Alabama is a state that is both regarded for its history and grossly underrated as a travel destination. 

I’m fortunate to have quite the range of experience here, because I went to school in Tuscaloosa, home of the Crimson Tide football team and close to many of the state’s best things to do. There’s something about spending time in a state that many people don’t think twice about, that let me appreciate my experience more. 

Recently, I had the chance to visit on the way to see some friends in a nearby state, and it was great to see many of the places that make the state so special. 

Historic Downtown Mobile, Alabama. Christian Hinkle/Shutterstock

What I Love About Alabama

Let’s start out by breaking down what it is you need to know about Alabama, and what it has to offer. 

I touched on the fact that Alabama is most well-known for its role in history, but that feels a bit blasé to brush over.

The state is home to the most notable, and important, events of the Civil Rights era. From Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat to the work of figures like Martin Luther King Junior and Revered T.Y. Rogers, Alabama truly was at the forefront of it all. 

Getting to see that history up-close, in museums, at the state house, and among the monuments of the state, is quite a moving experience. 

If, like me, you enjoy a mixture of learning and exploring on your travels, there are plenty of ways to make sure that you get the most well-balanced visit to Alabama.

On top of the history that you can brush up against, the U.S. Space and Rocket Center is just one of many places you can go to learn more about science and aerospace. And Alabama has parks, beaches, great hiking, interactive museums, and a great mixture of large cities and small, charming towns.

In this post, I’ll talk about my favorite things to do in Alabama, based on my time living there.

Since there are readers from all over, I want to note that I’ll be listing any prices in USD, to match the currency used in the States.

The US Space & Rocket Center. Michael Gordon/Shutterstock

U.S. Space and Rocket Center

I can’t talk about Alabama without mentioning the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. 

In fact, anytime I drove down to Alabama from up North, I passed this site and saw it as a sort of ‘welcome back to Alabama.’ 

The center is located in the north part of the state, near Huntsville, and is quite easy to pass as you take the highway further down to Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, or even further south.

The Center, known as USSRC, is the official visitor center for NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, as well as a Smithsonian Affiliate. 

The USSRC’s collections of rockets and space memorabilia is one of the largest in the world. You can tour the museum in group visits, and it is a great stop for kids, adults, and families to enjoy. There truly is something for everyone to enjoy here. 

Not only can you explore the museum portion, but there are also things like a flight simulator to give you an idea of what it feels like to be the one controlling an aircraft.

Daytime shows take place at the INTUITIVE® planetarium, which cannot be compared to another location in the entire Southeast of the country. Shows aren’t the end of it, either. You can attend a Cocktails and Cosmos event, enjoying a specialty drink while being a part of an exciting schedule of programming throughout the night.

The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. Brett Welcher/Shutterstock

Birmingham Civil Rights Institute

If you are heading down to the Birmingham area, the BRCI, Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, is a great stop. 

Connected to the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument, which is an important collection of sites tied to the Civil Rights Movement.

You’ll be able to do everything from examining a replica of a Freedom Riders bus to experiencing a version of a segregated city as it would have been in the 1950s.

I want to mention that this experience was an incredibly insightful one, and you should plan to go into it ready to learn, and to feel some strong emotions as you connect to the intense past of the state and its people.

The museum holds the jail cell door (yes, the real one) behind which MLK Jr. wrote the famous ‘Letter From Birmingham Jail’, among other memorabilia, and reminders of that time in our not-so-distant history.

I found it so interesting to see how many documents were at the museum, but also that there are nearly 500 oral history recordings that tie into the Civil Rights era. 

Depending on when you visit, you’ll also likely see one of the traveling exhibitions, or might even get to attend an annual celebration during Black History Month or Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Alabama Crimson Tide band. Jamie Lamor Thompson/Shutterstock

Hit Up a Crimson Tide Football Game in Tuscaloosa

Fun fact: Bryant Denny Stadium is an Alabama institution like no other. If you’re lucky enough to be visiting the state during the fall, you’d better hope it’s during a home game — and grab your tickets right away. 

Something about being packed into the stadium amongst throngs of Crimson Tide fans just thrills me. That electric energy will surge through you, then leave you singing Dixieland Delight in your head. Trust me: it happens to the best of us.

If you’re keen to hang with the locals, tailgate on the University of Alabama’s quad, then cheer on the team to their inevitable victory. (Not to be overzealous or anything, but this team has quite the track record!)

When the game is over, I personally recommend heading straight to Dreamland Barbecue for some authentic, famous, home-style grilling. It’s an institution here in Tuscaloosa, often praised for having the best Southern food in town. And that’s really saying something.

Water Garden exhibit at the Huntsville Botanical Park. KennStilger47/Shutterstock

Huntsville Botanical Garden

Now if there’s one thing you need to know about me, it’s that I love my botanical gardens. No matter which continent I’m on or how intense my hayfever may be, I’ll fight through it all in order to see some beautiful plants. What can I say? I can’t get enough of being outside in nature.

And Huntsville? It’s home to one of my favorite botanical gardens on the planet. First opened back in 1988, I’ve been delighted to watch as these gardens have grown and developed into something truly great. Yes, if you’re going to be spending time in Huntsville, this is a must-see stop.

(And just a quick note that if you’re planning on visiting the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, the botanical gardens make for a brilliant add-on; they’re both in the same area!)

The botanical garden calls itself the ‘community garden’ and operates under that ethos of being a responsible member of their community. You’ll get to hear about the leadership roles that they have taken on environmental issues, including sustainability, while exploring the gardens themselves. 

A great activity for the whole family, these gardens are well-maintained, accessible, and have much to offer in the way of guides and staff that are eager to communicate and answer any questions.

Birmingham Museum of Art at night. Tim Daugherty/Shutterstock

Birmingham Museum of Art

This art museum, located in the heart of beautiful Birmingham — the state’s largest city — is regarded as one of the best museums in this region of the United States, and is well worth spending some time there. 

Founded in 1951, the building is a three-story structure complete with a sculpture garden located outside.

The Birmingham Museum of Art is home to a diverse collection of paintings, well over 25,000 of them, sculpture work, prints, drawings, and even decorative arts spanning from ancient to contemporary times. Regardless of the style, or period, you are drawn to, it is easy to find work that you can enjoy browsing here.

The art also spans across cultures, from African to Asian, European to Pre-Columbian, and American art, in both modern and Native styles.

Rosa Parks Library and Museum. Mccallk69/Shutterstock

Rosa Parks Library and Museum

Rosa Parks is a prominent part of not only Alabama history, but the entire Civil Rights Movement and the way that the United States now operates.

1950’s Montgomery was certainly a different place, and when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat, a story that most people are quite familiar with, it sparked something that helped to catalyze the movement that we now look back on. 

There are historic markers where she was arrested for refusing to give her seat up to that white man, as was custom at the time, and the museum itself focuses on Parks’ story, as well as how it fit into the rest of the movement.

An active memorial to Rosa Parks and the following Montgomery Bus Boycott, this museum helps give us some insight into the period that brought about racial integration of transportation, and turned the international eye to what the Civil Rights Movement was doing.

You can see the original fingerprinted arrest record of Mrs. Parks, a reconstructed 1950’s Montgomery city bus, court documents, original works of art, among other artifacts. 

The museum hosts cultural events, educational programs, and a rotating cycle of temporary exhibits to give visitors a clear and dynamic view of this period of history.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Rosenbaum House. Tim Daugherty/Shutterstock

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Rosenbaum House

The famed architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, just so happens to have a house in Alabama. 

Back in the 1930s, Wright built 4 buildings that are often regarded as beautiful beyond measure, in styles that have not since been matched. The Rosembaum house is one of the 4, along with Fallingwater, which is perhaps the most famous of the Wright buildings. Rosenbaum House stands as one of the purest examples of Usonian architecture. 

Hold on, what on earth is Usonian architecture, you might be asking?

Well, back in the 30’s, when Wright was constructing his buildings, the Great Depression was devastating millions across the world, including the majority of Americans.

The Usonian prototype was created by Frank Lloyd Wright to address the need for affordable homes for the middle-class families, in a way that would redefine how living spaces were seen. 

The idea was that the homes could be tailor-made to his clients, and that their individual needs could be fulfilled while the home stood in a functional, affordable way. Really, the biggest draw to this concept was the idea of organic architecture that it encompassed, so that it appeared as the buildings were coming out of the ground and allowed families the option to start small and add on to the space as needed. 

You’ll learn all about Wright’s architecture and ideas at your visit, so I’ll leave you with that small introduction, for now. 

The visit won’t take up your whole day, but you could very well spend a few hours exploring and learning about the area.

U.S. Veteran’s Memorial Museum

Add another museum to your tour of the state, while you’re at it. The Alabama Center of Military History operates this museum, which promotes and educates about the accomplishments of the military. 

The biggest focus is on World War I and the surrounding conflicts, allowing survivors and their families to reminisce and connect over their personal experiences. It’s also a great way to learn and reflect about the past, and can serve as a good educational stop if you’re looking to dive deeper.

A cat perched atop the of model of St. Peter’s Church of the Vatican. Bennekom/Shutterstock

Ave Maria Grotto

The Ave Maria Grotto is a unique and whimsical creation from the hands of a Benedictine monk, Brother Joseph Zoettl, OSB. It was a labor of love, and the Cullman area is lucky to have such a unique draw to it.

It is clear to see the Bavarian influences, as the monk was of German heritage, and ended up in Alabama in order to pursue a life in the state’s only Benedictine Abbey. 

The Ave Maria Grotto is the greatest legacy of this little abbey, and its depictions of famous parts of the world in miniature has drawn visitors from all over the country. I can’t recommend this enough, it reminded me of a Christmas village that many people display around the holidays, but in stone. The detail is incredible and this is an eclectic and awe-inspiring representation of places like St. Peter’s Basilica and Montserrat. 

McWane Science Center in Birmingham. Ritu Manoj Jethani/Shutterstock

McWane Science Center

The mission of McWane Science Center’s is to ‘spark wonder and curiosity about our world through hand-son science.’ Millions of visitors come to the center each year, and you’ll find that the interactive experience is well worth the visit. 

You’ll find permanent exhibits like the Itty Bitty Magic City, Alabama Dinosaurs, Science on a Sphere, World of Water Aquarium, and so many more. There are also rotating, temporary, exhibits to explore. Who knows what you will find when you visit!

Hands on engagement is the most important pillar of the McWane Science Center, making it a fun way to spend a rainy afternoon or to take a break from exploring outside.