Birmingham refers to itself as the Magic City. To add a touch of magic to your travel plans, get ready to experience this truly southern city. Birmingham welcomes its visitors with an array of things to do and see. Regardless of the season, and all of them are mild, there are activities, attractions, sports, entertainment and dining for even the most seasoned traveler.

Located 140 miles west of Atlanta, in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Birmingham holds the honor of being Alabama’s largest city. Its metropolitan population alone is nearly one million people. It has several universities, the prestigious University of Alabama Medical Center and an impressive range of cultural offerings.

The Birmingham Museum of Art, has a large Asian art collection. It also offers major traveling exhibitions and a fine collection of Renaissance art, Wedgwood china and Remington bronzes. Two tranquil spots are the Birmingham Botanical Gardens with 67 acres of wildflowers, rose gardens, Japanese gardens and 200 species of birds, and the Birmingham Zoo whose 800 resident species include the scarce white rhino. Arlington Antebellum Home and Gardens is Birmingham's only antebellum mansion (the city was founded after the Civil War).

Birmingham's McWane Center focuses on science, technology and the environment. Visitors can interact with the many hands-on exhibits and see a movie in the IMAX theater. The 70-acre VisionLand Theme Park has thrill rides, a water park, a children's area and an amphitheater.

The Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame honors jazz greats who have ties to the state and tells the story of jazz from its beginning to the present. Shoppers may want to visit Riverchase Galleria, which has close to 200 stores.

Birmingham was once a steel-producing city as important as Pittsburgh. The Sloss blast Furnaces, now a National Historic Landmark, have become a museum devoted to industrial history, especially the forging of iron in the early 20th century.

If you happen to be someone who “knows” someone, you will be visiting the birthplace of such famous people as Ruben Studdard of Fox Network’s American Idol fame; Condoleezza Rice, President George W. Bush’s National Security Director; Courtney Cox Arquette, star of Friend; Bart Starr, NFL Hall of Fame quarterback; Paul “Bear” Bryant, Alabama’s legendary football coach; and Nell Carter, gospel singer and television star of Gimme A Break. This is just to name a few of the over 40 world known celebrities who call Birmingham home.

Birmingham’s moderate climate is welcoming and generally mild; with winter daytime temperatures usually no lower than 35 - 40 degrees Fahrenheit. A few snow flurries may occur during winter months, but snow seldom accumulates. You can see the blossoms popping out in February after their winter’s rest, with the peak blooms in March and April for many of the flowering plants. Birmingham remains colorful throughout the summer and fall.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham is nationally recognized. Leave time to visit, as the University and medical center encompass 82 city blocks and have a student enrollment of 16,000. The University is home to the famous Crimson Tide. A visit to the Southern Museum of

Flight will reveal exhibits from eight decades of all aspects of flight history, from acres of representative aircraft down to details such as a display of the actual light bulb that shed light on the Wright Brothers' first night flights.

Because of its central location, many visitors use Birmingham as a base from which to tour other attractions. Some of the more popular day trips are to Tuscaloosa, Huntsville and Cullman. Cullman is a farming, light-manufacturing town that is the home of the Ave Maria Grotto, a fantastic landscape of more than 125 miniature churches, shrines, and famous buildings constructed on a 4-acre hillside. Its design and construction were the life work of a Benedictine monk.

Another potential day-trip destination is DeSoto Caverns (40 miles southeast, near Childersburg). This complex of onyx caves, originally inhabited by the Creek Nation, became a popular speakeasy during Prohibition. The highlight is the Great Onyx Chamber, which is larger than a football field.

No matter what the season or what the occasion; Magical Birmingham has something to enchant everyone.

Population:                                          242,830

Elevation:                                            600 feet

Location                                              Located approximately 148 miles west of Atlanta and 143 southwest of Chattanooga, Birmingham is centrally located within the state.

Time Zone:                                          Central Standard Time (When it’s noon in Birmingham, it’s 1:00pm in New York City and 10:00am in Los Angeles).

Weather:

Climate:

Local Seasons:

No matter what the season, Birmingham’s moderate climate is generally mild; with winter daytime temperatures usually no lower than 35 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit. A few snow flurries may occur during winter months, but snow seldom accumulates here. You can see the blossoms popping out after their winter’s rest in February, with the peak blooms in March and April for many of the flowering plants, although Birmingham remains colorful throughout the summer and fall.  Spring is soon “in the air” and it is especially beautiful, with a multitude of flowering trees, bushes, and flowers. Blossoms begin to appear in February, with peak months being March and April for many flowering plants, although the area remains colorful throughout the summer and fall. Summer months are warm, with daytime highs often in the 90's to low.

How to Get There/Getting Around:

Airport & Airlines

Birmingham International Airport (code BMH)

205-595-0533

5900 Airport Highway, Birmingham, AL 35212

A visually exciting gateway to the city, Birmingham International Airport gives visitors easy access to the metropolitan area. Direct service is provided to 50 cities with 70 daily departures, and the city is only one stop away from anywhere. Birmingham-with its array of major airlines serving the area-is well positioned in terms of cost efficient air travel.

Distance (from Downtown): 4.5 miles, 10 minutes
Airport accessibility by roadway: I-20, I-59, I-65, I-459
Most major commercial airlines service Birmingham as well as certain regional carriers.

Ground Transportation:

Rental cars, taxi cabs, shuttle bus, and limousine service are available at the airport. Local bus service does not include the airport.

Greyhound Bessemer Station
1718 4th Avenue N
Bessemer, AL 35020
800-231-2222, 205-425-3914
Hours: Mon-Fri, 7am - 5:30pm, Weekend (Sat & Sun), 7am - 4pm

Greyhound Birmingham Terminal
618 N 19th St
Birmingham, AL 35201
800-231-2222, 205- 251-3210
Hours: 24 hours; 7 days a week

MAX (Metro Area Express, Birmingham-Jefferson Transit Authority)
1735 Morris Ave.
Birmingham, AL 35202
205-521-0101
Hours: Mon-Fri, 6am - 5pm only

Greyhound Pelham Station
2251 Montgomery Highway
Pelham, AL 35124
800-231-2222, 205-987-7661
Hours: Mon-Fri, 7am - 7pm; Sat, 8am - 5:30pm

National Holidays

New Year’s Day, January 1

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the third Monday in January

President’ Day, the third Monday in February

Memorial Day, the last Monday in May

Independence Day, July 4

Labor Day, the first Monday in September

Thanksgiving Day, the fourth Thursday in November

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, December 24 and 25

New Year’s Eve, December 31

Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame

205-254-2751

1140 5th Ave. N.

Admission Charged

City native Erskine Hawkins penned the jazz standard "Tuxedo Junction" about an Ensley streetcar crossing, creating a sound heard around the world. And that's just one of Birmingham's many contributions to the world of jazz. The Jazz Hall of Fame exhibits memorabilia in the historic, art deco Carver Theatre.

Call for hours of operation

Alabama Sports Hall of Fame

205-323-6665

22nd St. N. at Civic Center Blvd.

Admission Charged

Located at the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center, the Alabama Sports Hall of fame enshrines the memorabilia and memories of Alabama's sports heroes from Paul "Bear" Bryant to Jesse Owens and Joe Louis, from Bart Starr to Willie Mays.

Aldrich Coal Mining Museum

205-665-2886Highway 203 west of Montevallo

Admission Free

This Shelby County museum features coal mining memorabilia and equipment and a collection of pictures of Aldrich during the town's peak coal mining days.

Open by appointment, call for details

Aldridge Botanical Gardens

205-682-8019

3530 Lorna Rd.-Hoover

Admission Free

Aldridge Gardens is a 30 acre botanical gardens located in the heart of Hoover. Complete with a 7 acre lake and walking trail, Aldridge Gardens is laden with many varieties of hydrangeas and other native Alabama flowers.

Call for dates and hours of operation

The American Village

877-811-1776 or 205- 665-3535

The American Village is located about 30 minutes south of Birmingham in Montevallo, just 4 miles off Interstate 65 at Exit 234.

Admission Charged

Bring your imagination and sense of adventure to the Revolutionary American Village. Explore the historically-inspired buildings of the Village, including Washington Hall which is patterned after George Washington's historic Mount Vernon.

Call for dates and hours of operation

Arlington Antebellum Home and Gardens

205-780-5656

331 Cotton Ave. S.W

Birmingham's only antebellum home existed before the city's founding in 1871. Arlington is a fully restored Greek Revival mansion built between 1845 and 1850. The mansion houses wonderful antiques and a collection of decorative arts. Two annual festivals, the Arlington Country Fair and Christmas at Arlington, are popular.

Call for dates and hours of operation

Bessemer Hall of History

205-426-1633

1905 Alabama Ave

Admission Charged

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Bessemer Hall of history is housed in the renovated Southern Railway Depot and chronicles the history of Bessemer, Jefferson County and Alabama,

Call for dates and hours of operation

Birmingham Botanical Gardens

205-879-1227

2612 Lane Park Rd.

Admission Charged

The glory of nature can be found right in the heart of the city at the 67 acre Birmingham Botanical Gardens, adjacent to the zoo in Lane Park. Come for the rhododendron, camellias, wild flowers, ferns, delicate bonsai plants. roses, desert flowers, even a Japanese Garden, complete with a Japanese Teahouse and Zen-like sense of peacefulness.

Call for dates and hours of operation

Birmingham Civil Rights Institute

205-328-9696

1520 16th St. N.

Admission charged

The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute is a place of remembrance, revolution and reconciliation built at the site of the most tumultuous events of the Civil Rights era. More than a museum, it also serves as a forum for understanding the universal problem of racism-while chronicling the role Birmingham played in setting a people free. Nearby is the 16th Street Baptist Church (site of a 1963 bombing) and Kelly Ingram Park, home to stunning sculptures commemorating the struggle for freedom.

Call for dates and hours of operation

Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center

205-458-8401

Off Interstate 20/59, 19th to 21st St. N.

Admission Charged for events

The Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center is one of the most exciting and attractive meeting places in the country. The multi-use facility, covering almost seven city blocks downtown, attracts 1.5 million visitors a year for a kaleidoscope of events from sports events to major concerts, ice shows, the circus and other entertainment. The 400,000 square-foot Medical Forum-the nation's first medically-oriented trade mart adjoins the Civic Center.

Call for schedule of events and times

Birmingham Museum of Art

205-254-2565

2000 8th Ave. N.

Admission Charged

The largest municipally-owned art museum in the Southeast, the recently expanded and renovated Birmingham Museum of Art houses nationally-known art such as the Eugenia Woodward Hitt Collection of 18th century French painting and decorative art, the Beeson Collection of Wedgwood and extensive collections of American, Renaissance, Oriental and African art. A multi-level outdoor sculpture garden is a showpiece.

Call for dates and hours of operation

Birmingham Public Library

205- 226-3600

2100 Park Place

Admission Free

The downtown branch of the Birmingham Public Library is made up of two stunning buildings, the Central Library, with its dramatic atrium, and the 1927 Linn-Henley Research Library, with its beautiful wall murals, the Tutwiler Collection of Southern History and the Rucker Agee Map Collection.

Call for dates and hours of operation

Birmingham Race Course

205- 838-7500

1000 John Rogers Drive

Admission Charged

Both thoroughbred (seasonal) and greyhound (year-round) racing are the featured attractions at The Birmingham Race Course, the only pari-mutuel track in the nation that features both at the same facility. In addition there is an extensive program of simulcast racing beamed from other facilities ties and quarter horse racing. The Race Course is one of the city's best "Great Time" places with terrific food and plenty of excitement.

Call for dates and hours of operation

Birmingham Zoo

205-879-0409

2630 Cahaba Rd.

Admission Charged

A favorite with families, the Birmingham Zoo is among the most heavily visited tourist attractions in the state of Alabama. With nearly 1,000 animals on display, the zoo makes for a day of fascinating observation and interaction with the animal kingdom.

Cobb Lane

205- 933-0462

20th St. S. and 13th Ave. S.

Admission Free

A quaint, pedestrian shopping area with great restaurants, specialty stores and antique shops, Cobb Lane is perfect for a day of shopping and strolling. A Birmingham landmark for 60 years, Cobb Lane restaurant serves fine Southern cuisine in its famous cobblestone courtyard, as well as in its newly renovated interior, featuring old-world fountains and hand-painted murals.

Open seven days a week

Desoto Caverns

800-933-2283 or 256-378-3678

5181 DeSoto Caverns Pkwy., Childersburg

Admission Charged

Just a short drive from Birmingham, DeSoto Caverns offers tourists the magnificence of underground rock formations and caverns. DeSoto was the first officially recorded cave in the United States.

Call for dates and hours of operation

Downtown Tours

Located in downtown Birmingham

Downtown Birmingham is rich in diverse architecture, civic landmarks, manicured parks and gardens, tree-lined streets and landmark churches. Birmingham Green, which extends down 20th Street from Linn Park, is a landscaped promenade. The Second Avenue District includes shops, galleries and offices. A farmers market is under the expressway between First and Second avenues. The Fourth Avenue District is the historic black business area. A statue of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stands in Kelly Ingram Park within view of the 16th Street Baptist Church and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.

Five Points South

People watch, dance to great live music and enjoy fantastic dining at Five Points South, the city's top entertainment district. Stroll along the tree-shaded streets. or stop and admire the artistry of the Frank Fleming sculpture, The Storyteller, at the fountain. 20th Street South at 11th Avenue.

Hearts of Dixie Railroad Museum

800-943-4490

Calera exit off Interstate 65 in Shelby County

Admission Charged

Turn back the clock as you ride one of our historic trains consisting of passenger cars built between 1910 and 1950. Or ride Alabama's only operating narrow gauge steam locomotive, the Shelby & Southern! Visitors can see railroad artifacts and memorabilia in two restored depots. Call for dates, hours of operation and special event information

International Morot Sports Hall of Fame

256-362-5002

13198 Speedway Blvd., Talladega.

Admission Charged

This major museum in Talladega captures decades of the thrills, drama and excitement of auto racing the world over. Talladega is the site of two major NASCAR races each year. Each December the Motor Sports Hall of Fame holds its nationally televised induction ceremony in Birmingham.

Call for dates and hours of operation

McWane Center

205-714-8300

200 19th St. N.

Admission Charged

Adventures in learning surround you at McWane Center. The museum offers a hands-on, creative examination of the world around us in a renovated department store housing 150,000 square feet of educational science equipment and a 42,000 square-foot IMAX theater.

Call for dates and hours of operation

Meyer Planetarium

205-226-4770

900 Arkadelphia Rd.

Admission Charged

Gaze at the stars at Meyer Planetarium on the campus of Birmingham Southern College. Call for special shows.

Call for dates and hours of operation

Oak Mountain Amphitheatre

205-985-9797

Highway 119 off Interstate 65 in Shelby County

Admission Charged

Between May and October each year about 30 of the country's top musicians and entertainers perform in this beautiful amphitheatre.

Call for exact dates and times of performances

Oak Mountain State Park

205-620-2524

Admission Charged

Golf. Boating. Hiking. Fishing. Horseback riding. A petting zoo for the kids. Oak Mountain State Park at almost 10,000 acres is the largest park in the Alabama state system.

Call for dates and hours of operation

Pioneer Homes

205-491-5543

Eastern Valley Road off Highway 150, Bessemer

Admission Charged

On the outskirts of Bessemer, the 1840 McAdory Plantation Home was the center of a plantation covering more than 2,000 acres, the Owen Plantation Home was constructed in the mid 1830's, and the 1838 Sadler Plantation home is considered one of Alabama's finest examples of plantation architecture.

Appointment only, call for details

Rickwood Field

205-458-8161

Admission Free

The world's oldest ballpark became the home of the Barons in 1910.

Call for directions

Rickwood Caverns

205-647-9692

Rt. 3 Box 357, Warrior

Admission Charged

Rickwood Caverns in north Jefferson County is a treat for those with a mind to go underground... Hours: In-season Memorial Day to Labor Day

Ruffner Mountain Nature Center

205- 833-8264

1214 81st St. S., Birmingham

Admission Charged

Ruffner Mountain's 1,000 acres of woodlands comprise the nation's second-largest urban nature preserve. With 10 miles of hiking and walking trails, it offers a serene getaway in the heart of the city. Award-winning nature education programs are offered for school groups and free guided hikes and lectures are scheduled most Saturdays. The nature center includes exhibits of native animals and historic artifacts from the mountain's iron ore mining past.

Sixteenth Street Baptist Church

205-251-9402

1530 6th Ave. N.

Admission Free

The site of the most horrific occurrence of the American Civil Rights Movement (a bomb shattered the quiet of a Sunday morning and took the lives of four young girls), the 16th Street Baptist Church is a landmark to both man's inhumanity and capacity for love and forgiveness. The congregation is vibrant and the sanctuary quite beautiful with its Wales stained glass window.

By appointment only, call for details

Sloss Furnaces

205-324-1911

20 32nd St. N.

Admission Charged

Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark is one of the few landmarks to the nation's industry. Shut down in the 1970s, Sloss was reborn as an industrial museum and a unique community gathering place for everything from music festivals to artistic metalworking. There's even the ghost of Theopholus Jowers, who swore that as long as there was a furnace in Jefferson County, he'd be there.

Call for dates and hours of operation

Smith Harrison Museum

205-669-4545

Depot Street, Columbiana

Admission Charged

Located in the Mildred Harrison Regional Library one block east of the Shelby County Courthouse, this museum boasts the largest collection of George and Martha Washington memorabilia outside Mount Vernon.

Call for dates and hours of operation

Southern Museum of Flight

205-833-8226

4343 73rd St. N.

See the light bulb that shed light on the Wright Brothers' first night flights, along with a 1925 crop duster, a 1910 Curtis "Pusher," and an F-4 Phantom jet at the Southern Museum of Flight, home to the wonders of early aviation and the heroic exploits of the world's original frequent fliers.

Call for dates and hours of operation

Temple of Sibyl

Listed on the Alabama Register of Land marks and Heritage and located on Highway 31 at the entrance to the city of Vestavia Hills, the Temple of Sibyl offers tremendous views of Shades Valley and the Samford University campus from atop Shades Mountain.

University of Alabama at Birmingham

205-934-8000

1400 University Blvd.

Admission Free to visit

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is a 35-year-old comprehensive, urban university and medical center that encompasses 82 city blocks and has a student enrollment of 16,000. UAB is home to a large graduate school, the state-of-the art Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center and a world-renowned health care complex that includes the new University Hospital and the five-story, Kirklin Clinic designed by renowned architect I.M. Pei. UAB's more than 70 research centers focus on such diverse issues as AIDS, business development, and bio-defense and emerging infections. Rounding out the UAB experience are UAB Blazer athletics. The Blazers compete in 15 intercollegiate sports as a Division I member of the NCAA and a founding member of Conference USA.

Open year round

Vulcan (Presently undergoing renovation and repairs)

205-933-1409

St. S. and Valley Avenue.

Admission Free to See

Vulcan - the Roman mythical god of the forge - is the second tallest statue in the United States (only the Statue of Liberty is taller) and the tallest cast-iron statue in the world. The iron man has stood atop Red Mountain since 1939, holding a spear aloft over the city. Visitors can take in commanding views of the city from Vulcan's observation deck.

Call for dates and hours of operation

Events

Among Birmingham's notable annual events are:

April-May

The Birmingham Festival of the Arts (saluting a different country each year)

June

City Stages (a music festival in downtown Linn Park)

August

The Birmingham Heritage Festival (jazz, blues and gospel music

September

Greek Food Festival (cultural celebration)

Oktoberfest (German bands, food, beverages)

October

The Alabama State Fair

Arts and Entertainment

Alabama Theatre

205- 252-2262

1817 3rd Ave. N.

Admission Charged

The Jazz Age lives again at the beautiful Alabama Theatre where audiences still thrill to big screen movies, stunning architecture and a mighty Wurlitzer organ, just as they did in the 1920s. Today the theater features first-run and revival films along with concerts and other special events.

Call for dates and hours of operation.

Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame

1631 4th Ave. North 

205-254-2731

Exhibits, sheet music, instruments, and
memorabilia related to jazz.

Tue-Sat, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

Birmingham Zoo

205-879-0409

Zoo-Gardens exit off Highway 280

Admission charged

See more than 700 wild animals in the heart of Birmingham at the Birmingham Zoo! Visit the Alligator Swamp. Feed the lorikeets in an interactive aviary where colorful parrots will land gently on your arm and sip nectar from your cup. The Savannah brings Africa to Alabama in a naturalistic exhibit featuring giraffes, greater kudu, gazelles, and ostriches. Food, gift shop, train, and picnic areas.

Open 7 days a week from 9 to 5. (Extended summer hours from Memorial Day through Labor Day: Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, 9 to 7.) Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

Fair Park

205-786-8100

2331 Bessemer Rd

Admission Charged

The Alabama State Fairgrounds has been the site of Birmingham's favorite fall happening -- the Alabama State Fair -- since 1892. Now called The Greater Alabama Fall Fair & Festival, there have been nearly half a million people come through its gates during this ten-day event. They come to see the latest in commercial and industrial technology, the finest in agricultural and livestock achievements, the most beautiful creations in the arts -- and they come to have a wonderful time.

Call for schedule and hours of operation

McWane Center

205-714-8300

200 19th Street North

Admission Charged

McWane Center at McWane Center, science becomes an adventure for all -- and on a grand scale. With the largest combination of an IMAX Dome Theater and interactive science center in a four-state region, McWane Center offers education, exploration and entertainment for visitors of all ages. For the very young, there's Just Mice Size, a miniature world sure to delight. For kids a little older, there is a phenomenal fresh and salt-water aquarium in the World of Water. It’s family education and entertainment at its best.

Open September-May, Monday-Friday: 9am-5pm, Saturday: 10am-6pm, Sunday: Noon-6pm.  June-August, Monday-Saturday: 10am-6pm, Sunday: Noon-6pm.

Ruffner Mountain Nature Center

205-833-8112

1214 81st Street South

Admission Free
Just minutes from downtown, the Ruffner Mountain Nature center offers visitors over 500 acres of unspoiled woodlands. The nature center features seven miles of trails suitable for both experienced hikers and Sunday strollers.

Call for dates and hours of operation

Rickwood Field

205-458-8161

Admission Free
America's baseball heroes played here-Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Satchel Paige, Jackie Robinson, Willie Mays and others. Rickwood is America's oldest standing baseball park, where movies about the history of the game have been filmed. Vintage billboards and an antique style press box take you back to a bygone era before player’s strikes and celebrity endorsements.

Call for directions

Southern Museum of Flight

205-833-8226

4343 73rd Street North

Admission Charged
The history of manned flight can be seen at the Southern Museum of Flight, from Wright Brothers memorabilia and early 20th century biplanes to modern day jets.

Call for dates and hours of operation

Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark

205-324-1911

2032nd St. N.

Admission Charged
For almost ninety years the giant Sloss Furnaces produced pig iron, iron that fed Birmingham's foundries and mills. Now recognized as a National Historic Landmark, Sloss Furnaces is open to the public as a museum of industry. Here is history you can touch and smell. With its massive furnaces and web of pipes, and its tall smokestacks, Sloss tells of Birmingham's dramatic rise to prominence as the South's foremost industrial city.

Call for dates and hours of operation

Vulcan Park   (Currently undergoing repairs and renovation)

205-328-6198

St. S. and Valley Avenue.

Admission Free to See
The largest cast-iron statue in the world, Vulcan stands atop Red Mountain, his torch lifted high above the city. Cast in the image of the mythical Roman god of fire and forge, the statue represented the area's vast mineral resources as Alabama's exhibit in the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair.

Open year round