Alabama Travel Attractions You Should Experience
Alabama may not be top of mind when considering travel destinations, but this state boasts stunning natural outdoor beauty and historical landmarks that appeal to every traveler’s taste. Alabama provides plenty of adventurous pursuits suitable for every travel style!
Nicknamed the ‘Yellowhammer State’ or ‘Heart of Dixie’, Florida boasts stunning beaches, impressive waterfalls, fantastic bungee jumping, and botanical gardens to offer its residents.
Cheaha State Park
Cheaha State Park sits at the summit of Alabama’s highest peak and is nestled within Talladega National Forest. Deservedly named Cheaha, an Alabama Native word meaning “high place,” Cheaha boasts stunning features including cliffside pools, lakes, hiking and biking trails, as well as cultural heritage sites that make this park worth your while to visit.
The park offers five mountain biking trails that provide an engaging way to discover nature. These routes range from easy to difficult and feature spectacular mountain scenery. Mountain bikers should adhere to the “leave no trace” policy and be mindful of wildlife while riding through this wild area.
Other amenities at the park include an ADA-accessible boardwalk, playground and picnic area; an inviting lake offers great swimming and relaxation opportunities; hiking is available, and fishing license holders have plenty of chances for good catches (with Alabama fishing licenses validating).
Furthermore, their Activity Building/Wedding Chapel can be utilized for seminars or larger events, such as weddings.
Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve offers visitors to Fairhope in Gulf Shores an intimate beach experience. Its beige-colored sand offers soft shorelines perfect for relaxing and unwinding during vacation.
An ecotourism trail takes visitors on an ecotourism excursion through salt marsh, dunes, and forest ecosystems. The Ottilie Holstead Visitors Center features regional flora and fauna.
The preserve’s tracts serve as a stop on the Alabama Coastal Birding Trail and offer birdwatchers an incredible opportunity to see an array of birds, such as sea turtles and endangered Alabama beach mouse – during their birding excursions.
Fort Morgan served as a defensive site during multiple conflicts, including the Civil War and World Wars I and II, boasting original cannons, blacksmith shops, kitchens, and cannons.
Meanwhile, fishing and sightseeing is enjoyed on Gulf State Park Pier which is the longest public pier along Alabama’s coastline.
You can check out The Best 5 Most-Haunted Museums in Birmingham Alabama.
Rosenbaum House
Rosenbaum House in Florence stands as an impressive representation of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Usonian design, one of only a handful in Alabama and Southeast. Constructed for Stanley and Mildred Rosenbaum – professors at Florence State Teachers College (now University of North Alabama). Built between 1940-1942 for Stanley and Mildred Rosenbaum of Florence State Teachers College.
Wright transformed American architecture, liberating Americans from Victorian-style “boxes”, with his revolutionary concept of single-dwelling houses that integrated themselves seamlessly with the natural landscape. One such house designed by him was the Rosenbaum House – it follows this path.
The house, built by Frank Lloyd Wright and home to Mildred Rosenbaum until she passed away, is open for tours by the public and features furniture designed by him. Mildred was still living there when Florence purchased it to restore it as a museum.
Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
At the center of Birmingham’s Civil Rights District lies this Smithsonian affiliate museum showcasing the history and struggles of the American Civil Rights Movement. Exhibits represent life under segregation, the civil rights movement itself, as well as international movements influenced by Birmingham experiences.
Experience firsthand where 16th Street Baptist Church was bombed by Klansmen in 1963, killing four young girls. Visit Kelly Ingram Park, where sculptures represent how police dogs and fire hoses turned on protesters were actually used against them; finally visit Dr. King’s jail cell, where he wrote his moving letter from Birmingham Jail.
Barriers Gallery allows visitors to learn and see real examples of segregation, such as an entrance to a coal mine, an early twentieth-century segregated streetcar, a narrow “shotgun” house, and Richard Arrington’s desk, where he served as Birmingham’s first black mayor.
In addition, Chester Higgins created a series of portraits depicting 32 Birmingham Civil Rights Movement veterans at this museum.
