FAMILY VACATIONS IN ALABAMA WITH CHILREN -WHAT TO DO IN ALABAMA WITH KIDS

FUN THINGS TO DO ON VACATION WITH KIDS - ALABAMA

Ideas for Family Summer Vacations in Alabama - As long as you can stand a little bit of heat, a trip to Alabama can be terrific.

FUN & ENTERTAINMENT VACATIONS - CENTRAL ALABAMA (For example - Montgomery, AL - Selma, AL - Demopolis, AL - Clanton, AL - Bessemer, AL - Birmingham, AL )

The Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame - The Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame makes its home in the historic Carver Theatre for the Performing Arts. Upon entering the Carver Theatre, the Museum can be seen through the etched window with the famous music and lyrics of Birmingham native Erskine Hawkins' "Tuxedo Junction". The museum honors great jazz artists with ties to the state of Alabama.

Location: 1631 Fourth Ave North, Birmingham, Alabama 35202, United States ... Telephone number is 205-254-2731

The Alabama Ballet - The company celebrates 23 years of unparalleled artistry, athleticism and sheer poetry brought to life in motion that has brought Alabama Ballet to a level of national recognition and reputation.

Location: 2726 1st Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35233, Telephone: 205-322-4300

Alabama Sports Hall of Fame and Musuem - The Alabama Sports Hallf of Fame is dedicated to preserving and honoring this State's outstanding sports heritage. Of ESPN's top 100 athletes of the century, nine were from Alabama and five of the top fifteen athletes of the century are in the ASHOF. Experience three floors of vintage equipment, uniforms, photographs, trophies, awards and medals attributed to Alabama's sports legends.

Location: 2150 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. N. Birmingham, AL 35203 Telephone Number: (205) 323-6665

Alabama Theater for the Performing Arts - One of the shows that they have at this time is The Wizzard of Oz. A good way to introduce theater to your children. Tickets for all Alabama Theatre sponsored events including movies are purchased at the Alabama Theatre box office 1 hour before show time.

Location: 1817 Third Avenue North, Birmingham, Alabama 35203, United States. To order by phone: 205-715-6000 or 1-800-277-1700

Anniston Museum of Natural History - Explore the wilds of Africa, the wonders of the North American wilderness, and the mysteries of 2,000 year old mummies in the seven fascinating exhibit halls of the Anniston Museum of Natural History. Open-air exhibits place you face to face with majestic--and often deadly--animals!  See one of the country's oldest exhibits of birds in their habitats, and explore the
children's discovery room for hands-on experiences with Alabama's natural wonders. Visit the Changing Exhibit Gallery for a look at how artists interpret nature. Stroll along outdoor nature trails and enjoy global shopping in the Museum Store.

Location: 800 Museum Drive, Anniston, AL 36207 Telephone: 256-237-6766

 

 

Barber Motorsports Park - This Park features frequent racing events and a motorsports museum. Approximately 400 motorcycles and 10 cars will be on display at all times.  The display will rotate periodically.

Location: Start out going North on Messer Airport Highway, Merge onto I-20 East via the ramp on the left  \0toward Atlanta. Merge onto Bankhead Highway/US 78 east via exit number 140 towards Leeds. Turn Right onto Rex Lake Road. Turn Right onto Barber Motorsports Parkway.

 

Birmingham's Childrens Theater - As one of the premiere theatres for youth and family audiences in the United States, Birmingham Children’s Theatre prides itself on setting the standard for quality professional productions that are enjoyed by thousands of patrons each season.

 

 

Birmingham Civil Rights Institute - The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute documents the struggle of African-American citizens in Birmingham (BCRI) to become full participants in the city's government and business community.  Because this struggle was a social movement that caught the attention of the world, Birmingham is an appropriate place for an institution that serves the world as a center for study and reflection.

Location: 520 Sixteenth Street North Birmingham, Alabama 35203 Telephone Number is (Toll Free) 1-866-328-9696. Click Here for Directions.

 

Birmingham Museum of Art - This three-story museum houses an eclectic selection of art, including Wedgewood pottery, the largest collection of Asian art in the Southeast, Native American and African art, impressionism, contemporary art and American landscapes.

 

Birmingham Zoo- The Birmingham Zoo is Alabama's most popular not-for-profit attraction, drawing more than 450,000 visitors annually. Approximately 750 animals of 250 species call the Birmingham Zoo home, including sea lions, cheetahs and endangered species from six continents.

Location: The Birmingham Zoo is located at 2630 Cahaba Road in Birmingham, AL just south of US 280/31. Phone number is 205-879-0409

 

Blount Cultural Park - A lush oasis in the city inspired by the English Countryside, it is one of the finest and most unique offerings of cultural and family activities in the world. Set among numerous lakes, trails, gardens, and pavilions, you will find some of our nation's best cultural destinations, including the Alabama Shakespeare Festival and the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts. The Shakespeare Garden, one of seven such major gardens in the USA, features plants and flowers mentioned in Shakespeare's plays including perennial herbs, annual flowers, willow arbors, shade trees, and garden shrubs. This facility includes a thatched-roof Pavilion and a 325 seat Amphitheatre.

Location: 6000 Vaughn Road, Montgomery, AL 36116



Children's Hands On Museum - CHOM’s permanent exhibits were designed to stimulate children’s curiosity about their community and their place in it, and to involve children, parents, teachers, and others in participatory education. Early exhibits included a Choctaw Indian Village; a historical gallery including a general store, a bank, a print shop, and Grandmother’s Attic; a hospital; and a planetarium. Newer exhibits include the replica of the wheelhouse of a towboat; a developmental center for preschoolers called Beavers’ Bend; the Japan House; Central Drug; and the Arts Studio. The most recent additions include Lil’ Sprouts Farmer’s Market, the CHOM Pizzeria, and the Creation Station, a hands-on center for art and creativity. Location: 2213 University Blvd. Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
Telephone: 205-349-4235

 

Civil Rights Memorial - The names of 40 people killed in the battle for civil rights between 1954, when the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed segregation, and 1968, the year of the assassination of Martin Luther King, are embedded forever in this round, flat, granite sculpture. Water flows gently over the surface of the inspiring memorial, designed by Maya Lin, who also created the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

Location: 400 Washington Ave., Montgomery, Alabama Telephone: 334-264-0286

 

First White House of the Confederacy - The First White House of the Confederacy is a house museum which tells three stories: 1) What happened during the spring of 1861 when Montgomery was the capitol of the Confederacy; 2) About Jefferson Davis, first president of the provisional government, and his family and 3) About the preservation of the house and the Davis artifacts and period furnishings.

Location: 702 Oliver Road, Montgomery, Alabama 36121 Telephone: 334 271-0050

Hank Williams Museum - Visit the museum of one of the world's greatest musicians who spent the best part of his life on and around the streets of Montgomery, Al. The museum houses Hank's 1952 Cadillac in which he made his final journey. The Oakwood Cemetery is the resting place of Hank and Audrey and is only five minutes away, as is the life size statue located in Lister Hill Park across from the City Auditorium, where Hank's funeral was held.

Location: Take exit 172 from Interstate 65-Downtown-left on Commerce Street

Martin Luther King's Home - Visit Martin Luther King's Home from 1954-1960.

Location: 315 S. Jackson Street, Montgomery, Alabama Telephone: 334-261-3270

 

McWane Center - See the wonders of our world in action, and leave with new-found perspectives. Through amazing hands-on exhibits, larger-than-life IMAX® films and quality educational programs, McWane Center strives to make learning an adventure for all ages. Join us for a magnetic journey to a place as exciting and engaging as the human imagination.

Location: Located at 2nd Avenue North and 19th Street in downtown Birmingham, McWane Center is easily accessible from Interstate 65, Interstate 59/20, Highway 31 and Highway 280. Follow 3rd Ave N to 19th St. Turn right. McWane Center is located on the corner of 2nd Ave and 19th St N.

 

Montgomery Zoo - This popular family destination, spread over 40 acres, is home to over 700 animals from five continents, including the famous Bengal tiger. A train ride around the park provides an overview of the site and a chance to determine where you want to go later for a closer look.

Location: Northern Blvd. | Lower Wetumpka Road / Coliseum Blvd., Montgomery, Alabama Telephone: 334-240-4900

 

 

Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts - The Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts is the oldest fine arts museum in the state of Alabama. The Museum's magnificent facility provides spacious, light-filled galleries and breathtaking vistas for one of the southeast's premier art resources. Housed within the Museum is the Blount Collection.

Location: One Museum Drive, Montgomery, Alabama 36117 Telephone: 334-244-5700

 

 

Mooseum - Children's educational livestock facility. Displays, exhibits on nutrition, history. Hands-on learning. Hall of Appreciation (livestock industry pioneers exhibit). Opened 1995. Unique interactive way for all ages to learn about Alabama's $2 billion cattle industry.

Location: 201 S. Bainbridge St. Montgomery, AL 36104 Telephone: 334-265-1867

 

 

Old Alabama Town - Old Alabama Town is a collection of authentically restored 19th and 20th century structures. A magnificent setting, it stretches along six blocks in the heart of historic downtown Montgomery, Alabama. Step back in time and experience over 100 years of history as you embark on a journey where you will see meticulously restored and furnished buildings reflecting the lives of the people who settled and developed Central Alabama.

 

 

Rickwood Field - Rickwood is America's oldest baseball park. Today, Rickwood Field is a place to relive the magic of baseball's glory years. For those hopeless romantics who are still in love but a little disenchanted with the game, we are preserving Rickwood Field. Our dream is for rickwood Field to be a working museum, a place to actually see and experience baseball as it once was.

Location: 1137 2nd Avenue West, Birmingham, Alabama 35203, United States Telephone number is 205-458-8161

 

 

Rosa Parks Library and Museum - The Museum is a major landmark in the revitalization of downtown Montgomery constructed on the site of the old Empire Theatre where Mrs. Parks made her courageous and historic stand in 1955. Artifacts include a restored 1955 station wagon (see in the second picture, above), a replica of the public bus on which Mrs. Parks was sitting that day (seen above), and original historical documents of that era loaned by the City of Montgomery.

Location: 251 Montgomery Street, Montgomery, Montgomery, AL 36104 Telephone: (334) 241-8661

 

 

Ruffner Mountain Nature Center - A natural oasis in the heart of Alabama's largest city. A destination for hikers, birdwatchers, and outdoor enthusiasts. A leader in nature education for students and the community. A 1,011-acre nature preserve in the heart of the city, dedicated to preservation, education, and recreation for everyone.

Location: 1214 81st Street South, Birmingham, AL 35206 Click here for directions.

 

Sixteenth Street Baptist Church - On Sunday morning, September 15, 1963, the Ku Klux Klan bombed the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, killing four girls. This murderous act shocked the nation and galvanized the civil rights movement.

Location: Sixteenth Street Baptist Church is located in Birmingham, Alabama, at the intersection of 16th Street and 6th Avenue. Tours are given 10 am to 4 pm, Tuesday through Friday and by appointment only on Saturdays. Groups should call 205-251-9402 to make arrangements.

 

Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark - On April 18, 1882, Sloss Furnaces began producing iron and did not stop until ninety years later. Over the decades, Sloss Furnaces gave rise to the city of Birmingham and served as a battleground for economic, employment and social reform. Now recognized as a National Historic Landmark, Sloss Furnaces is open to the public as a museum of industry which speaks to the contributions of the working men who labored there. With its massive furnaces, web of pipes, and tall smokestacks, it offers us a glimpse into the great industrial past of the South and our nation.

 

Southern Environmental Center - Award-winning interactive museum, EcoScape outdoor learning center, EcoArt workshops for school children. Slide down Sewage Slide into deep end of pool, activate Ozone Clunker, much more.

Location: 900 Arkadelphia Rd. Birmingham, AL 35254 Telephone: 205-226-4934

Southern Museum of Flight - You will see the machines that helped the world take to the skies. Military, civilian, and home-built aircraft on display at the Museum include one of Delta Air Line's first planes – the Huff Daland crop duster, a full-size Wright Flyer replica, a 1912 Curtiss Pusher replica, a Fokker VII, a VariEze experimental home-built, and two US Air Force fighter jet cockpit simulators.
But we're more than aircraft. The museum has aviation memorabilia from the earliest days of flight.

Vulcan Park - Vulcan Park is home to the world's largest cast iron statue and features spectacular panoramic views of Birmingham. We tell the story of Birmingham's past, present and promise for the future.

 

Visionland - this 50-acre entertainment complex has a water park, theme park and game area, including lazertag and a video arcade. Brand new additions to the Splash Beach Water Park are the thrill-a-second Drop Out Speed Slide and the Wavepool and Sandbeach.

 

FUN & ENTERTAINMENT VACATIONS - WESTERN ALABAMA (For example - Tuscaloosa, AL - Eutaw, AL - Thomasville, AL - Fayette, AL )

Children's Hands On Museum - CHOM’s permanent exhibits were designed to stimulate children’s curiosity about their community and their place in it, and to involve children, parents, teachers, and others in participatory education. Early exhibits included a Choctaw Indian Village; a historical gallery including a general store, a bank, a print shop, and Grandmother’s Attic; a hospital; and a planetarium. Newer exhibits include the replica of the wheelhouse of a towboat; a developmental center for preschoolers called Beavers’ Bend; the Japan House; Central Drug; and the Arts Studio. The most recent additions include Lil’ Sprouts Farmer’s Market, the CHOM Pizzeria, and the Creation Station, a hands-on center for art and creativity.

 

 

Mercedes Benz Factory Tours - Experience the star-studded history of Daimler-Benz, the world's premier automobile manufacturer. The story is chronicled in the Mercedes-Benz Visitor Center, the first of its kind outside Germany. This architectural showcase, adjacent to Daimler's only U.S. automobile manufacturing plant, brings to life the company's vision - to produce nothing less than the most exceptional automobiles in the world (temporarily closed for construction)

Telephone: 1-888-286-8762 or (205) 507-2252

 

Paul Bryant Museum - The mission of the Paul W. Bryant Museum is to collect, preserve and exhibit items, and to disseminate information relating to the sports history of the University of Alabama.

Location: 300 Paul W. Bryant Drive, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 Telephone: 1-866-772-BEAR

 

FUN & ENTERTAINMENT VACATIONS - NORTHERN ALABAMA (For example - Decatur, AL - Athens, AL - Florence, AL - Sheffield, AL - Huntsville, AL - Guntersville, AL )

Alabama Constitution Village - Explore Alabama's rich history and become a part of the 19th-century as villagers dressed in period clothing take you through eight reconstructed Federal style buildings. Visit the actual site where forty-four delegates gathered to forge the way for Alabama's statehood.

Location: 109 Gates Ave., Huntsville AL 35801 Telephone Number: 256-564-8100

 

 

Children's Museum of Shoals - The Children's Museum of the Shoals, Inc. offers hands-on exhibits and programs geared specifically to the developmental stages and needs of children. Our mission is to further classroom education and compliment existing cultural and educational resources. Exhibits and activities will encourage children to imagine, make choices and create. These exhibits will enable children to discover different cultures, values and occupations, as well as to demystify science, technology and the arts.

 

 

Cook's Natural Science Museum - The museum provides extensive collections of beautiful and exotic insects, mounted birds and animals, rocks and minerals, sea shells and coral. Protected and endangered species are included in the museum's vast collection and many animals are shown in their natural habitats. Wildlife common to the Tennessee Valley is featured in one display with over fifty species of insects, animals, and water life from the region. In addition, unusual and practical gifts, related to natural science, are available for purchase from our gift counter.

 

 

EarlyWorks Children's Museum is part of Alabama Constitution Village. Hear stories from the talking tree, play a tune on the giant-sized instruments at the Alabama bandstand and try your hand at building a house in the interactive architecture exhibit. Walk the gangplank and explore a 46-foot keelboat, stroll through Alabama's agricultural and industrial history and try on 1800's clothing in the Federal house. Also, for more education, the Alabama Consitution Village is combined with Earlyworks.

Location: 404 Madison Street, Huntsville, Alabama 35811Telephone Number: 256-564-8100 Click here for Directions

 

 

Guin Waterpark - The Guin WaterPark consists of a new splashpad, and our raintree, baby pool, swimming pool, concession stand, and picnic area.

Location: Co. Hwy. 16, Guin, AL 35563 Telephone: 205-468-3045

 

 

Harmony Park Safari - Federally licensed nature preserve of free-ranging exotic and endangered animals. Remain in car for 2-mi./3.25-km route. Zebras, zebus, buffalo, camels, ostriches, pythons, rams, highlanders, alligators, water fowl, waterfalls and more. Open Mar.–Nov.: 10–sunset.

Location: 431 Cloud's Cove Rd. SE Huntsville, AL 35803

 

 

Historic Huntsville Depot - Built circa 1860, the Historic Huntsville Depot is one of the nations oldest remaining railroad structures. Climb aboard locomotives, see Alabama's largest public model railroad, visit the Civil War exhibit and discover graffiti written by soldiers. Listen as Andy Barker, the robotic ticket agent, tells of Alabama's railway history. There's even a "kid's corner" complete with try-on costumes, train puzzles and maps.

Location: 320 Church Street, Huntsville AL Phone Number: 256-564-35801

 

 

Huntsville Botanical Gardens - In this dynamic young garden you will find inviting woodland paths, broad grassy meadows, and stunning floral collections. The 5-acre Central Corridor Gardens, featuring aquatic, perennial, and annual displays are ablaze with color from early spring through fall. Summer offers young students the opportunity to attend various butterfly-oriented programs. They have fun programs as well, including Wet 'n Wild...Ants....Worms...and more (only on specified dates found on their site).

 

 

Huntsville Museum of Art - The nationally-accredited Museum fills its seven galleries with a variety of exhibitions throughout the year, including prestigious traveling exhibits and the work of nationally and regionally acclaimed artists. The Museum’s own 2,300-piece permanent collection also forms the basis for several exhibitions each year.

 

 

Madison Aquatic Scuba and Paintball Park - Come out for a day of fun. You can spend the day shooting each other on the paintball fields and then head down to the water for a dive to ease the pain and clean all the paint off! ;-)  Then kick back and relax at our new campsite or in one of the areas hotels less than 5 minutes from our facility 

 

 

Old MacDonald's Petting Zoo - Offers "hands on" petting and feeding of domestic and exotic animals and birds. We have farm animals and birds commonly found throughout North America as well as some from far-away places like Central and South America, Australia, and China.

Location: Conveniently located only 25 miles east of Huntsville Alabama along US Hwy 72 E and only 5 miles north of Cathedral Caverns State Park. Telephone: 256-776-4332

 

 

Point Mallard Park - 750-acre park has camping, hiking and biking trails, golf course. Aquatic Center features wave pool, Olympic-size diving pool, water slides and kiddie pools. Year-round ice skating complex.

 

 

Sci-Quest - Sci-Quest is a hands-on science center with more than 125 permanent, interactive exhibits in seven different subject areas. Unlike a typical "museum," Sci-Quest's exhibits are designed to engage, educate and entertain. In addition to permanent and traveling exhibits, Sci-Quest offers

Location: 102-D Wynn Drive · Huntsville, AL 35805 · 256-837-0606

 

 

Southern Adventurers - offer two adventure golf courses, carnival rides, batting cages, two go-kart tracks, including a kiddie track, bumper cars, a water park, a roller coaster simulator, batting cages, Children's Soft Play, and "The Rock" climbing wall. Southern Adventures offers the latest in video games and redemption games. They also have plenty of things for younger children to do.

Location: 2150 Leeman Ferry Road, Huntsville, AL 35801, Telphone: 256-880-6599

 

 

U.S Space and Rocket Center - Past, present and future of space exploration. Demonstrations, hands-on exhibits, IMAX(r) movie in Spacedome Theater. Watch future astronauts in Space Camp(r) Training Center. Take spine-tingling trip on Space Shot. Admission includes the Space Museum, Rocket Park, and Shuttle Park (full-scale mockup of the Space Shuttle); one viewing of an Omnimax movie (Hail, Columbia or The Dream Is Alive); bus tour of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center; and several rides, including a 3-gravity centrifuge seating 40 persons, the Spacewalker (a few seconds of low gravity), and the Shuttle to Tomorrow (a simulated ride into space).

Location: 1 Tranquility Base Huntsville, AL 35807 Phone Number: 256-837-3400

 

 

FUN & ENTERTAINMENT VACATIONS - SOUTHERN ALABAMA (For example - Dothan, AL - Ozark, AL -Enterprise, AL - Andalusia, AL - Jackson, AL - Mobile, AL - Gulf Shores, AL)

Al Holmes Wildlife Museum - Lions, tigers, sharks and other exotic animals displayed in natural habitats, plus touch-and-feel exhibits. Also view live animals such as white-tailed and sika deer, foxes, skunks and others.

Location: 1723 Rifle Range Rd., Wetumpka, AL 36093 Telephone: 334-567-7966

 

The Alabama Coastal Birding Trail - This place is for the birds. Our sun-drenched coast is a popular resort area for a variety of feathered visitors and year-round residents. The trail spans two counties, and is enhanced by directional and interpretive signage, offering birding enthusiasts endless opportunities for avian appreciation.

Location: Gulf Shores, AL 36547

 

 

Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center and IMAX® Dome Theater - Located in downtown Mobile, the Exploreum is an exceptional regional science center for adventurers of all ages. Interactive science exhibits and big screen films provide everyone an entertaining outing for the mind.

Location: Gulf Coast Exploreum, 65 Government Street Mobile, AL 36602 Traveling on I-10 east or west, exit Water Street/Downtown. Turn left at the first light, Government Street. We are on the corner of Government and Water Streets.

 

 

Gulf Shores Amusement Park - Amusement rides, go-carts, arcade, concessions, and the original flying scooters. Fun for all ages.

Location: 104 W. Beach Blvd., Gulf Shores, AL 36547 Telephone: 251-948-6511

 

 

Historic Magee Farm - Come see the lasts days of the Civil War. The negotiation of a Cease Far took place inside the Magee Farm.

 

 

Kiva Kunes - Before you unfolds a natural playground. Where towering dunes dotted by indigenous shrubs and gnarled oak trees command the landscape. All worn and twisted by the torrential winds of the sea. Every tree, every hazard, every green and every mound fit the course as if nature were indeed the chief architect in the design. It's no wonder Kiva Dunes has been rated 58th best public golf course by Gold Digest.

Location: 815 Plantation Road, Gulf Shores, Alabama 36542 Telephone: 866.540.7100 ... Click here for directions.

 

 

Mobile Museum of Art - Mobile's exquisite showplace includes galleries for blockbuster exhibitions, traveling exhibits, the museum's collection of fine arts and crafts, and regional and student art exhibits. The museum also includes a state-of-the-art education wing with interactive hands-on gallery, orientation theater and classrooms, and an auditorium for lectures and meetings.

Location: 4850 Museum Drive • Mobile, AL • 36608

 

 

Museum of Mobile - 21st Century innovative exhibits come alive at The Museum of Mobile. Explore Mobile as the first Americans saw it. Relive the passage on an African slave ship. Listen to the stories of Civil War soldiers, and feel the power of nature’s raging storm, the hurricane. Get your hands on history in the Discovery Room, an interactive gallery for the young and young at heart.

 

 

Oakleigh Historic Complex - At Oakleigh Historic Complex Costumed guides lead you through an intimate experience of 19th century Gulf Coast living in an authentic setting. Open to general admission year-round, Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Location: 300 Oakleigh Place Mobile, AL 36604 Telephone:(251) 432-6161

 

 

Pirate's Island Adventure Golf - Discover sparkling waterfalls and mysterious hideouts of pirates as ye putt around historical markers of pirates in a lush tropical setting with a cool sea fog. For a small ransom, capture one of our souvenirs or some sea snacks from our galley. For ye landlubbers, set your spyglass on our Jungle Golf course in Ft. Myers, Florida. This 18-hole, 36 par course winds through a tropical setting teaming with elephants, giraffes, zebras and a lion

 

 

Surfside Water Park - Water theme park with wave pool, speed slides, body flumes, lazy river, children's area, picnic area, showers, lockers, food court and gift shop.

Location: I-85, Exit 51, on Hwy. 29.

 

 

Water World Water Park - Whether you are soaring along on our new Great White, sliding down the triple-flume water slide, riding ocean-size waves in the wave pool, playing in the kiddie pool, or basking on the spacious carpeted deck, Water World is the ideal place to enjoy a refreshing break on hot summer days. Your family can explore the video arcade, picnic under the shade trees or pavilion, visit the gift shop with a variety of souvenirs and sun products, or meet Aqua Duck, Water World's lovable mascot.

 

 

Waterville U.S.A. - Waterpark sports rides for everyone from the thrillseeker in you to the more relaxed family attractions. Ride 3 foot waves in our giant wave pool, feel the rush of our towering "Kamikaze" straight drop, speed down the twists of our water slides or relax on the 1,800 foot long float stream. Come see our newest attraction The Great White. The Amusement park has grown over the last eight years to become the largest in the area, with the Cannonball Roller Coaster and Waterville 500Nascarts, The Fun Depot for the little ones, and more.

Location: 906 Gulf Shores Pkwy., Gulf Shores, AL 36547 Telephone: (251)948-2106

 

MUSEUMS AND HISTORICAL WITH KIDS - ARKANSAS

The Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame - The Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame makes its home in the historic Carver Theatre for the Performing Arts. Upon entering the Carver Theatre, the Museum can be seen through the etched window with the famous music and lyrics of Birmingham native Erskine Hawkins' "Tuxedo Junction". The museum honors great jazz artists with ties to the state of Alabama.

Location: 1631 Fourth Ave North, Birmingham, Alabama 35202, United States ... Telephone number is 205-254-2731

 

 

Barber Motorsports Park - This Park features frequent racing events and a motorsports museum. Approximately 400 motorcycles and 10 cars will be on display at all times.  The display will rotate periodically.

Location: Start out going North on Messer Airport Highway, Merge onto I-20 East via the ramp on the left  \0toward Atlanta. Merge onto Bankhead Highway/US 78 east via exit number 140 towards Leeds. Turn Right onto Rex Lake Road. Turn Right onto Barber Motorsports Parkway.

 

 

Alabama Constitution Village - Explore Alabama's rich history and become a part of the 19th-century as villagers dressed in period clothing take you through eight reconstructed Federal style buildings. Visit the actual site where forty-four delegates gathered to forge the way for Alabama's statehood.

Location: 109 Gates Ave., Huntsville AL 35801 Telephone Number: 256-564-8100

 

 

Alabama Sports Hall of Fame and Musuem - The Alabama Sports Hallf of Fame is dedicated to preserving and honoring this State's outstanding sports heritage. Of ESPN's top 100 athletes of the century, nine were from Alabama and five of the top fifteen athletes of the century are in the ASHOF. Experience three floors of vintage equipment, uniforms, photographs, trophies, awards and medals attributed to Alabama's sports legends.

Location: 2150 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. N. Birmingham, AL 35203 Telephone Number: (205) 323-6665

 

 

Birmingham Civil Rights Institute - The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute documents the struggle of African-American citizens in Birmingham (BCRI) to become full participants in the city's government and business community.  Because this struggle was a social movement that caught the attention of the world, Birmingham is an appropriate place for an institution that serves the world as a center for study and reflection.

Location: 520 Sixteenth Street North Birmingham, Alabama 35203 Telephone Number is (Toll Free) 1-866-328-9696. Click Here for Directions.

 

 

Birmingham Museum of Art - This three-story museum houses an eclectic selection of art, including Wedgewood pottery, the largest collection of Asian art in the Southeast, Native American and African art, impressionism, contemporary art and American landscapes.

 

 

Children's Hands On Museum - CHOM’s permanent exhibits were designed to stimulate children’s curiosity about their community and their place in it, and to involve children, parents, teachers, and others in participatory education. Early exhibits included a Choctaw Indian Village; a historical gallery including a general store, a bank, a print shop, and Grandmother’s Attic; a hospital; and a planetarium. Newer exhibits include the replica of the wheelhouse of a towboat; a developmental center for preschoolers called Beavers’ Bend; the Japan House; Central Drug; and the Arts Studio. The most recent additions include Lil’ Sprouts Farmer’s Market, the CHOM Pizzeria, and the Creation Station, a hands-on center for art and creativity.

Location: 2213 University Blvd. Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
Telephone: 205-349-4235

 

Civil Rights Memorial - The names of 40 people killed in the battle for civil rights between 1954, when the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed segregation, and 1968, the year of the assassination of Martin Luther King, are embedded forever in this round, flat, granite sculpture. Water flows gently over the surface of the inspiring memorial, designed by Maya Lin, who also created the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

Location: 400 Washington Ave., Montgomery, Alabama Telephone: 334-264-0286

 

 

Cook's Natural Science Museum - The museum provides extensive collections of beautiful and exotic insects, mounted birds and animals, rocks and minerals, sea shells and coral. Protected and endangered species are included in the museum's vast collection and many animals are shown in their natural habitats. Wildlife common to the Tennessee Valley is featured in one display with over fifty species of insects, animals, and water life from the region. In addition, unusual and practical gifts, related to natural science, are available for purchase from our gift counter.

 

 

EarlyWorks Children's Museum is part of Alabama Constitution Village. Hear stories from the talking tree, play a tune on the giant-sized instruments at the Alabama bandstand and try your hand at building a house in the interactive architecture exhibit. Walk the gangplank and explore a 46-foot keelboat, stroll through Alabama's agricultural and industrial history and try on 1800's clothing in the Federal house. Also, for more education, the Alabama Consitution Village is combined with Earlyworks.

Location: 404 Madison Street, Huntsville, Alabama 35811Telephone Number: 256-564-8100 Click here for Directions

 

First White House of the Confederacy - The First White House of the Confederacy is a house museum which tells three stories: 1) What happened during the spring of 1861 when Montgomery was the capitol of the Confederacy; 2) About Jefferson Davis, first president of the provisional government, and his family and 3) About the preservation of the house and the Davis artifacts and period furnishings.

Location: 702 Oliver Road, Montgomery, Alabama 36121 Telephone: 334 271-0050

Hank Williams Museum - Visit the museum of one of the world's greatest musicians who spent the best part of his life on and around the streets of Montgomery, Al. The museum houses Hank's 1952 Cadillac in which he made his final journey. The Oakwood Cemetery is the resting place of Hank and Audrey and is only five minutes away, as is the life size statue located in Lister Hill Park across from the City Auditorium, where Hank's funeral was held.

Location: Take exit 172 from Interstate 65-Downtown-left on Commerce Street

 

 

Historic Huntsville Depot - Built circa 1860, the Historic Huntsville Depot is one of the nations oldest remaining railroad structures. Climb aboard locomotives, see Alabama's largest public model railroad, visit the Civil War exhibit and discover graffiti written by soldiers. Listen as Andy Barker, the robotic ticket agent, tells of Alabama's railway history. There's even a "kid's corner" complete with try-on costumes, train puzzles and maps.Location: 320 Church Street, Huntsville AL Phone Number: 256-564-35801

 

 

Historic Magee Farm - Come see the lasts days of the Civil War. The negotiation of a Cease Far took place inside the Magee Farm.

 

 

Huntsville Museum of Art - The nationally-accredited Museum fills its seven galleries with a variety of exhibitions throughout the year, including prestigious traveling exhibits and the work of nationally and regionally acclaimed artists. The Museum’s own 2,300-piece permanent collection also forms the basis for several exhibitions each year.

 

 

Martin Luther King's Home - Visit Martin Luther King's Home from 1954-1960.

Location: 315 S. Jackson Street, Montgomery, Alabama Telephone: 334-261-3270

 

 

Mobile Museum of Art - Mobile's exquisite showplace includes galleries for blockbuster exhibitions, traveling exhibits, the museum's collection of fine arts and crafts, and regional and student art exhibits. The museum also includes a state-of-the-art education wing with interactive hands-on gallery, orientation theater and classrooms, and an auditorium for lectures and meetings.

Location: 4850 Museum Drive • Mobile, AL • 36608

 

 

Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts - The Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts is the oldest fine arts museum in the state of Alabama. The Museum's magnificent facility provides spacious, light-filled galleries and breathtaking vistas for one of the southeast's premier art resources. Housed within the Museum is the Blount Collection.

Location: One Museum Drive, Montgomery, Alabama 36117 Telephone: 334-244-5700

 

 

Mooseum - Children's educational livestock facility. Displays, exhibits on nutrition, history. Hands-on learning. Hall of Appreciation (livestock industry pioneers exhibit). Opened 1995. Unique interactive way for all ages to learn about Alabama's $2 billion cattle industry.

Location: 201 S. Bainbridge St. Montgomery, AL 36104 Telephone: 334-265-1867

 

 

Museum of Mobile - 21st Century innovative exhibits come alive at The Museum of Mobile. Explore Mobile as the first Americans saw it. Relive the passage on an African slave ship. Listen to the stories of Civil War soldiers, and feel the power of nature’s raging storm, the hurricane. Get your hands on history in the Discovery Room, an interactive gallery for the young and young at heart.

 

 

Oakleigh Historic Complex - At Oakleigh Historic Complex Costumed guides lead you through an intimate experience of 19th century Gulf Coast living in an authentic setting. Open to general admission year-round, Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Location: 300 Oakleigh Place Mobile, AL 36604 Telephone:(251) 432-6161

 

 

Old Alabama Town - Old Alabama Town is a collection of authentically restored 19th and 20th century structures. A magnificent setting, it stretches along six blocks in the heart of historic downtown Montgomery, Alabama. Step back in time and experience over 100 years of history as you embark on a journey where you will see meticulously restored and furnished buildings reflecting the lives of the people who settled and developed Central Alabama.

 

 

Paul Bryant Museum - The mission of the Paul W. Bryant Museum is to collect, preserve and exhibit items, and to disseminate information relating to the sports history of the University of Alabama.

Location: 300 Paul W. Bryant Drive, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 Telephone: 1-866-772-BEAR

 

 

Rickwood Field - Rickwood is America's oldest baseball park. Today, Rickwood Field is a place to relive the magic of baseball's glory years. For those hopeless romantics who are still in love but a little disenchanted with the game, we are preserving Rickwood Field. Our dream is for rickwood Field to be a working museum, a place to actually see and experience baseball as it once was.

Location: 1137 2nd Avenue West, Birmingham, Alabama 35203, United States Telephone number is 205-458-8161

 

Rosa Parks Library and Museum - The Museum is a major landmark in the revitalization of downtown Montgomery constructed on the site of the old Empire Theatre where Mrs. Parks made her courageous and historic stand in 1955. Artifacts include a restored 1955 station wagon (see in the second picture, above), a replica of the public bus on which Mrs. Parks was sitting that day (seen above), and original historical documents of that era loaned by the City of Montgomery.

Location: 251 Montgomery Street, Montgomery, Montgomery, AL 36104 Telephone: (334) 241-8661

 

 

Sci-Quest - Sci-Quest is a hands-on science center with more than 125 permanent, interactive exhibits in seven different subject areas. Unlike a typical "museum," Sci-Quest's exhibits are designed to engage, educate and entertain. In addition to permanent and traveling exhibits, Sci-Quest offers

Location: 102-D Wynn Drive · Huntsville, AL 35805 · 256-837-0606

 

 

Sixteenth Street Baptist Church - On Sunday morning, September 15, 1963, the Ku Klux Klan bombed the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, killing four girls. This murderous act shocked the nation and galvanized the civil rights movement.

Location: Sixteenth Street Baptist Church is located in Birmingham, Alabama, at the intersection of 16th Street and 6th Avenue. Tours are given 10 am to 4 pm, Tuesday through Friday and by appointment only on Saturdays. Groups should call 205-251-9402 to make arrangements.

 

Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark - On April 18, 1882, Sloss Furnaces began producing iron and did not stop until ninety years later. Over the decades, Sloss Furnaces gave rise to the city of Birmingham and served as a battleground for economic, employment and social reform. Now recognized as a National Historic Landmark, Sloss Furnaces is open to the public as a museum of industry which speaks to the contributions of the working men who labored there. With its massive furnaces, web of pipes, and tall smokestacks, it offers us a glimpse into the great industrial past of the South and our nation.

Southern Museum of Flight - You will see the machines that helped the world take to the skies. Military, civilian, and home-built aircraft on display at the Museum include one of Delta Air Line's first planes – the Huff Daland crop duster, a full-size Wright Flyer replica, a 1912 Curtiss Pusher replica, a Fokker VII, a VariEze experimental home-built, and two US Air Force fighter jet cockpit simulators.
But we're more than aircraft. The museum has aviation memorabilia from the earliest days of flight.

Statue of Liberty, Birmingham - Birmingham's Statue of Liberty is visible to motorists driving on the southern outskirts of Birmingham on the Interstate 459 bypass. Located in a commercial development, Liberty Park, the statue is lighted at night and her flame burns continuously.

U.S Space and Rocket Center - Past, present and future of space exploration. Demonstrations, hands-on exhibits, IMAX(r) movie in Spacedome Theater. Watch future astronauts in Space Camp(r) Training Center. Take spine-tingling trip on Space Shot. Admission includes the Space Museum, Rocket Park, and Shuttle Park (full-scale mockup of the Space Shuttle); one viewing of an Omnimax movie (Hail, Columbia or The Dream Is Alive); bus tour of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center; and several rides, including a 3-gravity centrifuge seating 40 persons, the Spacewalker (a few seconds of low gravity), and the Shuttle to Tomorrow (a simulated ride into space).

Location: 1 Tranquility Base Huntsville, AL 35807 Phone Number: 256-837-3400

Vulcan Park - Vulcan Park is home to the world's largest cast iron statue and features spectacular panoramic views of Birmingham. We tell the story of Birmingham's past, present and promise for the future.

West Park - During the first week of May 1963, Birmingham police and firemen attacked civil rights demonstrators, many of whom were children, in the streets bordering this park. The violence raised a nationwide public outcry, hastening integration in America's most segregated city.

 

PLACES IN ALABAMA TO STOP OFF ON THE WAY TO YOUR DESTINATION

Hummingbird Antique Mall - An antique mall that offers eclectic items such as Civil War uniforms.

Location: 721 Bank St NW, Decatur, Alabama Telephone: 256-355-3704