Rejuvenated Birmingham is Alabama’s largest city, situated in the rolling foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Filled with southern American culture and tradition, the city is a charming stop-off having shed its industrial mantle last century. With more than 500 restaurants serving some of the best southern cuisine, it is little wonder that Birmingham is nationally renowned for its food.
With a policy of not forgetting the past, but rather learning from it, Birmingham has risen out of social and political chaos of the 1960s and ‘70s to become a diverse city. An important city during the civil rights movement, a walk around the Birmingham Civil Rights district will uncover some interesting monuments to this era. Comprised of six blocks, it is laden with museums, parks and churches dedicated to the civil rights struggle.
Being the cultural capital of Alabama, Birmingham is home to the Birmingham Museum of Art, the state’s largest art museum, and is a base for various ballet, orchestral and symphonic companies such as Alabama Ballet, Birmingham Concert Chorale and Opera Birmingham. The night-time scene in Birmingham is busy, with most of the action centered on the Five Points South and Lakeview areas.
Highlights
Birmingham Civil Rights Institute: the pioneers of the civil rights movement are honored here at this in-depth study of racism and violence in the US.
Vulcan Park: situated on top of Red Mountain, the park houses the world’s largest caste iron statue, a tribute to the industrial past of the city.
Alabama Adventure: for a fun, adrenaline filled day, this theme and water park hits the spot.
McWane Science Center: offers a hands-on learning experience which is supported by a 42,000 square foot IMAX theater.
Barber Motorsports Park: this park is home to an international standard race track offering both four and two-wheeled racing.
Birmingham Museum of Art: recently completed a renovation designed by New York architect Edward Larrabee Barnes and has over 21,000 works of art on permanent display, including many oriental works.
Talladega Superspeedway: is the biggest and fastest speedway in the world, making Talladega famous for world speed records. Tours of the track are operated daily except around race meeting days.