour [Quirky] – Ice cream plant with tours and samples.
DeSoto Caverns [Natural/Quirky] – Show cave with laser shows and amusement park-style attractions.
Clanton
Peach Park [Quirky] – Roadside peach-themed stop with food, souvenirs, and photo ops.
Confederate Memorial Park [Historical] – Site of the Alabama Confederate Soldiers’ Home.
Wetumpka
Wetumpka Impact Crater [Natural/Quirky] – Visible geological feature from an ancient meteor strike.
Fort Toulouse–Fort Jackson Park [Historical] – Archaeological park with French and American fort reconstructions.
Southern Alabama
Montgomery Metro Area
Montgomery
Legacy Museum [Historical] – Powerful museum chronicling Alabama’s Civil Rights history.
Rosa Parks Museum [Historical] – Located at the site of Parks’ arrest; a key landmark in the Civil Rights Movement.
Alabama State Capitol [Historical] – Historic building where the Confederate States of America was formed. Brass star marking where Jefferson Davis was sworn in
Montgomery Zoo & Mann Wildlife Learning Museum [Natural/Quirky] – Wild animal exhibits and educational programs.
Old Alabama Town [Historical] – Preserved 19th-century buildings showcasing early state life.
The Hank Williams Museum [Historical] – A tribute to the country music legend with personal items and memorabilia.
National Memorial for Peace and Justice: Honors victims of racial terror lynchings with striking steel monuments.
Dexter Parsonage Museum: MLK Jr.’s home during the Bus Boycott, preserved with original furnishings.
First White House of the Confederacy: 1861 home of Jefferson Davis, open with period decor.
Freedom Rides Museum: Greyhound station turned museum spotlighting the 1961 attacks and activism.
Fort Toulouse–Fort Jackson Park: Historic forts, Native dwellings, and ancient mound by two rivers.
Oakwood Cemetery Annex – Gravesite of Hank and Audrey Williams, covered in Astroturf
Mothers of Gynecology Monument – 17 Mildred St, Honors Anarcha, Lucy, and Betsey, enslaved women subjected to medical experiments
National Memorial for Peace and Justice — 417 Caroline St. Memorial to victims of racial terror lynchings.
Rooftop Sarcophagus of Steiner & Lobman — 184 Commerce St. Coffin-shaped rooftop ornament rumored to contain a body.
Rosa Parks Waits For Bus — Court Square. Historic bus stop where she boarded on Dec 1, 1955.
Rosa Parks on Invisible Bus Seat — 336 N Court St. Sculpture of Rosa levitating on an invisible seat.
Rosa Parks: Metal Surprise — 252 Montgomery St. Optical illusion sculpture forming her face.
Stockyard: Eat Or Bid For Cattle — 4500 Mobile Hwy. Restaurant and live cattle auction at Stockyard Grill.
The MOOseum — 201 S Bainbridge St. Interactive museum about Alabama’s beef industry.
World’s Largest Brick Made of Bricks — Acme Brick, 10200 US-80. A 25-ft brick structure made of smaller bricks.
Wright Brothers Flyer Replica — Maxwell Air Force Base. Replica of the 1903 Flyer on display.
Mobile Metro Area
Mobile
USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park [Historical/Quirky] – Home to the WWII-era USS Alabama battleship and other military vessels.
Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center [Quirky] – Interactive science exhibits and an IMAX theater.
Bellingrath Gardens and Home [Natural/Historical] – Magnificent gardens and a historic home on the Mobile River.
Fort Conde [Historical] – Restored 18th-century French fort.
Mobile Museum of Art [Historical] – Art museum with collections from around the world.
Daphne
Village Point Park Preserve [Natural] – Wetland preserve with boardwalks and wildlife viewing.
Fairhope
Fairhope Pier [Natural] – Scenic pier offering views of Mobile Bay.
Eastern Shore Art Center [Quirky] – Local art and exhibits in a charming downtown setting.
Bay Minette
The Baldwin County Heritage Museum [Historical] – Local history exhibits housed in a former school building.
Gulf Shores & Orange Beach
Gulf State Park [Natural] – Beaches, trails, and scenic views of the Gulf of Mexico.
Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo [Quirky/Natural] – Small zoo with a wide variety of animals.
The Wharf [Quirky] – Waterfront shopping, dining, and entertainment area.
Orange Beach Indian & Sea Museum [Historical] – Preserves history of the region’s native tribes and maritime history.
Southeast Alabama
Dothan Metro Area
Dothan
Wiregrass Museum of Art [Historical/Quirky] – Contemporary art exhibits with a focus on local culture.
Dothan Area Botanical Gardens [Natural] – Beautiful gardens showcasing regional plant life.
Peanuts Around Town [Quirky] – Downtown Dothan features several painted peanut statues as part of a public art project.
Landmark Park [Natural/Quirky] – Historic farm museum with nature trails and an old farmstead.
George Washington Carver Interpretive Museum [Historical] – Focuses on the life and legacy of the famous agricultural scientist.
Enterprise
The Boll Weevil Monument [Historical/Quirky] – A monument celebrating the boll weevil’s impact on the region’s agriculture.
Enterprise State Community College Aviation Campus [Quirky] – Home to Alabama’s Aviation Museum with historic aircraft.
Ozark
Shorter Mansion [Historical] – Greek Revival mansion showcasing antebellum history.
Fort Rucker [Historical] – U.S. Army base and home to the U.S. Army Aviation Museum.
Eufaula
Lake Eufaula [Natural] – Popular for boating, fishing, and water recreation.
Old Creek Town Park [Natural/Quirky] – Historic Native American town site with archaeological exhibits.
Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge [Natural] – Wildlife refuge with excellent birdwatching opportunities.
Abbeville
Abbeville Court Square [Historical] – Historic town square with several preserved buildings.
Perry Lakes Park [Natural] – A serene park perfect for fishing, picnicking, and hiking.
East Alabama
Auburn–Opelika Metro Area
Auburn
Jordan-Hare Stadium [Historical] – Home to Auburn University’s football team and a top venue for college football.
Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art [Quirky] – Features American art and contemporary exhibits.
Chewacla State Park [Natural] – Scenic park with waterfalls, hiking, and biking trails.
Auburn University Arboretum [Natural] – Extensive collection of plants with trails and educational programs.
Toomer’s Corner [Quirky] – Famous Auburn landmark known for celebratory tree rolling after sports victories.
Opelika
The Museum of East Alabama [Historical] – Local history and art exhibits in a historic downtown building.
Opelika Railroad Depot [Historical] – Restored 19th-century train depot with local exhibits.
Tallapoosa County
Lake Martin [Natural] – Large reservoir perfect for boating, fishing, and camping.
Wind Creek State Park [Natural] – A lakeside park with camping and hiking opportunities.
Dadeville Historic District [Historical] – A charming district with 19th-century buildings and antique shops.
Alexander City
Russell Lands on Lake Martin [Natural] – A beautiful recreation area with outdoor activities, including boating and hiking.
Lake Martin [Natural] – A large reservoir known for its stunning views, perfect for fishing and water sports.
Sylacauga
Blue Bell Creamery Tour [Quirky] – Ice cream plant with tours and samples.
DeSoto Caverns [Natural/Quirky] – Show cave with laser shows and amusement park-style attractions.
Northwest Alabama
Florence–Muscle Shoals Metro Area (Continued)
Florence
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Rosenbaum House [Historical] – Only FLW house in Alabama.
W.C. Handy Home and Museum [Historical] – Celebrates the “Father of the Blues.”
University of North Alabama Lion Habitat [Quirky] – Real lions live on campus!
Muscle Shoals
FAME Recording Studios [Historical/Quirky] – Legendary studio behind countless hit records.
Muscle Shoals Sound Studio [Historical] – Another iconic music studio with tours.
Cypress Moon Studios [Historical] – Recording studio and venue with a rich musical history.
Russellville
City Lake [Natural] – Popular spot for fishing, kayaking, and picnicking.
Franklin County Historical Museum [Historical] – Local history exhibits in a historic building.
Tuscumbia
Ivy Green – Helen Keller Birthplace [Historical] – Birthplace and museum of Helen Keller.
Spring Park [Natural/Quirky] – Scenic park with waterfalls and musical fountain.
Sheffield
Tuscumbia River Walk [Natural] – Scenic walking trail along the Tennessee River.
Indian Mound and Museum [Historical] – Ancient burial mounds and museum exhibits on local Native American history.
Top Attractions
Ave Maria Grotto, 1600 Saint Bernard Ave SE, Cullman, AL
Kymulga Grist Mill and Covered Bridge, Childersburg
Montevallo’s Orr Park – known for artist Tim Tingle’s tree carvings
Prattville Cotton Gin Mill
Selma’s Live Oak Cemetery
Downtown Abbeville
Old Cahawba is the site of Alabama’s first permanent state capital.
USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park, 2703 Battleship Parkway, Mobile, Alabama
Birmingham
Statue of Vulcan, Birmingham, Alabama
Montgomery
Civil Rights Memorials of Montgomery
National Memorial for Peace and Justice
Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church
Rosa Parks Library and Museum
Freedom Riders National Monument
F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum
U.S. Space and Rocket Center, Huntsville
National Voting Rights Museum and Institute, Selma
