Birmingham, Alabama, USA - Local Attractions

Local Attractions

Below are some of Birmingham, Alabama local attractions you would not want to miss. These attractions entertain, inform, and inspire residents and visitors alike. Visit some of their Web Sites:

Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame
City native Erskine Hawkins penned the jazz standard "Tuxedo Junction" about an Ensley street car crossing, creating a sound heard around the world. And that's just one of Birmingham's many contributions to the world of jazz. The Jazz Hall of Fame exhibits memorabilia in the historic, art deco Carver Theatre.
- Corner of 4th Avenue North and 17th Street
- (205) 254-2731
- Hours: Tues.-Sat. 10-5, Sun. 1-5
Alabama Sports Hall of Fame
Located at the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center, the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame enshrines the memorabilia and memories of Alabama's sports heroes from Paul "Bear" Bryant to Jesse Owens and Joe Louis, from Bart Starr to Willie Mays.
- 22nd Street North at Civic Center Blvd
- (205) 323-6665
- Hours: Mon.-Sat. 9-5, Sun. 1-5
Birmingham Botanical Gardens
The glory of nature can be found right in the heart of the city at the 67 acre Birmingham Botanical Gardens, adjacent to the Zoo in Lane Park. Come for the rhododendron, camellias, wildflowers, ferns, delicate bonsai plants, roses, desert flowers, even a Japanese Garden, complete with a Japanese Tea-house and Zen-like sense of peacefulness.
- 2612 Lane Park Rd.
- (205) 879-1227
- Hours: Sunup to Sundown everyday.
Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute is a place of remembrance, revolution and reconciliation built at the site of the most tumultuous events of the Civil Rights era. More than a museum, it also serves as a forum for understanding the universal problem of racism - while cronicling the role Birmingham played in setting a people free. Nearby is the 16th Street Baptist Church (site of a 1963 bombing) and Kelly Imgram Park, home to stirring sculptures commemorating the struggle for freedom.
- 520 16th Street North
- (205) 328-9696
- Hours: Tues.-Sat. 1-5, Sun. 1-5
Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center
The Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center is a multi-use facility, covering almost seven city blocks downtown.It attracts 1.5 million visitors a year for major sports events to major concerts, ice shows, the circus and other entertainment.
- Off Interstate 20/59, 19th to 21st Street North
- (205) 458-8401
- Check out their Calendar.
Birmingham Museum of Art
The largest municipally owned art museum in the Southeast, houses nationally known art such as the Eugenia Woodward Hitt Collection of 18th century French painting and decorative art, the Beeson Collection of Wedgwood and extensive collections of American, Renaissance, Oriental and African Art. A multi-level outdoor sculpture garden is a showpiece.
- 2000 8th Avenue North
- (205) 254-2565
- Hours: Tues.-Sat. 10-5, Sun. Noon-5
Birmingham Zoo
A favorite with families, the Birmingham Zoo is among the most heavily visited tourist attractions in the state of Alabama. With nearly 1,000 animals on display, the zoo makes for a day of fascinating observation and interaction with the animal kingdom.
- 2630 Cahaba Road
- (205) 879-0409
- Hours: 9-5 everyday

Fishing in Area Lakes
Sitting smack dab in the middle of the best fishing the Heart of Dixie has to offer is Birmingham, the hottest fishing destination in the South. Whether you love is hard-fighting largemouth and spotted bass, monstrous gear-destroying striped bass or just the solitude of fly-fishing for rainbow trout in gently tumbling waters, it can all be found in the Birmingham Area Lakes.

Area Lake Estimated Miles
From Birmingham Phone number

Smith Lake 35 (205) 734-0454

Lake Neely Henry 35 (205) 549-0351

Bankhead Reservoir 80 (800) 252-7275

Lake Guntersville 90 (800) 252-7275

Lake Logan Martin 35 (800) 252-7275

Lay Lake 40 (800) 252-7275

Weiss Lake 90 (800) 252-7275

McWane Center
This new science learning center is an educational centerpiece for Alabama, fostering the public's better understanding and appreciation of science, technology and the environment.
- 1320 22nd Street South in Birmingham, Alabama 35205
- (205) 558-2000
- Mon-fri 9am-5pm; Sat 9am-6pm;Sun 12pm-5pm
  Open everyday excluding Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Meyer Planetarium
Gaze at the stars at Meyer Planetarium on the campus of Birmingham Southern College.
- 900 Arkadelphia Road
- (205) 226-4771
- Call for special shows.
Oak Mountain State Park
Oak Mountain means golf, boating, hiking, fishing, horseback riding, and more, including a petting zoo for the kids, mountain bike trails and a lakeside beach.
- Of I-65 South of Town on Highway 119
- (205) 620-2524
- Hours 7am to 9pm.
Riverchase Galleria
Six anchor stores (Macy's, J.C. Penney, Sears, Belks). 200 specialty shops. Located south of Birmingham. The Riverchase Galleria is a shopping city under glass. The longest skylight in the Western Hemisphere. The Galleria Complex is also home to an office tower, Wynfrey Hotel, and fine restaurants.
- 1000 Highway 31 South near the exit of I-459 in Hoover.
- (205) 985-3039
- Hours: Mon.-Sat. 10-9, Sun. 1-6

Area Lake	Estimated Miles From Birmingham	Phone number
Smith Lake	35	(205) 734-0454
Lake Neely Henry	35	(205) 549-0351
Bankhead Reservoir	80	(800) 252-7275
Lake Guntersville	90	(800) 252-7275
Lake Logan Martin	35	(800) 252-7275
Lay Lake	40	(800) 252-7275
Weiss Lake	90	(800) 252-7275

Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail / Other Courses
Birmingham offers play on some of the country's premier public courses. From Oxmoor Valley, part of the world renowned Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, to Bent Brook, voted the best public course in Alabama and the Florida Panhandle by Links Magazine.

Public Golf Courses Phone number Public Golf Courses Phone number

Alpine Bay (205) 268-2920 Beacon Hill (205) 328-8525

Bent Brook (205) 428-1999 Cahaba Valley Golf & Country Club (205) 655-2095

Don A. Hawkins/Roebuck Municipal (205) 836-7318 Eagle Point (205) 991-9070

Frank House (205) 424-9540 Green Briar Golf Course (205) 647-2680

Marcum Country Club (205) 647-3377 Mountain View Golf Club (205) 674-8362

Oak Mountain State Park Golf Course (205) 620-2522 Oxmoor Valley Golf Club (205) 942-1177

Tannehill National Golf Course (205) 427-4653 The Meadows (205) 672-7529

University of Montevallo (205) 665-8057 Westside Par 3 & Driving Range (205) 923-2979

Talladega National Forest in Alabama
The 7,245-acre Cheaha Wilderness in the Talladega National Forest offers high elevations, with numerous overlooks for panoramic views of east-central Alabama.
- Talladega Ranger District - 1001 North Street, Talladega, AL 35160
  Phone:(256) 362-2909
- Oakmulgee Ranger District - 9901 Highway 5, Brent, AL 35034
  Phone: (205) 926-9765
- Shoal Creek Ranger District - 2309 Highway 46, Heflin, AL 36264
  Phone: (256) 463-2272
Sloss Furnaces
Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark is one of the few landmarks to the nation's industry. Shut down in the 1970s, Sloss was reborn as an industrial museum and a unique community gathering place for everything from music festivals to artistic metalworking.
- 20 32nd Street North
- (205) 324-1911
- Hours: Tues.-Sat. 10-4, Sun. 1-4
Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega Superspeedway is the biggest, fastest, most competitive motorsports facility in the world. Records for both speed and competition have been established at Talladega. Adjacent to the track is the International Motorsports Hall of Fame and Museum, which is also open daily. Talladega Superspeedway is located 40 miles east of Birmingham (AL) and 95 miles west of Atlanta (GA). The track sits adjacent to I-20 between Exits 168 and 173. Talladega is also home to the Talladega/Texaco Walk of Fame inside the Davey Allison Memorial Park. It can now accommodate more than 143,000-seated guests and thousands more in the 212-acre infield. The track offers van tours to visitors daily during working hours except on weeks around events.
- PO Box 777, Talladega, AL 35161
- Ticket Office Phone: (256) 362-RACE (7223)
  8 a.m. - 5 p.m. (Central Time)
Tannehill Historical State Park
Nature has blessed Tannehill. The beautiful tree-lined valley, hillsides rich in ore and swiftly flowing Roupes Creek made this a perfect setting for a successful iron making operation, as the early settlers realized. The same ingredients afford today’s visitors a pleasurable escape from modern life. Some of the attractions include the Iron and Steel Museum (Open Daily except Holidays); Gristmill, cotton gin and more than 45 other historical buildings of the 1800s; Tannehill Furnaces, (Among the nation's best preserved Civil War landmarks) .
- (205) 477-5711
- Call Mon.-Fri. 8am to 4pm to get more information.
Alabama Adventure
Alabama's first theme park opened May 23rd, 1998. Include a trip to VisionLand during your summer getaways - we're "Alabama's Family Place". The park is conveniently located 16 miles southwest Birmingham near the interchange of I-20/59 and I-459 in Bessemer, Alabama.
- 5051 Prince Street, Bessemer, AL 35023
- (205) 481-4750
  FAX (205) 481-4758
  E-mail: information@alabamaadventure.com
- Hours: Park opens at 10:00AM Daily
  Closing hours vary during season, call for details.
  Weekends Only:
  The end of May
  The Mid August thru the last week of October
  Daily:
  1st Week of June thru Mid August
- Click Here to check on ticket prices.
Vulcan Statue & Park
The Vulcan (the Roman mythical god for the forge) is the second tallest statue in the United States (Only the Statue of Liberty is taller) and the tallest cast-iron statue in the World. The iron man has stood atop Red Mountain since 1939, holding a torch aloft over the city. The torch glows green, except when there has been a traffic fatality in the metro area within the previous 24 hours. It then shines a bright red, making Vulcan the world's biggest traffic safety reminder. Visitors can see commanding view of the city of Birmingham from it's observation balcony.
- 20th Street South and Valley Avenue
- (205) 328-6198
- Hours: Vulcan Park and Museum is open 7 days a week!
  Vulcan Park grounds:
  Monday through Sunday 7 am - 10 pm
  Vulcan Center Museum:
  Monday through Saturday 10 am - 6 pm and Sunday 1- 6 pm.
  Observation Balcony:
  Monday through Saturday 10 am - 10 pm and Sunday 1 pm - 10 pm.
  Holiday Hours: Vulcan Park and Museum opens at 1 pm on Thanksgiving and New Year's Day and closes at 6 pm on July 4th. Vulcan Park and Museum is closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Public Golf Courses	Phone number	Public Golf Courses	Phone number
Alpine Bay	(205) 268-2920	Beacon Hill	(205) 328-8525
Bent Brook	(205) 428-1999	Cahaba Valley Golf & Country Club	(205) 655-2095
Don A. Hawkins/Roebuck Municipal	(205) 836-7318	Eagle Point	(205) 991-9070
Frank House	(205) 424-9540	Green Briar Golf Course	(205) 647-2680
Marcum Country Club	(205) 647-3377	Mountain View Golf Club	(205) 674-8362
Oak Mountain State Park Golf Course	(205) 620-2522	Oxmoor Valley Golf Club	(205) 942-1177
Tannehill National Golf Course	(205) 427-4653	The Meadows	(205) 672-7529
University of Montevallo	(205) 665-8057	Westside Par 3 & Driving Range	(205) 923-2979