Huntsville is northern Alabama’s largest city and the principal town of the county of Madison. It is a major city in the region, built along the Tennessee river and along the backdrop of nearby rolling hills. It is named after the first settler in the area, John Hunt, and was the first town to be incorporated in Alabama in 1811.
Huntsville, known as the ‘rocket city’ due to its role in the history of US space missions since WWII, is home to the Redstone Arsenal and the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. As you would imagine this ‘rocket’ culture receives much focus in Huntsville but there is much more to the city as well.
There are three distinct historic districts located around the city featuring architectural examples from various eras. Huntsville hosts a number of annual festivals, including the Panoply Arts Festival. There are three parks allowing visitors to escape into the diverse nature in the area, while the array of museums and galleries show clearly the cultural wealth that is part of the Huntsville heritage.
Highlights
Twickenham historic district: features some outstanding examples of Greek revival architecture and a number of historic homes, including that of the poet Howard Weeden.
US Space and Rocket Center: offers fascinating insight into the aviation history of the US space camp and is home to the Saturn V rocket, a national historic landmark.
Burritt Museum and Park: is a museum of regional history housed in a spectacular 1930s mansion. It is located in Monte Sano state park, affording visitors breathtaking views along with hiking and bicycling trails.
Huntsville Botanical Gardens: features a range of beautiful floral collections, woodland walks and a number of interesting educational programs.
Big Spring Jam: for three days each September the Big Spring International Park comes to life with musical performances in a variety of genres.
Hampton Cove: is somewhat of an outdoor golfing complex, with two championship courses and one par three course.