Best Things to Do in Birmingham AL

Birmingham is the biggest city in Alabama and its economic and cultural center. It has many interesting museums and historic sites. At first, it was known for its steel industry. Later, it became famous around the world for its important part in the civil rights movement.

Because of this, there are a lot of monuments around town that have to do with the movement and the rallies, protests, and events that happened during it. Still, more great museums look at art, planes, science, the city, and racing, among other things.

Even though there are still a lot of old, rusty industrial sites in The Magic City, there are also a lot of beautiful parks and green areas to check out. Birmingham also has a lot of great restaurants and bars, as well as an arts and culture scene that is alive and well.

List of Best Things to Do in Birmingham AL:

Southern Museum of Flight

The interesting Southern Museum of Flight is right next to the city’s international airport. It has huge hangars that hold almost 100 planes and a lot of exhibits, engines, and pieces of equipment.

The huge museum opened to the public for the first time in 1966. It is now one of the biggest places of its kind in the southeast of the United States. The Alabama Aviation Hall of Fame is a place where you can look at large models and other items.

The most impressive thing, though, has to be the rows and rooms full of shiny jets and huge bombs. There is also a nice copy of a Wright Flyer next to the passenger and military planes. Along with its amazing old buildings, the museum has some great paintings, photos, and movies.

Ruffner Mountain

Ruffner Mountain rises sharply to the northeast of Birmingham. It is part of a nature reserve and is very rough. It is surrounded by neighborhoods, and the airport is not too far away. It has a lot of beautiful trails and scenery for people to enjoy.

The area used to have both iron ore mines and stone quarries. In 1977, the area was turned into a park. Since then, both locals and tourists have gone to the mountain covered in trees to relax and enjoy nature.

On the park’s 15 miles of beautiful walks, you can get great views of the city and even see wildlife. At the tourist center, people can learn more about the local plants and get up close to raptors, snakes, and turtles.

The Summit

The Summit is a sophisticated outdoor lifestyle center with a lot of shops and restaurants. It is on the southeast edge of town. The huge site is a great place to shop until you drop by, and it also has a modern movie theater where you can see all the newest movies.

Since it first opened in 1997, the open-air mall has grown a lot. There are now nearly a hundred high-end shops and bars all over the complex. Among these are Apple, Levi’s, Banana Republic, Lush, and Urban Outfitters.

You can get a nice meal at one of the sushi bars or steakhouses after shopping for clothes, makeup, or computers. At the Summit’s beautiful outdoor site, there are also many cultural events and gatherings.

Kelly Ingram Park

Kelly Ingram Park is right in the middle of the Birmingham Civil Rights District. During the fight for civil rights in the 1960s, many meetings and protests took place here because it is next to the 16th Street Baptist Church.

Because of how important it was to the movement, the small park now has many beautiful sculptures and moving monuments connected to it. The Four Spirits figure stands out because it shows and remembers the four young girls who died when the Baptist church was bombed.

It is called “A Place of Revolution and Reconciliation,” and it has statues of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other stars of the movement. Not only are there a church and art pieces around the square, but there is also the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.

16th Street Baptist Church

The 16th Street Baptist Church is in one corner of the historic park. It was the first African-American church to form in Birmingham, and it was known as the civil rights movement’s center in the city.

Police violence and retaliation were often used against the church and protesters because they held so many protests and marches. On September 15, 1963, members of the Ku Klux Klan planted a bomb in a Sunday school that killed four young girls.

Even so, the members of the church and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. kept working for equal rights, and the church was fixed the next year. At the National Historic Landmark, you can learn about its interesting past, look at its beautiful architecture, and see a stained-glass window that shows a black Jesus.

Railroad Park

The beautiful green Railroad Park is right in the middle of the city. It is often called “Birmingham’s Living Room.” It has a lot of great music, cultural events, and festivals, and it also has a lot of fun things to do outside.

The name comes from the fact that there are two train lines nearby. The paths, ponds, and playgrounds in the downtown area cover several blocks. The park has been carefully landscaped with flowerbeds, grass, wetlands, and little streams that run through them.

In addition to walking, running, and biking, you can relax on the green grass, use the outdoor gym, and try out the skate bowls. There are also great views of downtown and the train going by, and there are cafes and restaurants close by.

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Birmingham Museum of Art

The Birmingham Museum of Art is a great place to see art because it has one of the best collections in the Southeastern United States. It is in the middle of the city, next to Linn Park, and is known for its amazing and varied African, Asian, and Native American art.

It was started in 1951, and its large holdings now live in a beautiful new building. You can see paintings, photos, drawings, sculptures, and other types of art in the halls, which are bright and airy. In addition to masks, ritual items, and furniture, you can look through rooms full of ceramics and textiles.

After you’ve looked at the more than 26,000 works of art inside, be sure to take a walk through the beautiful sculpture garden outside. You can also stop by the cozy cafe for a cup of coffee or the gift shop to pick up some souvenirs.

Pepper Place Market

The immensely popular Pepper Place Market takes place every Saturday from April to December. It is a busy, colorful event. In the winter, only a few dozen people set up stands downtown, but in the summer, more than a hundred farmers come to sell their goods.

In 2000, there were only a few sellers in what is now one of the biggest markets in Alabama. The rows of stalls are fun to look through because they are full of fresh fruits and vegetables. There are also coffee stands and food trucks around.

Along with the crops that can only be grown in the state, many people sell homemade jewelry, art, and clothes. Street artists and fun things for kids to do add to the atmosphere.

Alabama Theatre

The Alabama Theatre, which has a lot of fancy decorations, is also right in the middle of downtown. The beautiful auditorium used to be a movie palace, but now it’s used for concerts, comedy nights, and great movies.

The 1927 theater was made to be the best Paramount theater in the southeast, so it has a lot of fancy decorations and designs. In addition to its grand Moorish style, the hotel has a luxurious lobby and a gold-gilded theater that still has its original Wurlitzer piano.

You can sit and look at the beautiful building while watching a ballet, opera, or Broadway show that is among the best in the world. The great old theater has about 250 events a year, so there is always something new and interesting going on.

Regions Field

Regions Field in Southside is a great place to go if you want to see exciting sports events. Fans can see the exciting home games of the Birmingham Barons, the city’s Minor League Baseball team, at the small venue.

The small field, which was finished in 2013, was made to look like the industrial buildings around it. With its brick and steel exterior and the buildings of downtown rising in the background, it has a charming old-time look and feel.

From its comfortable seats, tourists can get a great look at the field, adding to its exciting vibe. It also has great places to eat and drink, as well as places to play and throw a ball around before the hitting starts.

Birmingham Zoo

The Birmingham Zoo is 10 minutes by car south of the city center. It is home to hundreds of rare and unusual animals. You can see everything from fierce lions and huge elephants to unique rhinos, tigers, and Komodo dragons at its huge site.

Long a family favorite, it opened to the public for the first time in 1955. Its large enclosures now hold more than 550 animals of 180 different kinds from all over the world, which is pretty cool. In addition to Alligator Swamp and Flamingo Lagoon, you can explore aviaries, reptile houses, and other themed places.

On top of all this, visitors can pet and feed farm animals, ride camels, and see amazing sea lion shows. You can also use playgrounds, splash pads, picnic places, and a small train to get around.

Birmingham Botanical Gardens

The beautiful Birmingham Botanical Gardens, which is another great place in the city, is right next door. Its quiet roads and ponds are great places to walk around and enjoy the colorful flowers, plants, trees, and shrubs.

Since it opened in 1963, it has grown a lot, and now there are thirty special gardens to see. Some have pretty roses and flowers, while others have bogs, woods, and desert areas next to sparkling lakes. The beautiful Japanese park also has rock formations, water features, and a Torii gate.

More than thirty amazing statues are spread out along the miles of winding nature trails. Its garden center and library both have displays about the local plants, and there are always talks and classes.

Sloss Furnaces

The Sloss Furnaces are just a short walk northeast of downtown. They have some interesting smokestacks and rusted machinery. It is now a National Historic Landmark and a National Historic Landmark. It has an art and culture center, and trips take you around the amazing old industrial site.

Between 1882 and 1971, the huge factory’s blast furnaces made a huge amount of pig iron. Now, people can walk around the rust-colored machines, look at old tools, and take pictures of their unique forms and silhouettes against the blue sky.

During walks, you can find out all about the history of the plant and the workers and slaves who made the pig iron. Along with concerts, community events, and festivals, the educational center hosts a lot of shows and classes on metal arts.

McWane Science Center

The great McWane Science Center is right in the middle of the city, and it is a fun and interesting place to visit. It has four floors of hands-on exhibits, as well as a lot of games, experiments, and a huge IMAX theater.

There are hundreds of thousands of objects and specimens to look at in its historic building. Some rooms are about fossils and dinosaurs, while others are about the climate and Native American cultures in the area. There is also a great touch tank at the zoo where you can pet small sharks and stingrays.

There are also places for kids to play and climb, as well as places where visitors can make things and try out projects. You can also watch movies on the huge movie screen, watch exciting science shows, and get a cup of coffee at the cafe.

Birmingham Civil Rights Institute

One of the best museums in the city is the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, which is in the downtown area with the same name. It is on one side of Kelly Ingram Park and has displays about the difficulties of the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s.

The “living institution” and its cultural study center have been open since 1992. They look at the past, present, and future of the fight for civil rights. Multimedia displays show everything from segregation in the city and the Freedom Riders to the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church next door.

Photos and videos from the past and interviews with people who took part in the movement put light on these tough topics. Before going to some of the other important historic sites in the area, visitors can also learn about modern human rights problems.

Vulcan Park and Museum

The Vulcan is the world’s biggest statue made of cast iron. It stands on top of Red Mountain and looks out over the area. It is Birmingham’s most famous landmark and shows how important the iron and steel business was to the city’s growth.

It was built in St. Louis, Missouri, for the 1904 World’s Fair. Its tall base is now ten minutes south of the center, in a beautiful park. It is 56 feet tall and shows the Roman god of fire and the forge, Vulcan, in an interesting pose.

You can not only take pictures of the beautiful statue, but you can also go to the top of its viewing tower and get a great view of downtown. After you’ve walked around the park’s pretty paths, stop by the interactive museum to learn about the statues, cities, and the state’s past.

Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum

Even if you don’t like bikes at all, you have to go to the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum to see its amazing collection. At its shiny complex on the eastern edge of town, visitors can look at more than 1,600 cool bikes and modern racing cars.

George Barber, a former race car driver and now a collector, opened it in 1994. It is the biggest museum of its kind in the world. There are bikes of every make and model on almost every inch of its five floors. They are all set up in a cool and creative way. There are more than 200 companies there, including Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Zimmerman.

Right outside is a great racetrack where you can watch cars and motorcycles racing around the track at high speeds. Motorheads and people who like a rush of adrenaline can also ride a bike around the track if they want to.

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