Alabama travel
Nicknamed the Yellowhammer State, Alabama lies in the SE USA, along the Gulf of Mexico, with the Appalachian Mountains forming a backdrop. Visited by Spanish explorers in the 16th century and later settled by the French, it passed to Britain in 1763 and to the USA in 1783. It became the 22nd state of the Union in 1819. In 1846, Montgomery became the permanent state capital of Alabama; a major Cotton State, Alabama seceded from the Union in 1861 to become a part of the Confederate States of America. The Constitution of the Confederacy was drafted in Montgomery, which served as the first Confederate Capital. Following the Civil War, Alabama was readmitted to the Union in 1868.
In the 20th century, Alabama held centre stage in the historic civil-rights movement led by Martin Luther King, Jr. as well as bus boycotts in Montgomery. Segregation did not end in Alabama until the 1980s. Today, Alabama has emerged as a growing economic power. Industry in Alabama is centered on agriculture, which is dominated by livestock, heavy manufacturing, mineral extraction, fishing and services. Principal metropolitan areas within the state include Birmingham, Mobile, Montgomery and Huntsville and the 'college towns' of Auburn and Tuscaloosa. It is one of the most geographically diverse states in the country, from the majestic mountains in the north to idyllic beaches in the south. The climate is temperate year-round, with warm summers and mild winters making it an ideal getaway.
Things to see and do
Beaches
Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Alabama
Dauphin Island, Alabama
Botanical Gardens
Birmingham Botanical Garden, Birmingham
Dothan Botanical Gardens, Dothan
Huntsville/Madison County Botanical Garden
Golf Courses
Deer Run Golf Course, Moulton
Grand National Golf Course, Opelika
Kiva Dunes Golf Club, Gulf Shores
Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, Alabama
Rock Creek Golf Club, Fairhope
Valley Landing Golf Course, Courtland
Museums & Historic Sites:
Aliceville Museum, Aliceville
Anniston Museum of Natural History, Anniston
Alabama Constitution Village, Huntsville
Alabama Museum of Natural History
American Sport Art Museum, Daphne
Ave Maria Grotto, Cullman
Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, Birmingham
Battleship USS Alabama, Mobile
Berman Museum of World History, Anniston
Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham
Burritt on the Mountain--A Living Museum, Huntsville
Children's Hands-On Museum, Tuscaloosa
Cook's Natural Science Museum, Decatur,
Cullman County Museum, Cullman
Dauphin Island Sea Lab Education Center, Dauphin Island
EarlyWorks Children's Museum, Huntsville
Farley Nuclear Visitors Center, Ashford
Fort Morgan State Historic Site and Museum, Gulf Shores
Fort Gaines, Dauphin Island
Frank Lloyd Wright's Rosenbaum House, Florence
Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum, Calera
Helen Keller's Birthplace, Ivy Green, Tuscumbia
Hank Williams Museum, Montgomery
Huntsville Museum of Art, Huntsville
Huntsville Space & Rocket Center, Huntsville
Indian Mound & Museum, Florence
Jasmine Hill Garden and Outdoor Museum, Montgomery
Mobile Museum of Art, Mobile
North Alabama Railroad Museum, Chase
Oakleigh Museum & Historical Complex
Pioneer Museum of Alabama
Pope's Tavern Museum, Florence
Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Hanceville
Southern Museum of Flight, Birmingham
State of Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, Birmingham
Southern Environmental Center, Birmingham
The MOOseum, Montgomery
UAB Birmingham Historical Collections, Birmingham
US Space and Rocket Center, Huntsville
Vulcan Iron Man, Birmingham
Weeden House Museum, Huntsville
State & National Parks:
Brierfield Ironworks Historical State Park, Brierfield
Cathedral Caverns State Park, Grant
Cheaha State Park, Anniston
Horseshoe Bend National Military Park, Daviston
DeSoto Caverns Park, Childersburg
Jesse Owens Memorial Park, Oakville
Little River Canyon National Preserve, Fort Payne
Natchez Trace Parkway, Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee
Russell Cave National Monument, Bridgeport
Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail, Montgomery, Lowndes & Dallas Counties
Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park, McCalla
Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site, Tuskegee
USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park, Mobile
Theme Parks, Amusement Parks & Water Parks
Alabama Adventure, Bessemer
Guin WaterPark, Guin
Point Mallard Park Aquatic Center, Decatur
Southern Adventures- Adventure Island, Huntsville
Waterville, Gulf Shores
Zoos:
Birmingham Zoo, Birmingham
Limestone Zoological Park and Exotic Wildlife Refuge, Harvest
Montgomery Zoo, Montgomery
Festivals & Events
Annual Polar Bear Dip, Orange Beach - January
Senior Bowl, Mobile - January
Heritage Art Festival, Monroeville - February
Annual Arts & Crafts Festival, Fairhope March
Southern Breeze Wine + Culinary Festival, Mobile - March
Weevil City Cruisers Annual Car and Truck Show, Enterprise March
Elberta German Sausage Festival, Elberta - March
Panoply Arts Festival, Huntsville - April
Alabama Blueberry Festival, Brewton - June
Floral Arts & Craft Show, Florala - June
Annual Sand Mountain Potato Festival, Henagar - July
Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo, Orange Beach - July
Jubilee Festival, Daphne - September
Annual Harvest Festival, Boaz - October
Annual National Shrimp Festival, Gulf Shores - October
Heritage Harbor Days, Foley - November
Mobile International Festival, Mobile - November
National Peanut Festival, Dothan - November
Alabama Pecan Festival, Mobile - November
Fort Deposit Christmas Extravaganza, Alabama - December
Shopping
Boaz Outlet Center, Boaz
Century Plaza, Birmingham
Colonial Brookwood Village, Birmingham
Eastdale Mall, Montgomery
Madison Square Mall, Huntsville
Parkway City Mall, Huntsville
Riverchase Galleria, Hoover
Tanger Outlet, Folley
Unclaimed Baggage Center, Scottsboro
VF Outlet, Boaz
Alabama offers you an unforgettable dream vacation with its warm southern hospitality, native cuisine, live musical performances and internationally recognized attractions.
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