Whether it’s the rockets that launched America to the moon or the home of a blind and deaf girl who became a world-renowned speaker, Alabama offers stories that shatter expectations. From Muscle Shoals to Montgomery, destinations throughout the state reveal stories that intersect at the crossroads of history, culture, adventure, sports and science.
While many destinations promise “something for everyone,” Alabama delivers on this promise with experiences of all kinds. Your group can walk the same grounds where Helen Keller first understood language then cheer from America’s oldest ballpark, where Willie Mays launched his legendary career. The world’s largest spaceflight museum awaits those drawn to cosmic exploration, while others can soak in serenity by wandering through 65 acres of year-round gardens. Adventure seekers can tackle adrenaline-pumping whitewater rapids or experience a rocket ride that launches them 140 feet into the air. No matter what, every interest and skill level can find its match here.
Muscle Shoals
A white clapboard cottage from the 1820s sits on a 640-acre tract in Tuscumbia, Alabama, surrounded by magnolia trees, roses and English ivy. Walking the grounds at Ivy Green, the birthplace of Helen Keller, is like taking a stroll through a history book. Keller became famous for overcoming deafness and blindness and becoming an author, international speaker and lifelong advocate for people with disabilities. Today, the museum at her birthplace is a time capsule of her remarkable life.
On the grounds, visitors can walk along the winding “whistle path” to explore the main house and outdoor kitchen. The estate is dotted with numerous gardens, including herb, rose and butterfly gardens, and no visit is complete without stopping by the Lions Club International Memorial Fountain. Helen Keller’s birthplace cottage sits east of the main house, and what was once an office and then a bridal suite eventually became the living quarters for Keller and her teacher, Anne Sullivan.
The home and museum are decorated with much of the family’s original furniture. It also has Keller’s complete library of Braille books, a Braille typewriter and even the famous water well, where a life-changing moment opened the door to her learning the alphabet.
For an even more immersive experience, groups should plan to visit in the summer months. “Each summer they do a play, ‘The Miracle Worker,’ which is Alabama’s official outdoor drama, and people from all over come to see the play, the reenactment, in the place where it happened,” said Maryanne Floyd, director of marketing and communications at Colbert County Tourism.
Mobile
Known as the “Charmed Spot of the South,” Mobile’s Bellingrath Gardens & Home is a grand estate engulfed by gardens across 65 acres. Bellingrath is perfect for garden enthusiasts and history buffs looking for a walkable experience. The numerous gardens are home to thousands of plants and flowers, including themed areas like a Japanese garden.
“It’s one of those places that’s unique because it changes throughout the year depending on what’s blooming,” said Ashley Rains, senior public relations and communications manager at Visit Mobile.
Groups can visit year-round to see different plants and blooms depending on the season. Camellias bloom in the winter, and spring is for azaleas. Roses call the gardens home in the summer, and visiting in fall means spotting cascading chrysanthemums draped over bridges and tucked throughout the gardens.
The estate’s museum home is a 10,500-square-foot, 15-room English Renaissance house built in 1935. In its early days, the estate belonged to Walter and Bessie Morse Bellingrath. Bessie loved gardens, and the couple’s house on South Ann Street had an extensive collection, becoming the basis for the Mobile Azalea Trail in 1929. The Bellingrath Gardens opened to the public three years later, and Bessie’s longtime dream came true.
Throughout the year, Bellingrath hosts floral workshops for adults. It recently hosted the Gulf Coast Chinese Lantern Festival, which featured luminous sculptures beneath the oaks and is set to become an annual event. To end the year, the annual Magic Christmas in Lights holiday exhibition illuminates the gardens with Christmas colors every evening.
Birmingham
Often considered a gateway to the city, Vulcan Park & Museum is the perfect first stop for groups visiting Birmingham. The iconic Vulcan statue towers over the city at 56 feet high. Many consider it the portal to Birmingham and the perfect place to understand its storied history.
Beyond having the largest cast iron statue in the world, the park is home to miles of hiking and walking trails, panoramic views overlooking the city and an interactive history museum worth exploring for a few hours.
Birmingham was a fast-growing, industrial town when the doors to Rickwood Field, America’s oldest ballpark, opened in 1910. Back then, it was home to the minor league Birmingham Barons and the Birmingham Black Barons, a Negro Southern League baseball team.
Initially dubbed “The Finest Minor League Ballpark Ever,” Rickwood Field was the first to be constructed from concrete and steel. Its original dimensions were similar to a canyon, making it a pitcher’s park and a difficult place to play for home-run hitters. Still, baseball stars were born there, including powerhouse outfielder Willie Mays, whom the Birmingham Black Barons signed in 1948 at 17 years old. Over the years, other star players also took the field at Rickwood, including Babe Ruth, Satchel Paige and Jackie Robinson.
Today, the 10,000-plus-person stadium fills its seats with local baseball teams’ games and special events. On June 20, 2024, Rickwood hosted a Major League Baseball game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants, one of Willie Mays’s former teams.
“HBCUs [Historically Black Colleges and Universities] with baseball teams often play there for the history value of it, and every year there’s the Rickwood Classic,” said Vickie Ashford-Thompson, director of travel media for the Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau. At the annual classic, the Birmingham Barons pay homage to history by dressing in the classic uniforms worn by the team’s earliest players.
Visitors looking to connect their present visits with the past can step back in time at the Negro Southern League Museum to read player stories and see memorabilia from the Black Barons.
Huntsville
Huntsville is known as “Rocket City” because it’s where the rockets that allowed for early moon exploration were developed.
Visitors can experience that space-specific history at Huntsville’s U.S. Space & Rocket Center. It’s Alabama’s most-visited attraction and, with a collection of more than 1,500 objects, the largest spaceflight museum in the world. A full-scale Saturn V rocket is housed alongside other permanent and rotating exhibits in the main building, the Davidson Center for Space Exploration. The Rocket Center’s permanent collection includes the first American satellite, original capsule trainers for the Mercury and Gemini programs, design modules for the International Space Station and more.
It is also home to the famous Space Camp. This NASA-based youth training camp has been the launchpad for aerospace and science careers and enthusiast exploration for over 40 years.
“It’s a perfect location for group tours,” said Charles Winters, executive vice president of marketing, media and advertising inquiries for Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau. “The center lends itself very well to a number of group activities. There are films at the Intuitive Planetarium, which are displayed in 8K resolution, and the platform they use can take viewers anywhere in the known universe.”
Moon Shot is a ride that simulates the feeling of launching 140 feet skyward in 2.5 seconds. The center also hosts weekly Meet an Astronaut events during the summer.
Montgomery
Get off the beaten path and into the waters of Montgomery for a unique group experience at Montgomery Whitewater, a 120-acre outdoor adventure center. Travelers can enjoy its mix of adventure, outdoor activities, festivals and events. The 2,200-foot-long Creek Channel mimics a natural river and offers a whitewater experience that’s ideal for beginners and intermediate rafters. There’s also the Competition Channel for more advanced rafters looking for the thrill of bigger rapids.
Other than water sports, visitors can walk the recreational trails and try zip lining, bouldering, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding or biking. In summer, Friday and Saturday nights feature live entertainment during the Patio Music series. And there’s year-round craft beer and dining at Eddy’s restaurant and bar, which overlooks the whitewater channels.
The park typically hosts Summer Solstice, a mix of live music, sunset rafting and fun activities. While summer is vibrant at Montgomery Whitewater, the park is open all year with seasonal offerings, including ice skating and an aerial ropes course. The Get Down is its free weekly concert series in the spring and fall, and the park hosts a zombie-themed 5K and fun run in October.
“Montgomery Whitewater has a venue space attached to its restaurant that can accommodate larger parties, as well as a sprawling dining porch off the back that overlooks the channels,” said Megan Carlisle, senior manager of brand development at Experience Montgomery. “Both spaces can be rented by groups for events.”
