Since it’s located at a crossroads of intersections and state highways, many of us drive through Birmingham on our way to or from somewhere else. But how often have you thought about actually making the city your destination? With today’s economy concerns, many families are looking for closer travel options so they can take shorter and less expensive trips. This article offers to help you “rediscover” Birmingham, a city near home, but with plenty of things for families to do, including some that you may know little or nothing about.
City Features/Architecture
Though Birmingham stands in the heart of the Deep South, it is not an Old South city. Founded in 1871 at the crossing of two railroad lines, the city blossomed through the early 1900s as it rapidly became the South’s foremost industrial center. After World War II, the legendary iron and steel mills gradually were replaced by a work force of medical and engineering professionals. Today, Birmingham enjoys a balance of manufacturing and service-oriented jobs in a thriving work force.
The traditional heart of Birmingham’s downtown is an 85-square-block zone encompassing an interesting blend of architectural periods and styles. Early 1900s skyscrapers are within view of their striking contemporary counterparts, and quiet neighborhoods are nestled in the woods just minutes away. On a plateau between Red Mountain and the city center is one of Birmingham’s most celebrated historic neighborhoods, Five Points South. This charming district, incorporated as the Town of Highland in 1887, has always been something of a place apart. Focused on a landmark circle, Five Points South is an intriguing collection of architectural styles including Spanish Baroque and Art Deco. Streets radiating off the circle are similarly blessed with a lively mix of old and new buildings now animated by more than a dozen restaurants and bars, specialty shops, a hotel and a theater.
Tourist Attractions/Sightseeing
Alabama has a long history of automobile racing. Birmingham’s Barber Motorsports Park hosts the Indy Grand Prix of Alabama, the only city in the Deep South to host the Indy Racing League. Also located on the grounds of the park is the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, presenting the world’s largest collection of vintage automobiles and motorcycles. (www.barbermuseum.org)
Alabama Adventure is the state’s first amusement park, including several roller-coasters, bumper cars, a log flume and a ferris wheel, in addition to “Splash Beach,” a separate water park featuring various slides, enclosed tubes and waterfalls. (www.alabamaadventure.com)
At McWane Science Center, science becomes an adventure. McWane’s IMAX dome theater treats viewers to the spectacular, realistic film magic that IMAX is famous for. Visitors to McWane also can explore the World of Water, the Challenger Learning Center and ScienceQuest, an assembly of interactive science exhibits. (www.mcwane.org)
The Birmingham Zoo entertains the whole family with a collection of nearly a thousand animals, many rare and unusual. The newest section, “Trails of Africa,” is in the works. (www.birminghamzoo.com) Across the street, the Birmingham Botanical Gardens blanket 80 acres with 24 different gardens, including a Japanese
Garden with ceremonial teahouse. (www.bbgardens.org)
History buffs will enjoy Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark, where millions of tons of pig iron flowed until the furnaces ceased operation in 1971. The facility is now open for public use and has been carefully preserved and developed as an industrial museum. There is also the interesting speculation that Sloss is haunted by a furnace worker who died a grisly death in molten iron. (www.slossfurnaces.com)
Of course, Birmingham’s prominent part in America’s Civil Rights Movement is one of the stories most often told. The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute is a comprehensive look at the nation’s journey toward equal rights for all citizens and includes galleries highlighting Birmingham’s momentous role in the movement. (www.bcri.org) The centerpiece of the city’s Civil Rights District, the institute faces historic Kelly Ingram Park and is across the street from the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, site of the infamous race-related bombing in 1963. The nearby Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame resides in the historic Carver Theater and honors jazz greats with ties to Alabama. (www.jazzhall.com)
Appropriately situated near the Birmingham Shuttlesworth International Airport, the Southern Museum of Flight preserves equipment and information from the Southeast’s aviation history. (www.southernmuseumofflight.org) And sports fans enjoy exploring the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame Museum. (www.ashof.org) This home for heroes includes memorabilia from the late University of Alabama Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, a tribute to Olympic great Jesse Owens, and other displays showcasing the careers of Alabama-connected sports figures.
These places of interest are only a sampling of many sights to see in the greater Birmingham area. Others topping the list include the Alabama Theatre, a 1920s movie palace showing classics on the big screen, (www.alabamatheatre.com), and Vulcan Park and Museum, home to the world’s largest cast iron statue. (www.visitvulcan.com)
Venturing Out From the City
If time allows, visitors to the area can explore historical and natural attractions just minutes from Birmingham. Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park, about 25 minutes from Birmingham, is a reflection of Alabama life in the 1800s. It was at Tannehill Ironworks that Confederate forces rolled iron from the cast sheds to produce cannon and ordnance during the Civil War. Also on the grounds are 19th century pioneer homes, farm buildings, crafts cabins and an operating grist mill. (www.tannehill.org)
About 20 minutes from downtown Birmingham, Oak Mountain State Park borders a magnificent lake for swimming, fishing and canoeing. Golf, tennis and mountain bike trails also lure visitors for recreation at Oak Mountain. (www.alapark.com/OakMountain/) More excellent recreation takes place on the pristine waters of the Cahaba River. Cahaba River Society conducts canoe trips along this stretch of water when the endangered Cahaba Lilies are in bloom. (www.cahabariver.net/canoeing.htm)
The Arts and Entertainment
Out of Birmingham’s transition from an industrial to a service-oriented community arose a big-city sort of appreciation for things cultural, a fertile environment for the arts. Birmingham’s multifaceted arts community stages a year-round schedule of entertainment. The Alabama Ballet, based in Birmingham, is a full-time professional dance company. (www.alabamaballet.org)
The city has more than a half dozen professional theatrical companies, including the Birmingham Children’s Theater, which introduces the world of the stage to more than 100,000 children every year. (www.bct123.org/) The Alabama Symphony Orchestra, (www.alabamasymphony.org), a professional opera company and contemporary dance ensembles add to the Birmingham arts scene.
The Birmingham Museum of Art is one of the city’s finest cultural blessings and the largest municipal art museum in the Southeast. Along with a number of significant visiting exhibitions, the museum permanently holds the world’s largest museum display of Wedgwood pieces, as well as impressive collections of Asian and African art and Alabama folk art. (www.artsbma.org)
A host of nationally known music acts fill the schedule all year at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex, Verizon Wireless Music Center, the Alabama Theatre and in larger music halls around town.
To receive visitor information on the greater Birmingham area before your arrival, call toll-free (800-458-8085). Also visit www.birmingham.travel. For assistance when you arrive, stop by one of three local Tourist Information Centers operated by the Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau: at Vulcan Park and Museum; on the lower level of the Birmingham Shuttlesworth International Airport; and downtown near the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex at 2200 Ninth Avenue North. •
