The biggest city located in Alabama, Birmingham is a gorgeous historic location that has an array of thrilling things to do and see including museums and historical landmarks theater, sports, and fantastic dining options. Explore the Barber Vintage Motors Museum and explore Birmingham’s Museum of Art, Birmingham Museum of Art, and go on self-guided tours through Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. The best activities to see in Birmingham with kids are The McWane Science Center Vulcan Park and Museum, Sloss Furnaces, the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, and the Birmingham Zoo. Certain attractions could be closed for a short period or require prior reservations. The time/amount of availability could have changed.
1. Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum
What can an ex-Porsche racecar driver get up to once retirement comes around? He gets into the building and restores classic motorcycles. George Barber won 63 races during the 1960s. after his retirement and decided to invest some of his enthusiasm into establishing the museum for others who are interested in speed.
Instead of cars, he started collecting motorcycles. The museum was opened in 1995. The stunning, race-ready machines made up the Guggenheim The Art of the Motorcycle exhibit. They also take part in numerous events featuring classic motorcycles and continue to be a winner. The museum is the world’s biggest collection of motorcycles, as per Guinness World Records and one of the top experiences to be had in Birmingham, Alabama. The museum houses more than 1,400 bikes, and around 350 bikes are on display all the time.
They represent 200 brands from more than 20 countries. Anyone who is a motorcycle enthusiast will be shivering at the sight of the rare Harley-Davidson, Indian, Honda, Showa, Cagiva, and DSK bikes that shine in dazzling splendor on the museum’s floor.
2. Birmingham Museum of Art
The Birmingham Museum of Art opened its doors in 1951. It is situated in the middle of Birmingham’s cultural area. The museum’s permanent collection includes more than 250,000 objects from a variety of cultures which include Asian, American, European, African, Native American, and Pre-Columbian.
The collection of the museum’s Asian art is thought to be one of the tops in the Southeast and the selection of Vietnamese ceramics is among the finest of its kind in the entire world. Other important items in the collection include a Kress selection that includes Baroque as well as Renaissance paintings sculptures and decorative arts and the 17th-century European decorative arts as well as the famous assortment from Wedgwood china.
The museum provides a variety of events, lectures, and programs for various types of visitors, from children at school to art lovers and donors. Birmingham Museum of Art Birmingham Museum of Art can be considered one of Birmingham’s most popular Birmingham tourist attractions.
3. Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
Birmingham Civil Rights Institute Birmingham Civil Rights Institute is an educational and research center that has the aim to educate and inform the next generation about human rights and civil rights through exploring and sharing the past while providing opportunities to collaborate for a better tomorrow.
The Institute was inaugurated in 1992. It has 5,880 square feet of galleries, archives, and meeting rooms as well as temporary exhibits. Museum visits are guided by self and begin with the permanent exhibit which spans through the 60s and 50s Civil Rights Movement to contemporary human rights concerns.
The Institute organizes a range of programs and events, and also offers various programs for different types of audiences including school children to adults including tourists and teachers.
4. McWane Science Center, Birmingham, Alabama
Did you realize that the Stegosaurus could be up to 30 feet long and that its brain was as big as the size of a walnut? This is only one of many fascinating pieces of information that kids and children who are curious can learn about at McWane Science Center. McWane Science Center.
The center does not just teach the basics of science but creates fun with science by offering a variety of interactive, hands-on exhibits like Just Mice Size, Alabama Dinosaurs, Sea Monsters, Explore!, Collections Center, and NatureScope, World of Water Aquarium, and many more. If you’re seeking fun activities that you could do while in Birmingham, Alabama with kids it is a fantastic location to visit.
The exhibits are designed to stimulate exploration and inquiry. The cutting-edge center is situated in Birmingham’s downtown Birmingham in the renovated historical building that was once the old Loveman’s department shop.
5. Things to do In Birmingham: Vulcan Park and Museum
At the summit of Red Mountain just outside Birmingham is a massive 50-ton, a 56-foot high iron sculpture of Vulcan who is one of the Roman Gods of Fire. The huge statue, which is also the biggest cast-iron statue in the world is protecting Birmingham in the 30s and is now one of Birmingham’s top symbolisms.
Created by Italian sculpture artist Giuseppe Moretti, the statue was constructed out of local iron. It is set in a gorgeous maintained, well-maintained park. It is popular to host weddings, parties or just to enjoy the breathtaking view of the city or simply relax.
The park is the home of the Vulcan Museum which is home to many exhibitions, lectures, and other occasions. Vulcan Park is a popular spot for watching fireworks. Vulcan Park is the most frequented place to enjoy the annual Fourth in July celebrations.
6. Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark
Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark is a site of historic significance and a museum, which was an iron-producing blast furnace between 1882 and 1971.
At the time it was constructed in the year 1890, it was the first blast furnace to be built in Birmingham. Following its closure, it was reopened and is the sole blast furnace of its kind in the United States to be preserved. It is now classified as a National Historic Landmark and the site serves as a museum that explains the industry of iron to visitors.
It is home to a metal arts program as well as a location for events and concerts. “Sloss Fright Furnace” is an annual Halloween party that sees the furnace utilized as a haunted home.
7. Alabama Theatre
In the initial fifty-five years of its existence, The Alabama Theatre was utilized mostly as a film venue in the production of Paramount films. Paramount Studios built the theatre in 1927 to ensure that Alabama could have a venue to show its films. If you’re looking for romantic ideas for a date in Birmingham you should visit Birmingham’s Alabama Theatre.
It also hosted events like the Mickey Mouse Club and Miss Alabama pageant, until 1987 after which it was sold and was renamed an Alabama Theatre for the Performing Arts. The Theatre is now hosting not only movies but hundreds of events per year.
The original design of the theatre was restored in 1998. numerous original features were fixed however, the theater was transformed into its 21st century. The theatre houses Alabama’s prized Mighty Wurlitzer Organ and can hold 2,500 people.
8. Pepper Place Saturday Market
Pepper Place Saturday Market was founded in 2000 to connect family farmers within a 100-mile radius around Birmingham with inhabitants in the metropolitan area. If you’re wondering what you can do when in Birmingham with children This is an excellent area to explore.
Farmers are exposed to hungry customers who want fresh, seasonal products, and locals are able to discover local and healthy food and top-quality food all at one location. The market has expanded to include 100 tents spread around Pepper Place and is now open from April until December.
There’s something for everyone that you can think of, such as varieties of hybrid tomatoes and heritage ones, as well as all kinds of fruits, berries vegetables as well as herbs, cheeses bread, meats, and more. There are many delicious food items, from cakes to burritos and sausages and many artisans provide distinctive gifts and home decor products.
9. Rickwood Field Birmingham, AL
Rickwood Field was built in 1910 by Rick Woodward, an industrialist, and manager of the Birmingham Barons. Rickwood Field is the oldest still-standing professional baseball field in the nation and is included as a part of the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The park is located on 12.7 acres The park was the first steel and concrete baseball stadium that was used in minor leagues.
The Friends of Rickwood is a group that has been taking charge of the park’s history since 1992, and is currently working to restore it as a “working museum.”
10. Birmingham Tourist Attractions The Birmingham Zoo
It is located in the city of Birmingham. Birmingham Zoo is a zoological park spread across the land of 122 acres. It was established in 1955. Zoo began with some exotic animals in an old firehouse. The zoo now houses over 950 animals which include over 230 different species across six continents.
A few of the animals include elephants, bobcats, rhinoceroses, giraffes, orangutans, and zebras. A few of the animals are endangered, and some are extremely exotic, such as the double-wattled cassowary Komodo dragon along with the Red Panda. The zoo is renowned for its remarkable conservation efforts and its many educational outreach programs. It is one of the most enjoyable activities to visit in Birmingham, Alabama.
11. Kelly Ingram Park Birmingham, Alabama
Kelly Ingram Park It is a historic park of four acres located in the Birmingham Civil Rights District. It was the site of large-scale protests in the American Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Named in honor of the local firefighter Osmond Kelly Ingram. Kelly’s Park is home to several monuments and sculptures.
In the spring of 1963, Birmingham officers and firefighters engaged protesters, who were children as well as high school pupils. they used fire hoses and police dogs. When footage of the incident was shown on television and aired, it led to an outcry from the public. This also led to the end of segregation in public places and, eventually, the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
12. Things you can do in Birmingham, AL: Railroad Park
It was opened in the year 2010. Railroad Park gets its name due to the fact that it is located directly to the south of two railroad lines that run through Birmingham’s downtown. Birmingham.
The park is run through the Railroad Park Foundation and is part of Birmingham City Council. The city of Birmingham. It is known by the name “Birmingham’s Living Room,” it is a well-known green space in Birmingham and is utilized for events such as concerts, cultural celebrations, family activities, and recreational activities.
The park has more than 600 trees, a variety of kinds of flowers, trails, and water features such as a lake, wetlands streams, and ponds.
13. Southern The Museum of Flight
In 1966, the Southern Museum of Flight exhibits civilian and military aircraft. It houses more than 90 aircraft in addition to aviation artifacts engines models, memorabilia, and paintings. The highlights include the Korean War Jets Exhibit, the Lake Murray B-25 Exhibit, the Tuskegee Airmen Exhibit, as well as the Vietnam War Helicopters Exhibit.
The museum hosts guided tours to Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts as well as homeschoolers, and schools as well as hosting birthday parties as well as summer camp. This museum also serves as a site of the Alabama Aviation Hall of Fame that showcases the biographical details of more than 70 people.
14. Birmingham Children’s Theatre
The Birmingham Children’s Theatre is one of the oldest and largest professional theatre companies for children across the U.S. It is located in Richard Arrington Jr Boulevard N It is the sole professional touring theatre company located in Alabama. Based out of the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex, this theater company operates three theaters. These include The Dominick Studio Theatre with a seating capacity of 150 people; The Wee Folks Theatre, which has 250 seats and is utilized for performances for students from between three and six; as well as the Mainstage Theatre with a seating capacity of 950. It is intended for children aged six and above.
The theater has education outreach programs, such as The Young Actors Theatre Academy and school field excursion trips.
15. Red Mountain Park Birmingham, Alabama
Red Mountain Park is a 1,500-acre park that is located at Frankfurt Drive along the Red Mountain Ridge. It has two city views and over 14 miles of trail Three tree houses, historical mining sites, Kaul Adventure Tower and Red Ore Zip Tour, and Remy’s Dog Park, which is a six-acre off-leash dog park.
Other pursuits include hiking, biking, and many more. The park’s name and the mountain come from the hue of iron ore which is located beneath the surface of the mountain. The last mine shut down in 1962, and the park was established fifty years after that. The park provides a range of education outreach programs, including field trips and summer camps.
16. Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve
Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve is located in the eastern part of Jefferson County near Irondale, an area that is part of Birmingham. The park’s name comes from William Henry Ruffner, a geologist from Washington & Lee University; in 1883, he conducted an assessment of the region that was later to become significant for the iron ore and manufacturing of furnaces in Birmingham.
The mines were shut down in 1953. The preserve is now managed under the Ruffner Mountain Nature Center. It has twelve miles of trails for hiking and wildlife including owl snakes, raptors, and turtles. The Treetop Visitor’s Center, as well as Education Pavilion, was constructed in 2010.
17. Avondale Brewing Company
It is situated on 41st Street S in Birmingham, Avondale Brewing Company is an independently owned and managed brewery that is owned and operated by Birmingham residents. The brewery is located in an old building that served various purposes throughout its existence such as the location of a bank and firehouse, as well as a pharmacy as well as a post office, and even a bar called Long Branch Saloon. Long Branch Saloon.
The brewery’s hand-crafted brews are Kings Wit Belgian Wheat, a Belgian type wheat beer; Pachyderm Pale Wheat, named after the brewery’s popular character Miss Fancy; Spring Street Saison which is a Belgian farmhouse-style beer; Streetcar Kolsch a German-style ale as well as many other. The brewery also has a taproom as well as tours.
18. Birmingham Attractions Regions Field
The park is situated on First Avenue in the Southside neighborhood of Birmingham, Regions Field is a minor league baseball field. The park was built between 2012 and 2013 it is home to Birmingham Barons of the Southern League. Birmingham Barons of the Southern League.
The Barons played at Birmingham’s historical Rickwood Field from 1910 to 1987, before moving into Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in 1988. Birmingham was not a professionally-run baseball club until Barons began playing their first game at Regions Field in 2013.
The park’s design utilizes steel and brick to blend into the surrounding area and to pay tribute to Birmingham’s former industries. The park is equipped with an area that can accommodate 8,500 people.
19. Alabama Sports Hall of Fame and Museum
The museum is located in Richard Arrington Jr Boulevard N located on Richard Arrington Jr Boulevard N, the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame and Museum is dedicated to showcasing the state’s athletic heritage. The museum is located in a three-story, 33,000 square foot structure close to the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex. Bryant Jordan Theater is also part of the complex with a capacity of 75.
The museum houses more than 5,000 artifacts from sports connected to Alabama sports time. Some of the people inducted are among the most well-known names in the history of sports, such as Hank Aaron, Carl Lewis, Joe Louis, Willie Mays as well as Jesse Owens. The museum is open for tours.
20. Virginia Samford Theatre Birmingham, Alabama
The historical Virginia Samford Theatre is an arts center that hosts music, dance, and theatre performances. It is situated on 26th Street S in Birmingham. It was opened in 1927. The Romanesque-style theater was first referred to as The Little Theatre. It was renowned for its high-quality shows however, it was shut down when War World II began. The theater reopened in 1950. the theatre opened again under the name of it was renamed the Clark Memorial Theatre, purchased by a private family that donated the theater to the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
In 1999, the school shut down the theater, and the Metropolitan Arts Council restored the theater using funds from Virginia Samford Donavan for whom the theater was named. The theater is now a home for local talent, and also presents musicals and plays.
21. Birmingham Botanical Gardens
A must-see attraction for all gardening, nature, and plant lovers The Birmingham Botanical Gardens are free to explore, all throughout the year. They strive to nurture not just gardens but also a deep appreciation and respect for plants as well as gardeners, these gardens hold regular lectures, and workshops along with guided field trips, lectures, and special events. The beautiful gardens have thrived for over 60 years and are packed with wonderful delights, including more than 20 garden zones that are themed. Some examples include the Japanese Garden as well as one called the Alabama Woodland Garden, Vegetable and Herb Gardens, a Bog Garden and the Lily Garden, to name only a handful.
22. Arlington Antebellum Home and Gardens
The property is situated on Cotton Avenue SW near downtown Birmingham, Arlington Antebellum Home and Gardens is a historic former plantation and museum that is surrounded by six acres of beautifully landscaped gardens. The property is located in Birmingham City Council. The city of Birmingham. The house was built between 1845 and 1850 The two-story house was constructed in the antebellum era Greek Revival style.
It is listed as a part of the U.S. National Register of Historic Places the home is a museum of decorative arts that houses a vast collection of furniture from the 19th century including paintings, silver, and other textiles. The garden room has been restored and is frequently used for special events.
23. Trim Tab Brewing, Birmingham, Alabama
Trim Tab Brewing is a craft brewery situated on 5th Ave S in Birmingham. The brewery offers a tasting gallery and a taproom that hosts live music, and special events.
The name”brewery” is derived from a tiny piece of equipment used on aircraft and ships, which serves an important role The metaphor suggests that even small things can create huge changes.
The brewery’s most popular beer selections are Pillar to Post Rye Brown and Trimtab India Pale Ale and the seasonal offerings comprise Bankston 88, Imperial City Olde Ale, Raspberry Berliner Weisse, and Rescue Ship Pale Ale. The brewery provides tours of its facilities.
24. Good People Brewing Company
It was established in 2008 and opened its doors in 2008. Good People Brewing Company in Birmingham’s downtown Birmingham provides five brews throughout the year as well as four seasonal brews and other products. The brews it offers comprise The Bearded Lady American Wheat Ale, Brown Ale, Coffee Oatmeal-flavored Stout, Hitchhiker, India Pale Ale, Mumbai Rye, Snake Handler, and more.
The taproom of the brewery opened in 2011 and, since they don’t offer food options, customers are asked to provide their own food items. The brewery provides tours of the brewery as well as organizes events like films as well as fundraisers and local market events. They also offer T-shirts, glassware as well as other products.
25. Alabama the Jazz Hall Of Fame
The museum is situated at Fourth Avenue N in the Birmingham Civil Rights District, located in Birmingham’s Civil Rights District, Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame is committed to the preservation and performing of jazz music. It was established in 1978 and was officially opened as a museum on the 23rd of November. The 2200 square feet space showcases art, instruments quilts, and other memorabilia associated with jazz including personal possessions of jazz legends like Ella Fitzgerald.
The museum hosts jazz concerts at various venues in the city. They also teach jazz music to children in schools with visits from musicians. They also offer free weekly jazz classes and are home to the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame Student All-Star Band.
Also, check the Top 15 Things to Do in Bessemer of Alabama
