Birmingham Travel

Birmingham is the biggest city in the state of Alabama.  The Birmingham Metropolitan Area has a population of 1,212,848 in 2009 Census.

The city is popular not just because of its enviable weather but due to the low cost of living too.  It ranked eighth in the most affordable housing market in the entire US.

The weather of the city is very conducive to travelling as it is mostly sunny.  The temperature is not prone to extremes.  This helps ensure that you will surely enjoy your stay.

A. Tourist Attractions

1. Birmingham Museum of Art – is the largest museum in the city of Birmingham.  It houses 21,000 pieces of art.

2. Birmingham Civil Rights Institute – which contains a narrative about Birmingham’s history in the US Civil Rights Movement.

Other museums that talk about the place’s history are: museums include the Southern Museum of Flight, Bessemer Hall of History, Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark, Alabama Museum of Health Sciences, and the Arlington Home.

3. Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame – is another landmark in the city of Birmingham that houses exhibits pertaining to the various jazz musicians from Alabama.

4. The McWane Science Center is a museum that provides science exhibits.

5. Vulcan Park has the world’s biggest cast iron of Vulcan.

6. The Birmingham Botanical Gardens has an area of 67 acres (270,000 m²) showing various plant varieties.

7. The Birmingham Zoo is a huge zoo that houses over 700 animals and an interactive zoo for kids.
DeSoto Caverns Park situated at Southeast of Birmingham.  It provides guided tours on the biggest cave of entire Alabama as high as 12 stories and as wide as a football field.  The park has various recreational facilities for family outside the cave.

8. Alabama Adventure Theme Park (used to be Visionland) is a popular amusement park with two  sections: Splash Beach Water Park and Magic Adventure Theme Park,. The theme park provides 25 distinctive thrill rides.

9. The Summit is a high end lifestyle facility that houses different stores and restaurants located in Southeast Birmingham.

10. Aldridge Botanical Gardens provides a good place to hike and stroll for the tourists.

B. Things to Do

1. Cultural Festivals – various cultural festivals are held in the city of Birmingham each year.  The festivals feature several themes such as music festival, films, books and publishers and regional heritage.

2. Some festivals in the city include: Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival, a musical festival called Taste of 4th Avenue Jazz Festival, an arts festival known as Southern Heritage Festival and an annual music festival called The Schaeffer Eye Center Crawfish Boil.

3. Motorsports are very famous in the city of Birmingham and the entire state. Recreational fishing is another favourite activity among tourists and locals alike.  The place is dubbed as the "Bass Capital of the World."  A number of fishing tournaments are held in the city.

4. Cycling is another popular sport in the area. They have an annual cycling race event in Oak Mountain State Park.

The city of Birmingham is steeped in culture and history.  It boasts a number of amenities that locals and tourists get to enjoy.  Its temperate climate and affordable living standards make it one of the best places to live in the US.