Attractions Nearby Birmingham, Day Trips and Excursions

(Birmingham, Alabama - AL, USA)

Sandwiched between the states of Georgia (east), Mississippi (west), Tennessee (north) and Florida (south), Alabama lies on the southeasterly side of the USA and offers plenty of attractions within reach of Birmingham. Popular day trips from Birmingham connect the attractions of Huntsville, Montgomery, Selma and Tuscaloosa, amongst other tourist-friendly cities.

Atlanta is a very special and somewhat sprawling city, and is situated across the state border in Georgia, where it is roughly 160 miles / 257 km to the east of Birmingham. Excursions to see the attractions of Atlanta are worth considering, if you have the time.

Atlanta

Address: Georgia GA
As the capital of Georgia, Atlanta is understandably a very prominent tourist destination, with much in the way of attractions, shopping malls, theaters and restaurants, spreading around its Buckhead, Downtown, East, Midtown and West End districts. Look out for the Centennial Olympic Park, the World of Coca-Cola, Underground Atlanta, the domed Georgia State Capitol, the Mall at Peachtree Center, and the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site.

Huntsville

There are a number of reasons why the city of Huntsville has become such a popular attraction in its own right, and these are its huge wealth of quality museums. Huntsville is to be found 95 miles / 153 km to the north of Birmingham and truly does have museums for all of the family. The best include the US Space and Rocket Center, the Huntsville Museum of Art, the EarlyWorks Museum Complex, and the North Alabama Railroad Museum. Also recommended in Huntsville are the walking trails around both the Twickenham Historic District and the Five Points Historic District.

Montgomery

Standing alongside a sharp curve on the Alabama River, Montgomery is situated around 92 miles / 148 km to the south of Birmingham and formerly operated as a leading port for shipping cotton. Today, the attractions of Montgomery reflect its status at state capital and include both the First White House of the Confederacy, and the Alabama State Capitol building. Also of particular note is the Civil Rights Memorial on Washington Avenue, the Hank Williams Museum, the Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum, the family friendly Montgomery Zoo, and the well-supported Alabama Shakespeare Festival, held each summer.

Selma

Selma is quiet and sleepy town, although it past is anything but. In the mid-19th century, Selma was destroyed by Union soldiers, and around 100 years later, was central to the Civil Rights movement, with demonstrations led by Martin Luther King Jr. Although the attractions of Selma are fairly thin on the ground, they are of interest and offer a true insight into the voting rights protests that took place here in the not too distant past, particularly at the National Voting Rights Museum. Selma's Old Town Historic District is a good place to start your exploration of the town. Tourists from Birmingham wishing to take a day trip to Selma will find that it lies some 95 miles / 153 km to the south.

The Shoals

The Shoals is a metropolitan region located approximately 124 miles / 200 km to the northwest of Birmingham, residing within northwestern Alabama. Comprising the cities of Florence, Muscle Shoals, Sheffield and Tuscumbia, the Shoals has a rich music heritage, with many world-famous artists having recorded at the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio and at the FAME Studios. One attraction not to be missed here is the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, which is to be found in Tuscumbia and showcases the works of musicians and song writers from throughout the state.

Tuscaloosa

A small city with a strong industrial past, Tuscaloosa was actually the capital of Alabama for 20 years during the early part of the 19th century and is today home to the acclaimed University of Alabama. There are plenty of attractions within Tuscaloosa to easily fill up an entire weekend, and being just 59 miles / 95 km to the southwest of Birmingham, the city is easy to reach. Particularly popular is the Alabama Museum of Natural History, the Capital Park, the President's Mansion, the Westervelt-Warner Museum of American Art, and the nearby Moundville Archeological Park, where Indian villages and endless nature trails await.