Alabama is a journey through history, southern culture, and food, as well as a lovely sprinkling of gorgeous natural places, with distinct destinations dispersed throughout.
From Birmingham to Montgomery, its historic cities were hotbeds of the Civil Rights Movement. They now tell the crucial storey through museums, galleries, and historic districts, where the United States was at a crossroads just generations ago.
Away from the larger towns, Alabama’s rural regions and gorgeous coasts provide a variety of activities. Discover the hidden gems of state parks and the Gulf of Mexico that no one is talking about.
1: US Space & Rocket Center
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The US Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama, is jam-packed with hands-on activities for kids and adults. The centre, which has one of the world’s largest collections of spacecraft, is an excellent site to learn about the United States’ space past.
The US Space & Rocket Center is affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution and offers valuable insight into NASA’s evolution. You’ll also learn about the past space race as well as the orbiting space stations.
One of the highlights of the trip is a visit to Rocket Park, which houses 27 missiles and spacecraft. After that, relax in front of the Spacedome IMAX to learn about the International Space Station or try out the launch simulators for a four-G-force experience. Also. read Best Things to do in Anchorage.
2: Battleship USS Alabama
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The USS Alabama was a battleship that served in WWII and is now a US National Historic Landmark. Over a dozen patrols were performed in the Pacific, and the ship assisted in the capture of many islands from the Japanese. In addition, the USS Alabama was responsible for the sinking of 15 Japanese ships.
The iconic battleship was heading for the scrap heap just over 15 years after WWII, only to find its forever home in Mobile. The USS Drum, a WWII submarine, is also on display in the park. You can take a tour of the ship today, from the mess hall to the captain’s bridge, to get a feel for life on board the USS Alabama.
Several planes, tanks, and armament are among the other attractions in the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park.
3: Visit National Memorial for Peace & Justice
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The National Memorial for Peace and Justice is a solemn and significant memorial to African Americans who were enslaved or died as a result of lynching.
The memorial was the first of its sort when was opened in 2018. It’s a significant place that has allowed the Equal Justice Initiative to shed light on the many stories of the American South that have yet to be told. The National Memorial for Peace and Justice not only commemorates the lives lost, but also the horror that followed the sad events for the six million people who fled to the north.
With a sculpture devoted to the Montgomery Bus Boycott and a compelling piece by Kwame Akoto-Bamfo, the location encourages visitors to assemble and reflect on the past. Also read Best Things to Do in Las Vegas.
4: Explore Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge
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The Bon Secour National Animals Refuge, which runs along the southern tip of Alabama, was established in 1980 to protect wildlife and migrating birds. Visitors can explore a variety of environments in this beautiful part of the state, including scrub forest, marshes, swamps, and sand dunes.
The wildlife reserve is a critical breeding area for sea turtles and home to the endangered Alabama beach mouse. Over 370 kinds of birds stop by on their migration journeys each year. Ospreys and hummingbirds are two popular species.
The one-mile Jeff Friend Trail will give you a taste of the park before you venture out on any of the half-dozen longer routes. You can launch a kayak at Little Lagoon and fish from the water.
5: Cathedral Caverns State Park
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The Cathedral Caverns State Park was once known as Bat Cave and is home to extensive caves and one of the world’s largest columns. The cave, located southeast of Woodville, Alabama, was a private attraction for 37 years before becoming a state park in 1987.
Cathedral Caverns got its moniker because of the cave’s regal and massive entrance. The cave’s magnificent entrance, which is 126 feet wide and 25 feet tall, is the state’s largest. Goliath, a 45-foot-high stalagmite column, is one of the caves’ most fascinating features. A cave tour allows you to explore outside the confines of the cave, while tent camping and gem mining are also options.
6: Visit Dexter Parsonage Museum
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Martin Luther King and his family lived in the Dexter Parsonage Museum from 1954 to 1960. He was joined by 12 pastors from the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, who were among the home’s first occupants.
The home, which is now on the National Register of Historic Places, was attacked several times during the Civil Rights Movement. The museum’s fascinating displays look at Martin Luther King’s time as a minister and the location where he started his activism.
Before going to the King-Johns Garden for Reflection, you can learn about each of the pastors and the surrounding neighborhood. The garden focuses on six issues that pastors and MLK frequently preached about. Also read Best Things to Do in Curacao.
7: Sloss Furnaces
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Entrepreneurs and big dreamers built a new metropolis in central Alabama on the backs of abundant mineral resources. Colonel James Sloss, whose furnaces began working 11 years later in 1882, was one of the initial residents of Birmingham when it was founded in 1871.
Sloss Furnaces became a National Historic Landmark and later a museum after just over a century. The blowing engines from 1902 are currently the oldest element of the museum, and there are also two 400-ton blast furnaces.
The Sloss Furnaces museum does an excellent job of displaying technological advancements over the centuries, which you can learn about during a guided tour. Also read Best Things to Do in Rotterdam.
8: Visit Little River Canyon
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Little River Canyon is a hiking, fishing, and camping destination with the longest mountaintop river in the United States. The river, which meanders through Southern Appalachia’s highlands and provides waterfalls, cliffs, and gorgeous forested uplands, is a national preserve.
In 1992, the Little River Canyon was designated as a protected preserve in order to preserve its distinctive beauty. Little River has cut beautiful cliffs into the sandstone over millions of years, progressively eroding the flat-topped Lookout Mountain.
Around the river, there is a huge variety of plant and animal species that aren’t found anywhere else in Alabama. All of this is accessible via hiking paths and beautiful drives that lead to breathtaking views and cool bathing spots.