20 fun things to do in Birmingham Alabama

Of all the places I visited on my Alabama road trip, Birmingham was the one that had the most Big City feel. There’s a vibrant food scene, artistic attractions and industrial heritage, not to mention the Civil Rights legacy of the 1960s As the largest city in Alabama, you’ll find a huge range of things to do in Birmingham to keep you busy for days.

Known as “The Magic City”, Birmingham Alabama sprang up from nowhere in the 1870s, with rapid growth on the back of the iron and steel industry. The city features high rise buildings and walkable streets laid out in a grid system.

Birmingham also hit the world spotlight in the 1960s, because of protests that ended legalised racial segregation in the South. It’s one of the best places in the Deep South to visit museums that shine a light on this era.

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What are the top places to visit in Birmingham AL?

Birmingham AL is a large city with plenty to see, so I’ve decided to group the attractions by theme. These include the thought provoking Civil Rights Sites, the world class foodie scene, the industrial heritage, outdoor space or cultural attractions. If you are limited in time here’s what you should see first:

• Civil Rights District – the main sites are mostly clustered in one block but my top pick would be the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. Then, walk across the street to see the sculptures in Kelly Ingram Park.
• Vulcan Statue and Museum – an insight into Birmingham’s industrial heritage with fantastic views from the top of the statue.
• Eat some BBQ or Soul food at one of the Saw’s BBQ locations. Or, take a food tour to introduce you to the foodie scene of Birmingham and give you more restaurant recommendations.
• Birmingham Museum of Art – a stop in the Downtown area for art lovers including the outdoor sculpture garden.
• Railroad Park – to relax and unwind by the lake with a cup of shaved ice.

Civil Rights sites in Birmingham AL

Birmingham is one of the important stops on the US Civil Rights Trail. Here you can learn about the protest movement of the 1960s led by Dr Martin Luther King Jr, Rev Fred Shuttlesworth and other church leaders. At this time, the Jim Crow laws enforced the racial segregation of black and white communities across the Southern States.

The Civil Rights movement challenged this injustice, leading to often violent confrontation that brought Birmingham into the world’s gaze. Although the city has moved on from these times, I came away feeling that visiting the Civil Rights sites was one of the most inspiring things to do in Birmingham.

1 Birmingham Civil Rights institute

A key place to understand the movement is the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, a museum that’s dedicated to the Civil Rights struggle in Birmingham. Visits start with a short video explaining the Civil Rights movement. At the end of the video the screen rises to reveal the first gallery of the museum showing the realities of segregation.

White classrooms with the latest furniture and teaching aids contrasts with the outdated and crowded black classroom. A black teenager looks on enviously as white children of the same age have fun, knowing that the two groups are forbidden to meet or form friendships. Two drinking fountains sit side by side, one marked for white and the other for black.

The Freedom Riders in Alabama

2021 marked the 60th anniversary of the Freedom Riders, black and white activists in their 20s, who rode the Greyhound buses together in May 1961. Their aim was to challenge illegal segregation on the buses throughout the Southern USA, in the face of violent opposition. You can see a replica of the Freedom Riders bus at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.

I also learned about Rosa Parks who was arrested for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white woman. Her action sparked a bus boycott by the Black community in Montgomery that lasted a year.

This is an excellent museum and I was reassured to see a focus on reconciliation rather than recrimination. It’s a must-visit in Birmingham for all ages, to illuminate the realities of life for Black and White in the 1960s in Alabama. One goal is to understand why racial injustice still persists today.

2 16th Street Baptist Church

The 16th Street Baptist Church is another key place to learn about the Civil Rights movement in Birmingham Alabama. It’s the site of an infamous bombing in 1963, which killed 4 young girls who were attending Sunday School.

The atrocity by white supremacists in Birmingham brought the attention of the world onto the movement and sparked further protests in the city. I visited the church and joined a tour group to hear more about those events. There’s a striking stained glass window above the entrance, that was donated by an artist from Wales.

Group tours are available by prior arrangement for a small charge. If visiting independently, you can visit the church Tuesday – Saturday and may be able to join any tours taking place. The church is closed for tours on Sunday and Monday but visitors are welcome to join the Sunday service at 10.45am.

Read more about the Civil Rights history in Alabama in my article: Discover the US Civil Rights Trail in Alabama

3 Kelly Ingram Park

Just across the road from 16th street Baptist church is the Kelly Ingram Park which is often used for community gatherings and events. There’s a charming sculpture of four little girls playing, which is chilling when you realise that these innocent children are depicted just before the bomb exploded that killed them in the church.

Walking through the park are more sculptures that show snapshots from the civil rights protects of the early 1960s. Here are the children cowering as the water cannons are trained on them, the ferocious police dogs snarling on the leash and the children who were imprisoned en masse after the protests.

4 A G Gaston Motel

Just around the corner from the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute is the A G Gaston Motel which is undergoing a multi-million dollar renovation. The motel was built in the 1950s by African American businessman A G Gaston, at a time when segregation was in full force throughout the southern states.

A G Gaston Motel was one of the few places that provided accommodation and a restaurant for African American travellers. In this era such travellers would rely on guides such as “The Green Book”, which told them where they would be welcome to stay and to dine.

During the Civil Rights struggles of the 1960s, Room 30 at the A G Gaston Motel became the War Room for the ‘Project C’ direct action. Leaders such as Dr Martin Luther King Jr and Rev Fred Shuttlesworth held planning meetings here.

The motel had been in disrepair since the 1990s, but Phase 1 renovations are now complete. Reopening is planned soon as an information centre and events space, with some of the rooms renovated to their original appearance.

5 Historic Bethel Baptist Church

Across town I also visited an important church that was a centre of the Civil Rights movement, the Historic Bethel Baptist Church. This was the church where Rev. Fred L. Shuttlesworth was pastor 1953 – 1961 and became a leader in the planning of Civil Rights protests in Alabama.

He was set upon by a mob of Ku Klux Klan members when he tried to enroll his children at an all white school and barely escaped with his life. Despite many other attacks he always advocated non-violent protest.

The church became the headquarters of the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights. This organisation took action against segregation and was the planning centre for the Freedom Rides action on the buses.

Outside the church are information boards and you can see the ‘ghost house’ shape of the pastor’s house next to the church. This house was destroyed in a bomb although Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth who was inside was miraculously unharmed. The bombing of this and other Black churches earned the city the sad name of “Bombingham” during this Civil Rights era of the 1960s.

While the congregation now worships at a larger, modern church just down the road, the original Bethel Baptist church has been preserved as a historic monument and is open for tours or by appointment.

6 Food in Birmingham, Alabama

Birmingham’s vibrant food scene attracts the top chefs. With such a varied culinary offering, the city can justify being known as ‘The Dining Table of the South’.

Chefs such as Frank Stitt have put the city on the gourmet map. His Highlands Bar and Grill was judged in the prestigious James Beard Awards (The US equivalent of the Michelin Guide) as the best restaurant in the USA.

For the true taste of the south, Birmingham’s BBQ and Soul food (just like your Momma used to make) will win your heart with rib-sticking dishes. I recommend taking a food tour to taste some of the best.

There’s a relaxed and cosmopolitan feel to many of the cafes, restaurants and coffee shops that focus on local and seasonal produce. Here’s a roundup of the food in Birmingham AL to look out for and restaurants I can recommend.

BBQ and Soul food in Birmingham AL

Saw’s Soul Kitchen

The Southern concept of BBQ is very different to the burned sausages over hot coals that we embrace in the UK. Here BBQ means pork or beef that’s been marinated in a tasty sauce, then slow cooked overnight over wood in a smoky BBQ pit. The result is mouthwateringly tender and finger licking meat served with a few simple sides like potato salad and coleslaw.

Many of the BBQ restaurants have been established for generations. But, for a modern take on the BBQ scene I headed to the trendy neighbourhood of Avondale and Saw’s Soul Kitchen. This small and unassuming diner restaurant has just a few tables, but the queues for takeaway are often stretching out the door.

I tried their signature Pork & Greens, with BBQ pulled pork on a soft base of grits and sweet-sour collard greens, topped with onion rings. It seemed an unlikely combination but was mouthwateringly good! Look out for Saw’s BBQ in several other locations around Birmingham, including the original Homewood restaurant.

Read more in my article: Taste the food of Alabama USA – 20 dishes you’ll want to try!

Alabama Peanut Company

For a typical Southern snack, try the boiled peanuts at Alabama Peanut Company on the pretty cobbled Morris Avenue. Traditionally you might pick up a cup of boiled peanuts when going to the beach or a baseball game.

The peanuts are sold with classic salt, Cajun Spice or Dill Pickle, which manages to permeate through the shell to flavour the peanuts. Alabama Peanut Company is in a large, airy shop where you can see the peanuts being boiled or roasted and try them “Southern and salty” inside at one of their tables.

If you’re short of time it’s a good idea to take a guided tour and we can recommend:

This Historical Highlights of Birmingham tour will give a great overview of things to see in Birmingham.

Foodies will enjoy this Birmingham Food and Drink Tour to try out some of the best local dishes and places to eat.

Check our more guided tours in Birmingham to make the most of your visit.

Relaxed and Trendy Restaurants in Birmingham Al

The Essential

Also on Morris Avenue is a fun neighbourhood restaurant, The Essential. This seems to epitomise the more relaxed and trendy side of Birmingham’s food scene. They are open for brunch, lunch and dinner, with a marble topped bar and simple but elegant tables reminiscent of a French bistro.

The menu is full of well-priced dishes with a Southern take on world cuisine. I ordered the Nicoise-ish salad with barely seared tuna on greens with egg, potato and olives. Their butter croissant ice cream was incredibly rich and delicious.

The Pizitz Food Hall

In the heart of downtown Birmingham is the Pizitz Food Hall, offering a kaleidoscope of food from around the world. It’s a good place to find some healthy options if you’ve overdone the BBQ.

The Pizitz was once Birmingham’s leading department store, but the building has now been converted into apartments. Pizitz Food Hall is on the ground floor.

Central seating means you can order from 12 different food stands or sit at the bar, which is popular for evening cocktails. Food halls like this make a social place to eat with friends or family, ideal if you all have different food tastes.

I ordered a rainbow selection of salads from Eli’s Jerusalem grill and took it to the outside patio with tables and sun umbrellas. Also on offer is South Indian street food from Silver Kati, Nepalese dumplings at Mo Mo, and Hawaiian/ Japanese fusion at Poke.

Vietnamese and Korean was on offer at PhoPho, as well as more local hotdogs at The Standard and artisan teas at Piper & Leaf are available. Parking is free for the first 2 hours in the parking deck.

Top tip: We recommend taking a food tour to get an inside view of the best places to eat in Birmingham.

Upscale and Cosmopolitan

Bottega

Chef Frank Stitt has made his mark in Birmingham with the upscale Highlands Bar & Grill. Set in the Highlands neighbourhood of Birmingham, you’ll probably need to reserve months ahead. For somewhere more relaxed that still has special atmosphere, try Bottega, another of his restaurants set in a lovely Beaux Arts building.

Bottega is inspired by the relaxed wine bars and trattorias of Italy. The more refined Bottega restaurant is on one side of the building. You’ll find the relaxed Bottega Cafe, serving pizzas from a wood fired oven, on the other.

I enjoyed my Dolphin fish from the specials menu and a slice of the signature coconut pecan cake which was extremely moist and moreish. To accompany I chose a drink of fresh lemonade with a hint of vanilla.

You can also visit Frank Stitt’s restaurant Chez Fonfon in the Five Points South neighbourhood of Birmingham. Here you can enjoy a menu inspired by the French bistros of Paris or Lyon.

Farmer’s markets in Birmingham AL

The Market at Pepper Place

Although there are numerous Farmer’s Markets in Birmingham, the best known and most popular for visitors is The Market at Pepper Place. Held on Saturday mornings, Pepper Place is a destination in itself.

It’s within in a brick industrial building that once housed the Dr Pepper soda bottling plant. This old factory site has now been converted into a trendy development of creative businesses, shops and restaurants.

The Market at Pepper Place operates year round with up to 100 stalls selling farm produce, crafts and artisan food from small Alabama producers. Visit to see what’s fresh and in season. Or, buy your brunch from one of the food trucks or vendors offering food to take away. The market takes place each Saturday from 7am to 12 midday.

You may also enjoy: 50 things to do in Alabama – on my Road Trip USA

Culture and heritage in Birmingham Alabama

As befits such a bustling city, Birmingham has a lively arts scene with a leading arts museum, theatres and other heritage attractions. My top pick for arts lovers would be the Birmingham Museum of Arts which is centrally located in the Downtown area. Also, check what’s on at the beautifully restored Alabama Theater or Lyric Theater.

If you want to get a great overview of Birmingham, we recommend this half day highlights tour to visit a number of historic sites with a guide.

7 Birmingham Museum of Art

I enjoyed visiting the Birmingham Museum of Art which was just across the park from my hotel. When I was there a 60s style mural was being painted in the foyer. As part of the Wall to Wall project, visiting artists are invited to paint a mural at the museum’s entrance.

The museum is known for its Asian art collection, comprising a permanent collection of 4000 artworks. This collection is considered the finest in the south-east.

I enjoyed the Sculpture Court at the back of the glass fronted facade with shallow pools and a curvy reclining nude. The American art gallery leads off from this, onto the Wedgwood collection of pottery. It was rather incongruous to find something so English so far from home. Entry to the museum is free.

8 Alabama Theater and Lyric Theater

Lovers of the arts can check out what’s on at the Alabama Theater and Lyric Theater located in the Downtown area of Birmingham. Both theatres have gone through renovation to restore them to the gilded glory of their heyday in the 1920s.

The Alabama Theater was built in the 1920s as a movie palace to showcase Paramount films. On offer is a varied musical programme including showing nostalgic old movies, accompanied by the original Wurlitzer organ.

Built in 1914, the Lyric Theater has also been renovated to its original splendour when it hosted vaudeville shows. It is now used for ballet, opera and theatre performances.

You may also enjoy: Visit Muscle Shoals Alabama – for music history and more!

9 Arlington Antebellum Home and Gardens

Just a short drive from the Downtown in Birmingham is the Arlington Antebellum Home and Gardens. This mansion was built in the 1840s in the popular Greek Revival style of the period. The house now serves as a decorative arts museum, with 19th century furniture, silver and paintings.

Guided tours bring to life how the leading families of Birmingham lived here, before and after the Civil War. The house is in the Arlington neighbourhood, away from the other main Birmingham attractions. Visit if you have a car and enjoy the history and heritage of old houses like this.

Read more about the culture of Southern Alabama: 11 cool things to do in Mobile, Alabama

If you’re short of time it’s a good idea to take a guided tour and we can recommend:

This Historical Highlights of Birmingham tour will give a great overview of things to see in Birmingham.

Foodies will enjoy this Birmingham Food and Drink Tour to try out some of the best local dishes and places to eat.

Check our more guided tours in Birmingham to make the most of your visit.

Industrial Heritage

Birmingham seemed to spring up from nowhere in the 1870s. It’s an industrial city founded on deposits of iron ore that were conveniently close to the railroad.

Soon Birmingham became known as “The Magic City” for the speed of its development. The iron and steel industry attracted people seeking jobs, including many freed slaves and immigrants.

There are a number of attractions that celebrate Birmingham’s industrial heritage. My top pick for a dip into this side of the city’s history would be the Vulcan Park and Museum. If you are short of time, we recommend this half day highlights tour to visit many of the industrial heritage sites with a guide.

10 Vulcan Park and Museum

I really enjoyed my visit to the Vulcan Park and Museum. Take the lift (or climb if you are energetic) to the observation tower at the top of the Vulcan statue, which stands 56 feet tall and made of 100,000 pounds of iron.

The gigantic iron statue of the bare bottomed god Vulcan was created for the St Louis World Fair in 1904 to represent the city. Afterwards it was placed on a column overlooking the city. Ascend the column to the viewing platform that allows you to survey the whole of Birmingham.

Exhibits within the Vulcan Center include a huge giant foot cast of the statue. You’ll also find lots of information about the iron industries that shaped Birmingham and brought it huge prosperity.

11 Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum

Located just outside the main city is the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum. This is a very popular attraction for anyone who loves cars, motorbikes and motorsports in general. The museum was set up in the 1960s by Porsche racing driver, George Barber to house his collection of vintage cars.

This soon expanded to include the largest collection of motorbikes in the world. Over 1600 vintage motorcycles and cars are housed here, with events and motorsports race days held at the adjoining Barber Motorsports Park.

12 Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark

For a deeper dive into Birmingham’s industrial roots, visit the Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark (currently open by appointment only). These furnaces for smelting pig iron, fuelled by the abundant local coal, were constructed in 1881 by Col James Withers Sloss and his Sloss Furnace Company.

In the 1980s the factory was restored as a National Historic Landmark. The boilers and blast furnaces can be visited in either a guided or self guided tour.

You’ll learn how raw materials were delivered to the site and smelted to make the finished pig iron. The Cast Sheds also house the Sloss Metal Arts Program, with events and demonstrations in the art of metalworking.

13 Southern Museum of Flight

The Southern Museum of Flight is located close to Birmingham Shuttlesworth International Airport. It is dedicated to aviation from the earliest days of flight, to more recent civilian and military aircraft.

The museum houses over 100 aircraft, in settings that are designed to bring them to life. Displays include Alabama’s Tuskegee Airmen African American pilots and Huff Daland biplanes from the 1920s that were used as crop dusters. Also on exhibit Korean War jets and Vietnam War helicopters.

14 McWane Science Center

The McWane Science Center is a great option if you are looking for things to do in Birmingham AL with kids. There’s hours of family entertainment at this hands on science centre. The Center is designed to inspire children in the wonder of science, technology and engineering.

Activities are spread over four levels, including aquarium tanks, dinosaur exhibitions and IMAX dome. The Itty Bitty Magic City play area is ideal for younger visitors.

You may also enjoy reading about Huntsville in Northern Alabama: 20 fun things to do in Huntsville Alabama

Parks and gardens in Birmingham Alabama

15 Railroad Park

I chanced upon Railroad Park as I walked around at the end of a long hot day. One of the few large green spaces in Birmingham, the 19 acre park was created in 2010.

Unlike many cities, Birmingham is not built on the banks of a river. Railroad Park provides a welcome open space for leisure and recreation.

As the name suggests, the park runs alongside the railroad. There are boardwalks and pathways beside the beautiful lake, with plenty of places to stop and relax.

It was still hot even in the evening, so I bought a welcome sno-cone from the Shymeer Ice van near the Cafe pavilion. I enjoyed wandering around for a while, viewing the landscaped wetlands as the sun went down. Park entry is free.

On your way to Railroad Park, look out for the color tunnel illuminated by coloured LED lights, that runs under the railway track. There are similar LED lit underpasses at the 14th, 16th, 18th and 20th street viaducts in Birmingham.

16 Magic City sign and the Rotary Trail

Close to Railroad Park is the famous Magic City sign which is a replica of an older sign and now marks the start of the Rotary Trail. The original sign stood in front of the Birmingham terminal station.

“Magic City” was a reference to the speed with which Birmingham had sprung up from the 1870s. By the 1920s Birmingham had become a thriving and prosperous industrial hub. This sign was re-created to mark the Rotary Trail, which is a green corridor running for half a mile for walkers and cyclists. The trail also links to other trails in the city.

17 Birmingham Botanical Gardens

The Birmingham Botanical Gardens were established in the 1960s on 69 acres in the Mountain Brook neighbourhood to the east of the city. It encompasses 30 different gardens, providing year round interest and colour. Paths can be used for walking and jogging as this garden is very much a community endeavour.

Highlights include the Japanese garden with its traditional red gate and the rose garden with pergola that’s in full bloom in the early summer. There’s also a pretty Gardens cafe and a well stocked shop with gifts for the home and garden. The gardens are free to visit.

18 Oak Mountain State Park

For an escape from the city, head just south of Birmingham to Oak Mountain State Park, which is Alabama’s largest state park. The park is popular for hiking and mountain biking with 50 miles of trails. There are also trails for horse-riding which can be arranged at the Rusted Roof Barn stables.

With two lakes within the park there are also plenty of water-sports activities on offer. Beaver Lake boasts two sandy beaches, with an inflatable obstacle course and cable waterski.

For those staying in the Birmingham area a little longer, or those with children to entertain, Oak Mountain State Park has plenty of activities to keep you busy in the great outdoors.

Other natural parks and outdoor activities in Birmingham include Ruffner Mountain with 14 miles of hiking trails and Red Mountain Park. Within the city there’s the easily walkable Vulcan trail running along Red Mountain ridge from just below the Vulcan Park statue.

If you’re short of time it’s a good idea to take a guided tour and we can recommend:

This Historical Highlights of Birmingham tour will give a great overview of things to see in Birmingham.

Foodies will enjoy this Birmingham Food and Drink Tour to try out some of the best local dishes and places to eat.

Check our more guided tours in Birmingham to make the most of your visit.

For Sports fans

19 Birmingham Negro Southern League Museum

An interesting small museum for sports lovers is the Birmingham Negro Southern League Museum. This museum showcases the baseball league that nurtured the sporting talent of the Black community in Birmingham. On display are the artefacts, baseballs, player’s uniforms and trophies from the league.

More than this it tells the story of Negro league baseball – it was more than just a game! I enjoyed the hologram of legendary pitcher Satchel Paige showing just how fast he could pitch that baseball as you stand with it heading towards you. Entry to the museum is free.

Sports fans and lovers of baseball will want to check if there are any games to watch at Regions Field, the stadium close to Railroad Park. Regions Park stadium is home of the Birmingham Barons for Minor League Baseball offering family friendly entertainment.

The Birmingham Barons originally played at Rickwood Field, which was built in 1910 by local industrialist Rick Woodward. Rickwood Field has now been placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Also in Birmingham is the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, with a museum that celebrates leading sports men and women within Alabama and has a collection of 6000 pieces of sports memorabilia.

Just south of Birmingham Alabama

20 Peaches at Clanton

Heading south from Birmingham on the Route 65 Interstate or just want to take a side trip? It’s worth making a stop at Clanton when the peaches are in season in June. The town is known as the Peach Capital of Alabama!

You can spot the well known Peach Water Tower (yes it looks like a giant peach) from the Interstate. Turn off at Exit 212 to take a closer look.

I parked at the Headley’s Big Peach Farm shop where there were plenty of juicy peaches on sale and treated myself to one of their peachy ice lollies from the freezer counter. Just off Exit 205 is Peach Park, a farm shop and restaurant complex selling everything peachy.

It has grown from the original roadside stall and now offers a whole range of food and gifts. Check out their peach ice cream, peach cobbler and lots of other peach products.

Hotels in Birmingham Alabama

Hampton Inn and Suites Tutwiler Hotel

For the two nights I spent in Birmingham, I was in the grand and historic Hampton Inn and Suites Tutwiler Hotel, which is very centrally located in the Downtown area. The Tutwiler Hotel opened in 1915 and was known as the Grande Dame of Southern Hotels. It hosted the great and the good of Birmingham, and very much reflected the city’s prosperity at that time.

The Tutwiler was replaced in the 1970s by a high rise building for the Alabama Bank. Nearby, the luxury apartment building also created by Major Tutwiler, was transformed into the current 148 bedroom hotel run by Hampton Inn and Suites.

The style here is classic, and I had a very elegant suite on one of the upper floors. My room featured classic wooden furniture and windows opening to the balcony.

For more accommodation options, check out these hotels in Birmingham Alabama

Read Next

Learn more about the US Civil Rights Trail and the thought provoking Civil Rights sites to visit in Alabama.

More articles from my Alabama trip

11 Cool things to do in Mobile Alabama

Food in Alabama – 20 dishes you’ll want to try!

20 fun things to do in Huntsville Alabama

50 things to do in Alabama USA

Visit Muscle Shoals Alabama – for music history and more!

Map of things to see in Birmingham Al

Check out all the places we’ve mentioned on this handy map of the most fun things to do in Birmingham, Alabama.

More information for Visiting Birmingham Alabama

Lots more information is available when you visit the Birmingham tourism website or plan your visit to Alabama on the Alabama Tourism website.

Book your trip with America as you like it who offer bespoke self guided tours of Alabama and the USA. For more information contact 020 8742 8299, [email protected] or visit www.americaasyoulikeit.com

Tours in Birmingham: If you’re short of time it’s a good idea to take a guided tour and we can recommend

• This Historical Highlights of Birmingham tour will give a great overview of things to see in Birmingham especially its industrial and sporting heritage.
• Foodies will enjoy this Birmingham Food and Drink Tour to try out some of the best local dishes and places to eat.
• Check our more guided tours in Birmingham to make the most of your visit.

Staying in Birmingham Alabama: I stayed at Hampton Inn and Suites Tutwiler Hotel and you can check prices and book for a range of hotels in Birmingham Alabama here.

Getting around Birmingham Alabama

Transport around Birmingham Alabama: Most visitors will find it most convenient to have a car to visit all the places mentioned, although much of the downtown area is easily walkable and taxis can also be used to get around.

How to get to Birmingham AL: It’s easy to fly into Birmingham Shuttlesworth Airport from numerous US destinations and if coming from the UK you can connect via other US airport hubs. If visiting Birmingham as part of a road trip as I did, it is convenient to start in Atlanta or Huntsville and drive south through Alabama. Or, start in New Orleans or Pensacola and drive north.

Approximate driving times to the next stops on your Alabama Road Trip

• Muscle Shoals to Birmingham – 120 miles / 2 hrs
• Birmingham to Selma – 90 miles / 1 hrs 40 mins
• Driving time from Birmingham to Montgomery – 90 miles / 1 hrs 20 mins

Read about 10 fun things to do in Prince Edward Island and Charlottetown, Canada

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This article was sponsored* by Alabama Tourism who hosted my trip and many of the experiences mentioned.

* More info on my policies page

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com

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