From historical sites to impressive museums, Birmingham has something for everyone
Located at the foothills of the beautiful Appalachian Mountains, Birmingham offers wonderful surprises everywhere you look. From lush rolling hills and award-winning restaurants to historical sites commemorating Birmingham’s important role in the Civil Rights Movement, Birmingham offers visitors and locals alike a seemingly never-ending list of activities and adventures.
Here, we spotlight three of Birmingham’s many must-see places.
Civil Rights District
Now a National Monument, Birmingham’s Civil Rights District should be at the top of any visitor’s to-do list. Located in downtown Birmingham where a number of significant events of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and ’60s occurred, the Civil Rights District includes a number of historical landmarks. The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute offers exhibits on segregation and the Civil Rights struggle, including ones on the 1955 arrest of Rosa Parks for her refusal to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus to a white man and the U.S. Supreme Court’s bus desegregation ruling in 1956.
Adjacent to the Institute is Kelly Ingram Park, a one-time gathering place for demonstrations, which features dramatic sculptures depicting the powerful events that took place there in the 1960s. Across the street is Birmingham’s most famous Civil Rights landmark, the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, the site of a deadly bombing by Ku Klux Klansmen in 1963. Nearby, the Fourth Avenue Business District is filled with many minority-owned businesses, including charming restaurants, barbershops and bakeries.
Vintage Motorsports Museum
Located on the east side of Birmingham, the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museums is home to the largest collection of motorcycles in the world with some 1,600 impeccably restored bikes spanning more than 100 years of production displayed inside a beautiful contemporary building. More than 950 bikes can be seen on any given day, and 200 different manufacturers from 20 countries are represented in the collection, including Harley-Davidson, Honda, Indian, Showa, DSK and Cagiva. In keeping with the founder’s love for cars and racing, the museum also features the world’s most extensive Lotus collection and rare racecars, including the 1964 Ferrari F-158 in which John Surtees won the 1964 Formula 1 Driver’s World Championship. Nearby is a 2.38-mile, 17-turn track that hosts events yearlong, such as the Grand-Am, Pirelli World Challenge and Vintage Racing Series events. Put your own pedal to the medal with the Porsche Driving Experience where you can take laps on the beautiful Barber track.
Vulcan Park and Museum
Pay your respects to Birmingham’s iron origins at Vulcan Park and Museum atop Red Mountain overlooking the valley in which Birmingham is nestled. There, you’ll find a towering statue of Vulcan, Roman God of Fire and Forge. Standing 56 feet tall, Vulcan is the world’s largest cast iron statue. Designed by Italian artist Giuseppe Moretti and cast from local iron in 1904, Vulcan presides over the park and an interactive museum dedicated to telling Birmingham’s story. The view from his pedestal alone is worth a visit.
If you’d like to learn more about what Birmingham has to offer, just Subscribe to Leisure Group Travel magazine for FREE and get even more travel ideas for Birmingham and other amazing locations.
Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau
TARA WALTON, CTIS
Director of TourismTourism Staff
