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Birmingham

Birmingham is a confluence of leafy green space, fantastic bars and restaurants, and innovative public space projects. It's also a far more liberal town than you may expect given the political proclivities of its home state. This town may lack the name-brand recognition of musical powerhouses like New Orleans and Nashville, or business centers like Atlanta and Houston, but as mid-sized cities go, Birmingham is hard to beat.

This hilly, shady city, founded as an iron mine, is still a center for manufacturing – many Birmingham residents work at Mercedes Benz USA in Tuscaloosa. In addition, universities and colleges pepper the town, and all of this comes together to create a city with an unreservedly excellent dining and drinking scene. The past also lurks in Birmingham, once named 'Bombingham,' and the history of the Civil Rights movement is very much at your fingers.

Explore Birmingham

Sloss Furnaces
The Sloss Furnaces constitutes one of Birmingham's can't-miss sites. From 1882 to 1971, this was a pig iron–producing blast furnace and a cornerstone of…
Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
A maze of moving audio, video and photography exhibits tell the story of racial segregation and the Civil Rights movement, with a focus on activities in…
V
Vulcan Park
Imagine Christ the Redeemer in Rio, but made of iron and depicting a beefcake Roman god of metalworking. Vulcan is visible from all over the city – this…
B
Birmingham Museum of Art
This fine museum boasts an impressive collection, especially given Birmingham's status as a mid-sized city. Inside, you'll find works from Asia, Africa,…
Kelly Ingram Park
When Bull Conner was the sheriff, civil rights activists, led by Dr King, embarked on a desegregation campaign downtown. Their strategy was to flood the…
16th Street Baptist Church
This church became a gathering place for organizational meetings and a launchpad for protests in Birmingham in the 1950s and ’60s. During a massive…
Railroad Park
Credit where it's due: Birmingham's Railroad Park, which constitutes some 19 acres of downtown real estate, is a stroke of planning brilliance. As urban…
O
Oak Mountain State Park
Alabama's largest state park sprawls over some 9940 acres of hill and valley terrain located about 20 miles south of Birmingham. There are over 50 miles…
McWane Science Center
This science museum, full of all manner of interactive exhibits, is primarily set up for families; if you have kids in tow, it's one of the most…

Sloss Furnaces
The Sloss Furnaces constitutes one of Birmingham's can't-miss sites. From 1882 to 1971, this was a pig iron–producing blast furnace and a cornerstone of…
Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
A maze of moving audio, video and photography exhibits tell the story of racial segregation and the Civil Rights movement, with a focus on activities in…
V
Vulcan Park
Imagine Christ the Redeemer in Rio, but made of iron and depicting a beefcake Roman god of metalworking. Vulcan is visible from all over the city – this…
B
Birmingham Museum of Art
This fine museum boasts an impressive collection, especially given Birmingham's status as a mid-sized city. Inside, you'll find works from Asia, Africa,…
Kelly Ingram Park
When Bull Conner was the sheriff, civil rights activists, led by Dr King, embarked on a desegregation campaign downtown. Their strategy was to flood the…
16th Street Baptist Church
This church became a gathering place for organizational meetings and a launchpad for protests in Birmingham in the 1950s and ’60s. During a massive…
Railroad Park
Credit where it's due: Birmingham's Railroad Park, which constitutes some 19 acres of downtown real estate, is a stroke of planning brilliance. As urban…
O
Oak Mountain State Park
Alabama's largest state park sprawls over some 9940 acres of hill and valley terrain located about 20 miles south of Birmingham. There are over 50 miles…
McWane Science Center
This science museum, full of all manner of interactive exhibits, is primarily set up for families; if you have kids in tow, it's one of the most…

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Birmingham.

See
Sloss Furnaces
The Sloss Furnaces constitutes one of Birmingham's can't-miss sites. From 1882 to 1971, this was a pig iron–producing blast furnace and a cornerstone of…
See
Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
A maze of moving audio, video and photography exhibits tell the story of racial segregation and the Civil Rights movement, with a focus on activities in…
See
Vulcan Park
Imagine Christ the Redeemer in Rio, but made of iron and depicting a beefcake Roman god of metalworking. Vulcan is visible from all over the city – this…
See
Birmingham Museum of Art
This fine museum boasts an impressive collection, especially given Birmingham's status as a mid-sized city. Inside, you'll find works from Asia, Africa,…
See
Kelly Ingram Park
When Bull Conner was the sheriff, civil rights activists, led by Dr King, embarked on a desegregation campaign downtown. Their strategy was to flood the…
See
16th Street Baptist Church
This church became a gathering place for organizational meetings and a launchpad for protests in Birmingham in the 1950s and ’60s. During a massive…
See
Railroad Park
Credit where it's due: Birmingham's Railroad Park, which constitutes some 19 acres of downtown real estate, is a stroke of planning brilliance. As urban…
See
Oak Mountain State Park
Alabama's largest state park sprawls over some 9940 acres of hill and valley terrain located about 20 miles south of Birmingham. There are over 50 miles…
See
McWane Science Center
This science museum, full of all manner of interactive exhibits, is primarily set up for families; if you have kids in tow, it's one of the most…

Guidebooks

Learn more about Birmingham

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