Museums and galleries in Birmingham

Museums and galleries in Birmingham

1. See

   16th Street Baptist Church

   On September 15, 1963, in the aftermath of the Birmingham campaign (and at the beginning of the first school year in which the city's public schools were integrated), four members of the Ku Klux Klan bombed this oldest African-American church in Birmingham with dynamite, killing four young girls at choir practice and further outraging the nation and solidifying support in Congress for civil rights legislation. The church was rebuilt and remains in operation today, welcoming visitors both to Sunday services (10:45AM) and to the basement exhibition space featuring historical photographs and displays related to the Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham.

   Tours: Tue-Sat 10AM-4PM (last tour starts at 3PM); Worship Service: Sun 10:45AM·Adults: $10, Students aged 18 and under: $%

2. See

   Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame

   Founded in 1978, the museum part opened in 1993 with exhibits from instruments to dresses on display. Of course you also get to experience the music itself in jazz performances, workshops and courses.

   Tue-Sat 10AM-5PM (guided tours Mon-Wed Fri 10AM-1:30PM)·$3/2 (guided/self-guided)

3. See

   Alabama Sports Hall of Fame

   The museum presents the athletic history of the state of Alabama, and is one of the biggest in the U.S with over 6,000 pieces of sports memorabilia.

   Mon-Sat 9AM-5PM·Adults $5, seniors 60+ $4, students $3

4. See

   Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum and Motorsports Park

   The park is meticulously well-kept. IndyCar and Superbike racing will thrill any visitor. This is truly world-class racing in a park that one would expect to see only in Europe or in a much larger city.

   Mon-Sat 10AM-6PM, Sun noon-6PM; museum closes one hour earlier Oct-Mar·$10, children 4-12 $6

5. See

   Birmingham Civil Rights Institute

   Interpretive museum and research center, where you can learn about the struggle for civil rights through such engaging exhibits as a mocked-up 1950s-era segregated city, a replica of a Freedom Riders bus from Mississippi, and even the actual door from the cell in Birmingham Jail where Dr. Martin Luther King was held (see below). Researchers have at their disposal an expansive archive of documents and recordings.

   Tue-Sat 10AM-5PM·Adults $15, seniors 65+ $13, college students, children grades 4-12 $13, children grades 3 and under free.

6. See

   Birmingham Museum of Art

   Visual art from all over the world, from ancient Egyptian to contemporary American. In particular, its Asian section is considered the best in the southeastern U.S.

   Tue-Sat 10AM-5PM, Sun noon-5PM·Free

7. See

   Sloss Furnaces

   The Sloss Iron and Steel Company was one of the first industrial concerns to set up shop in the then-brand new city of Birmingham. It eventually grew into one of the largest manufacturers of pig iron in the world (it should be said, largely on the backs of African-American convict labor — a form of legal slavery common in the Jim Crow era whereby local blacks would be rounded up and arrested on trumped-up charges and then leased out to private companies like Sloss for use as unpaid workers). Abandoned in 1972, their Furnace No. 1 was deemed an eyesore and slated for demolition, but saved at the last minute by historic preservationists and opened to the public as... well, it's hard to say exactly what this place is nowadays. Strolling around the old ovens, smokestacks, conveyor belts, and other abandoned equipment, you almost get the feeling of being in a giant art exhibit (the modern-day metal sculptures peppered around the site certainly don't do anything to discourage that sentiment). There is also a visitors' center with museum-style exhibits relating Birmingham's industrial history, and a full calendar of concerts and events at this one-of-a-kind venue.

   Tue-Sat 10AM-4PM·Free

8. See

   Southern Museum of Flight

   If you're interested in aviation history, this is the place to go. The museum has more than 100 aircraft on display, both civilian and military (among them a Wright flyer replica), as well as plane parts, photographs and other artifacts.

   Tue-Sat 9:30AM-4:30PM·Adults $5, seniors & students $4, children under 4 and active military members free

9. See

   Vulcan Park

   What better way to pay homage to the mighty steel industry of early-20th century Birmingham than with an enormous statue of the Roman god of fire and metalsmithing? The world's largest cast iron statue at a height of, Vulcan was forged in 1903 as Birmingham's contribution to the St. Louis World's Fair, then spent a few decades welcoming visitors at the state fairgrounds in West Birmingham before being re-erected and rededicated in 1936 at the summit of Red Mountain by the Works Progress Administration. Vulcan now stands atop a sandstone pedestal with an observation deck near the top that provides a panoramic view of Birmingham and vicinity. Nearby is a small museum with exhibits on local industrial history.

   Park: daily 7AM-10PM; Museum: Mon-Sat 10AM-6PM, Sun 1-6PM; Observation Balcony: Mon-Sat 10AM-10PM, Sun 1-10PM

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Birmingham (CC BY-SA 4.0).