Category: Huntsville

Experience our Arts and Culture

Looking for a cultured night out on the town? Head to the Von Braun Center for a variety of performances by local and regional and national groups. Treat yourself to an evening with the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra and enjoy classical and modern performances led by maestro Gregory Vajda. For information, visit hso.org. The Huntsville Ballet Company also calls the VBC home. Visit huntsvilleballet.org for a schedule of performances by some of the country’s most talented professional dancers. The VBC hosts Broadway Theatre League shows, brought straight from NYC to the Rocket City. For a list of dates and shows, visit broadwaytheatreleaque.org. If you are looking for local theater talent, the Von Braun Center Playhouse hosts the Fantasy Playhouse Children’s Theater (fantastplayhouse.org) and Theatre Huntsville.

Art can be found all throughout Downtown Huntsville. Don’t miss the murals that bring life to the walls of downtown buildings. The newest mural in Downtown can be seen off of Washington Street on the side of the Clinton Row Garage. This mural is in honor of the “Votes for Women” campaign.

You can also enjoy art in hidden locations through the Downtown Huntsville Secret Art Trail. Art can be found on ceilings, in alleys, and even underneath your feet! Plus, the new Mae Jemison segment of the Secret Art Trail in Big Spring Park features seven painted power boxes in honor of the first African American woman in space. You can learn more at downtownhuntsville.org/secretarttrail.

If you want to bring Downtown Huntsville Art back home to you, then check out the Friday Night Art Walks. From May to October, Downtown Huntsville, Inc. hosts their Friday Night Art Walks, where local art vendors gather around the Historic Square in Downtown Huntsville for a night of fun local shopping. More information about Friday Night Art Walks can be found at downtownhuntsville.org/FridayNightArtWalk.

Located in the heart of Downtown Huntsville in Big Spring Park, the nationally accredited Huntsville Museum of Art fills its numerous galleries with a variety of exhibitions throughout the year, including prestigious traveling exhibits, the work of nationally and regionally acclaimed artists and exhibits from the museum’s own 3,000-piece permanent collection. After you take in the art, stop in the Museum Store for unique jewelry, pottery, glasswork and more.

For more Downtown History and Culture, head to any of our Historic Residential communities. The city of Huntsville boasts more homes on the National Register of Historic Places than any other in Alabama. Located downtown, the Twickenham District is one of the South’s best-kept secrets, featuring the largest collection of antebellum homes in Alabama.

Kids and adults alike will be impressed by the recreated world of the past at EarlyWorks Children’s Museum, the Alabama Constitution Hall Park, where interpreters live the lives of early Huntsville settlers. And who doesn’t love trains? Stop by the Huntsville Depot Museum for a ride through railroad history. Can’t decide which one you want to visit? See all three and enjoy a discount. Call 256.564.8100for more information.

Experience the Downtown Trail Network

If the Downtown Huntsville Secret Art Trail interests you, then you might want to consider journeying on the other Downtown Huntsville Trails. These include the Craft Beer Trail, Craft Coffee Trail, and the newest Craft Cocktail Trail.

For craft beer fans, Huntsville is a popular destination for your favorite ales, stouts and more, and many of the top craft beer establishments are concentrated in the Downtown Huntsville area! The Downtown Huntsville Craft Beer Trail is an informal alliance of local craft breweries and craft beer stores. Guests on the trail can pick up a trail card at any of the establishments on the trail. From there, you can get your trail card stamped at each stop. Once you complete all the stops, you can redeem your trail card for free trail swag. In other words, the Downtown Huntsville Craft Beer Trail rewards you for tasting all the great local craft beers in the city center.

If Huntsville wasn’t known for it’s beer, then coffee would be the runner up! With the same concept in mind as the Craft Beer Trail, the Craft Coffee Trail rewards You for staying caffeinated! Visit local craft coffee establishments to get a trail card, stamps, and earn a fabulous Craft Coffee Trail mug!

The newest addition to the Downtown Huntsville Trail Network is the Craft Cocktail Trail. These impressive cocktails may seem like a reward themselves, but you might as well start earning your stamps while you are indulging!

Drink handcrafted cocktails, collect your stamps, and at the end of the trail receive a cocktail strainer to make your favorite drink right at home! For a true Rocket City experience, book a ride on the Rocket City Rover party trolley and take to the trails in style and comfort!

Whether you’re looking to grab a drink and chill to some tunes or dance into the night, you can find just the right spot in Downtown Huntsville. Live bands are a mainstay at many bars and clubs, including The Martin Bar & Bistro, Jefferson St. Pub, and Sidetracks where you can also grab a bite to eat. Or, you can rock out at such local favorites as Sammy T’s Music Hall and Whiskey Bottom Saloon.

Unique rooftop experiences and the city’s top bartenders await you at Stella’s Elixir Lounge and Rhythm on Monroe where you may also enjoy live music many nights of the week. Church Street Wine Shoppe, Purveyor, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, and Domaine South also offer handcrafted cocktails and glasses of wine and appetizers. Nightlife in Downtown Huntsville is an adventure around every corner.

Experience Shopping Local

In the mood to do a little shopping? Then look no further than the Clinton Row District. This one-of-a-kind shopping destination in historic Downtown Huntsville is home to some of the city’s most unique boutiques. From boho chic goods at Indigo Boutique, Caley Paige Home and Gifts, Silhouette Boutique, 5th Avenue inspired fashions at Elitaire Boutique to a full servicemen’s provisioner at Roosevelt & Co., these locally-owned and operated shops are sure to have a unique selection of items you won’t find anywhere else. Plus head underground to the Clinton Row Shops for some of Downtown Huntsville’s best keptsecrets! See all the unique shopping in theClinton Row District at shopclintonrow.com.

Around the Historic Square, you will find the oldest store in DowntownHuntsville, Harrison Brother’s Hardware.Established in 1894, the store retains its original historic fixtures and offers merchandise that reflects “American made” at its finest. This shop is not just a great place to find Huntsville gifts and galore, but an entire experience with plenty to learn about Huntsville history.

If you are heading up to the mountain, stop by The Little Green Store and the gift shop at Burritt on the Mountain for great Monte Sano themed merchandise and amazing gift ideas.

Other notable shopping locations include the Preservation Company, Holtz Leather, and Brooks & Collier all located within the Lincoln Mill District. Find handmade artisan goods at the Lowe Mill Arts & Entertainment Center. In the Medical District, you can find Merchants Square and Merchants Walk full of quirky boutiques. Twickenham Square is home to a few small businesses as well as a Publix for convenient grocery shopping. Supporting local small businesses is easy when there are so many great options from which to choose.

For a full list of shops, visit downtownhuntsville.org/shopping.

Experience an Active Lifestyle

Without a doubt, Big Spring Park is the epicenter of life and culture in Huntsville, and now zipping around downtown is easier than ever. Downtown Huntsville Blue Bikes, presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield, are spread out throughout downtown at eleven stations including at the VisitorsCenter, Big Spring Park, and Campus 805. Riders will pay a simple $2 per 30 minutesof riding.

Throughout the year, the park plays host to numerous events, including the Panoply Arts Festival, Crush Wine & Food Festival, Tinsel Trail and Paddle the Canal. But you don’t have to wait for a major event to enjoy the park. Children will love the famously friendly ducks, geese and koi that call the lagoon home. Or, use the park as a starting point for your exploration ofHuntsville. Visitors can enjoy strolling the walking trail, viewing the light displays every evening after dark, stopping for a peaceful picnic or even surfing the web courtesy of free wi-fi.

However, don’t miss out on Downtown Huntsville’s other parks! Visit our urban pocket park, Washington Park, for a splash of nature in the middle of bustling buildings. Or enjoy thrilling sports and a covered patio at California Park. For a peek at many of our Downtown Parks, check out the Downtown Huntsville Explorer Vlog Park Series at downtownhuntsville.org/vlog.

Downtown Huntsville is also only five minutes away from over 40 miles of mountain biking and hiking trails. Land Trust of North Alabama’s Monte Sano Nature Preserve offers 22 miles of free public trails showcasing native wildflowers, historic sites, waterfalls and more. Anchoring the district is Monte Sano State Park which offers panoramic views of Huntsville.

If you are seeking an indoor fitness experience, Downtown Huntsville offers everything from cycling, to martial arts and everything in between. Cycling classes can be found at Zoom Fitness or the new Cyclebar. Enjoy Yoga with Light On Yoga Fitness. Learn martial arts through Maverick Training, or try trainer led classes at Regymen Fitness. For a full list of indoor fitness experiences, visit downtownhuntsville.org/dorentorn-outdoors.

Experience Dine Huntsville

One thing’s for sure you won’t go hungry while you’re visiting Downtown Huntsville. Whether you’re in the mood for a quick bite, a leisurely dinner or fine dining, there are plenty of options to please your palate. In the downtown core try local favorites like Rhythm on Monroe, Honest CoffeeRoasters, and Domaine South. The Church Street Family has several dining options in the downtown core including the new Church Street Wine Shoppe on Gates andSea Salt: Oyster Bar. For hand crafted cocktails and an unforgettable dinner, try Purveyor; they have an inventive menu and they’re open late for shareables. Downtown is also home to Cotton Row and Commerce Kitchen by celebrity chef James Boyce.

In West Huntsville you can find Fresko Grille at Stovehouse for a healthy option or stop into Earth and Stone Wood Fired Pizza at Campus 805 for a meal for the whole family.

The Medical District is home to fine steak at Ruth’s Chris Steak House.Find more dining options atdowntownhuntsville.org/dining-nightlife.

See ExcursionsGo.com for a complete list of dining options.

Experience Live Music

The Von Braun Center has multiple facilities to host live musical performances. Big name concerts as well as local musician lineups are held at the VBC. It is located conveniently next to many downtown restaurants, parks, and hotels. Visitors and locals alike can enjoy a night out at the Von Braun Center in Downtown Huntsville.

The newest addition to the VBC is the Mars Music Hall. Its open-floor plan and balcony overlooking the oversized stage make this one of the most unique live music venues in the state. It is also equipped with four bars/food service areas perfect for big events.

Aside from live music venues, Downtown Huntsville is also home to the Women in Music weekend. Celebrating women in music, this weekend is filled with Huntsville’s top women musicians performing at local establishments downtown. You can enjoy music sessions with multiple artists at bigger venues or cozy up with a single artist in smaller unconventional stages. Learn more at downtownhuntsville.org/womeninmusic.

If you can’t make it out to any live music event venues or the Women in Music weekend, you can visit downtown any day or time and be able to find buskers performing. Local buskers are welcome to set up in certain areas of Downtown Huntsville to provide live music for those dining or shopping in the area.

Experience Unique Venues

Campus No. 805 has become the connecting point for the resurgence of West Huntsville neighborhoods, the treasured historic districts and the hundreds of exciting new loft residences in downtown. Campus 805, once home to classrooms filled with students, is now filled with a growing list of tenants including craft breweries, restaurants, catering, bars, retail and entertainment venues!

Stovehouse, an old factory building, is now one of the best social pubs in downtown. Great food and beverage options line the courtyard at Stovehouse all encompassing a beautiful area for socializing or listening to live music. Recurring events here include trivia night, dueling pianos, movie nights, and more.

Find more information about our venues at downtownhuntsville.org/shopping.

Stop by the Welcome Center

Need information about what to do during your stay in the Rocket City? Stop by the Visitor Center, located in the lobby of the Huntsville/Madison County Convention and Visitors Bureau in Downtown Huntsville. Pickup Passport coupons to use at area attractions. Sports fan? Pick up an All-Star Sports Pass which allows you to buy one ticket and get one FREE to Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, Huntsville Havoc hockey, UAH Chargers hockey and Huntsville Tigers women’s football. TheVisitor Center is also the perfect place to pick up a Rocket City souvenir, or the Arts & Entertainment Pass.

For more information about the Visitor Center and to see online listings of where to stay, shop, dine and play, call 800.SPACE.4.U or visithuntsville.org. Open seven days a week, the Visitor Center is conveniently located at 500 Church Street NW in Downtown Huntsville.

from ‘EXCURSIONS GUESTBOOK HUNTSVILLE, MADISON & DECATUR 10th Anniversary…’Wide Open Spaces

From shopping to museums to nature preserves, Huntsville has the perfect agenda for every traveler.

Alabama Constitution Village

Constitution Village is a unique and unforgettable journey into Alabama’s past. Come see villagers busy with their daily tasks, seemingly unaware that nearly two centuries have come and gone. Hear the whir of the spinning wheel, smell the enticing aroma of freshly baked bread being prepared over an open fire and turn the great wheel lathe in the cabinetmaker’s shop. Admission charged. See website for hours. {109 Gates Avenue, 256.564.8100; earlyworks.com}

Big Spring International Park

Located in downtown Huntsville, this iconic park serves as the center of the city. Named after an underground spring that John Hunt, Huntsville’s founder, built a cabin next to in 1805, it’s now surrounded by museums, hotels and more. The park plays host to major area events, like the Panoply Arts Festival and local concerts, and showcases gifts bestowed upon the city by other countries, including the “Red Bridge” and 60 cherry trees from Japan. Free Admission. {Located adjacent to downtown Huntsville}

Bridge Street Town Centre

Bridge Street Town Centre is the premier retail and entertainment center in North Alabama. Featuring over 70 upscale shops and restaurants, including favorites like J. Crew, The Apple Store and Anthropology. The center also includes the 14-screen Monaco Pictures Theater, a 10-acre lake with gondola boats and watercraft rentals, a beautiful carousel, fountains and lots of open green spaces. Free admission. {Located at the corner of Old Madison Pike and Research Park Blvd.; 256.327.8400; see their ad inside back cover; bridgestreethuntsville.com}

Burritt on the Mountain

Also known as the “Jewel on the Mountain,” this living museum is seated atop RoundTop Mountain and features entertainment for all ages. At the 19th-century farm, children can pet barnyard animals, while adults can wander the 14-rooms of the unique X-shaped 1930s mansion. Visitors can explore the winding nature trails, visit authentic exhibits and even attend concerts and plays. Admission charged. See website for hours. {3101 Burritt Drive, Huntsville; 256.536.2882}

Ditto Landing

For overnight, over the weekend, or week-long vacation, Ditto Landing is a camper’s paradise. Nestled in the shaded comfort of densely wooded lots, the campground is cool, peaceful and just a moment’s walk from an abundance of fun-filled activities. It serves as the gateway to Wheeler reservoir, which has more than 60,000 acres of adventurous playground. There are ample facilities for boats of all sizes. See website for hours. {293 Ditto Landing Road, Huntsville; 256.882.1057}.

Dublin Memorial Park

Located in Madison, this park features 66 acres of recreational activities. The Dublin Memorial Park Facility includes an outdoor swimming pool with baby and diving pools. Indoor facilities include a double-court gymnasium equipped for basketball and volleyball, an upstairs walking

track and a 25-yard heated indoor swimming pool. Other outdoor activity areas include a walking trail, five soccer fields, a community-built playground and seven tennis courts. See website for hours. Free admission. {8324 Old Madison Pike, Madison; 256.772.9300}

EarlyWorks Children’s Museum

EarlyWorks was designed for children—go ahead…touch, climb, pull, explore! Hear stories from the Talking Tree, play a tune on the giant-sized instruments at the Alabama bandstand and try your hand at building in the Kidstruction Zone. Explore a 46-foot Keelboat, trade your wares at the general store and try on clothing from the 1800s in the federal house. Preschoolers will enjoy exploring Biscuit’s Backyard, a touch-and-learn area that includes a garden, grocery store and even karaoke. See website for hours. Admission charged. {404 Madison Street in Huntsville; 256.564.8107; earlyworks.com}

Harrison Brothers Hardware

Better than a museum, Harrison Brothers is a living 19th-century landmark sitting serenely in the midst of downtown Huntsville. When you’re searching for that perfect souvenir to take home, Harrison Brothers is the place to visit. This shopper’s delight is filled with treasures, like a stack of antique biscuit jars brimming with old-fashioned candies, cotton throws, colorful tins, marbles by the scoop, cast iron cookware and oak rocking chairs. See website for hours. Free admission. {124 South Side Square in Huntsville; 256.536.3631; harrisonbrothershardware.com}

Historic Huntsville Depot

Hear the rattle of the tracks and the engineer’s whistle as you experience life on the rails in 1860. Discover Civil War graffiti and listen as Andy, the robotic ticket agent, tells of Alabama’s railway history. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Depot was an active passenger station until 1968. The original depot building now stands as a symbol of Huntsville’s transportation history and city growth. See website for hours. Admission charged. {320 Church Street, Huntsville; 256.564.8100}

Huntsville Botanical Garden

Open year-round, the Huntsville Botanical Garden has 112 acres to explore, learn, and discover the beauty and wonder of plants. From grassy meadows to woodland paths, aquatic habitats to stunning floral collections, the Garden invites guests of all ages to make memories together in nature.

At the Garden, you can admire collections of native plants or stroll along nature trails. You can play in the Children’s Garden or find a moment of serenity in the cool shade of the trees. With additional exhibits and events throughout the year, the Garden is a place of beauty, education, and celebration for all in every season.

In this dynamic young garden, you’ll find inviting woodland paths, stunning floral collections and exhibits to delight visitors of all ages. Paths meander through the shady woodlands of the Dogwood Trail and the lush fern glade, while native wildflowers quietly populate the Nature Trail. The daylily and herb gardens rival or surpass those of older, more mature botanical gardens. The demonstration vegetable garden showcases varieties of produce and inspires home gardeners. With new exhibits every season, there’s always something blooming at the gardens! See website for hours. {4747 Bob Wallace Avenue in Huntsville; 256.830.4447; hsvbg.org}

Huntsville Madison County Veterans Memorial

This memorial recognizes by name the Madison County veterans killed in action during all wars from WWI to the present and recognizes and honors Madison County veterans awarded the Medal of Honor. The mission of the memorial is to inspire visitors by instilling a sense of pride and respect for all veterans who have served in the armed forces of the United States of America, to provide an incentive to serve and to educate visitors, especially the young, about the sacrifices made by those that came before them and those who continue to guarantee our freedom by serving in the Armed Forces of the United States of America. {200 Monroe Street NW; 256.604.3896; hmcvm.org}

Lowe Mill Arts & Entertainment

Located in historic Lowe Mill, supports a diverse creative community dedicated to the free expression of the arts in Huntsville. Our vision is to be a true arts destination and to grow Huntsville’s appreciation and interaction with the arts. {2211 Seminole Drive Huntsville, 256.533.0399; lowemill.art}

Monte Sano State Park

Slip into your walking shoes and get ready to explore beautiful North Alabama outdoors! Spread across more than 2,100 acres, historic Monte Sano State Park sits 1,900 feet above sea level and boasts some of the most beautiful views of the Huntsville area. Spanish for “Mountain of Health,” this park features cabins and camping facilities, as well as 20 miles of hiking trails and 14 miles of biking trails. Hours: 7 am – sundown. Admission charged. {5101 Nolen Road SE, Huntsville 256.534.3757}

North Alabama Railroad Museum

Located just east of Huntsville in the historic Chase community, this museum is a boon for train lovers. On Wednesdays and Saturdays, take a guided tour of more than 30 train cars, including locomotives, dining cars and sleeper cars. On Saturdays from March – Dec, you can even take an hour-long train ride and enjoy the local scenery. Admission charged. {694 Chase Road in Huntsville; 256.851.6276; northalabamarailroadmuseum.com}

Old Town Historic District

The Old Town Historic District features homes in a variety of styles including Federal, Greek Revival, Queen Anne, American Craftsman and Prairie School with homes dating from the late 1820s through the early 1900s. {Roughly bound by Dement and Lincoln Streets and Randolph and Walker Avenues}

State Black Archives Research Center and Museum

Located in the historic James H. Wilson Building on the campus of Alabama A&M University just outside Huntsville, the center is a repository of African American history and culture, providing a dialogue between the present and past. Archival collections and featured exhibits span three floors of beautiful gallery areas. Admission charged. {Located on the campus of Alabama A&M University in Normal, AL; 256.372.5846}

Twickenham Historic District

Alabama’s largest collection of pre-Civil War homes features Federal, Italianate, Queen Anne, Bungalow and Classical architecture, including the Weeden House Museum, Alabama’s oldest house open to the public. Guided tours conducted. {109 Gates Avenue at Constitution Village in Huntsville}

U.S. Space and Rocket Center

The world’s largest space attraction features dozens of interactive exhibits surrounding Apollo, Mercury and Space Shuttle spacecraft. The U. S. Space and Rocket Center is the only place in the world where you can stand under a “full stack”—the Space Shuttle, external tank, and two rocket boosters. Experience three times the force of gravity as you spin in the G-Force Accelerator, feel the powerful G forces of launch aboard the Space Shot and maneuver through space aboard the Mission to Mars. You can also stop for a show in the Spacedome Omnimax theater. Hours: 9 am – 5 pm, seven days a week. Admission charged. {One Tranquility Base in Huntsville; 1.800.63.SPACE; rocketcenter.com}

Veterans Memorial Museum

Take a walk through American military history at this museum filled with exhibits, memorabilia and more. The collection includes more than 30 military vehicles, including tanks, helicopters, motorcycles and boats. Dedicated to promoting and disseminating the accomplishments of American military men and women, the museum is popular among veterans and their families. Cash only admission. {2060A Airport Road in Huntsville; 256.883.3737; memorialmuseum.org}

Von Braun Center

The Von Braun Center is a multi-purpose facility located in downtown Huntsville, Alabama and is home to Huntsville Havoc (a professional ice hockey team in the Southern Professional Hockey League), Broadway Theatre League, Huntsville Symphony Orchestra, and Arts Huntsville. The VBC offers multiple venues for presenting cultural, educational, entertainment, sporting and social events. Venue spaces include the Propst Arena, Mark C. Smith Concert Hall, Mars Music Hall, North Hall, South Hall, and East Hall. Additionally, the VBC has an on-site full-service restaurant and rooftop bar – Rhythm on Monroe. With over 170,000 square feet of flexible meeting space the VBC is able to accommodate events of all types and sizes. {700 Monroe Street, Huntsville; 256.533.1953; vonbrauncenter.com}

Weeden House Museum

Alabama’s oldest open-to-the-public building is best known as the birthplace of 19th-century poet and artist Maria Howard Weeden, whose poetry and paintings captured the essence of nineteenth-century Southern culture. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Weeden House is the only home in the Twickenham Historic District open as a museum. {300 Gates Avenue, SE, Huntsville; 256.536.7718; weedenhousemuseum.com} ❖

from EXCURSIONS GUESTBOOK HUNTSVILLE, MADISON & DECATUR 10th Anniversary Editionby EXCURSIONS BY CITYVISION

HUNTSVILLE: From Big Spring to Big Dreams

BY KIMBERLY BALLARD

Photographs courtesy of the Huntsville-Madison County Library Archives

Tucked in the rolling foothills of North Alabama, the city of Huntsville is a hidden oasis of culture, innovation and progress. Known best as the cradle of the American space program, this “Rocket City” has blasted off, amazing visitors and residents alike with its surprising pedigree of events and attractions. But like most places, Huntsville’s origins are much more humble.

The story begins more than 200 years ago. Absent were the towering projectiles of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, missing was the sprawling luxury retail jungle of Bridge Street. Back then, Huntsville was all fields, trees and foothills. That is, until Tennessee frontiersman John Hunt scaled Monte Sano Ridge and changed everything.

The rumor of a freshwater spring lured Hunt from his home to explore the North Alabama wilderness. Amid the Chickasaw Indians who hunted along the banks, Hunt built a two-bedroom log cabin for his family on a bluff overlooking the spring he discovered. The word spread, and by 1808, around three hundred settlers lived near “Big Spring,” where locals transported their cotton crops down the Indian Creek Canal to the Tennessee River. Huntsville Springs to Life

As cotton production picked up, the settlement grew. In 1807, Wyatt Bishop established the town’s first school. The next year, Stephen Neal stepped up as the first sheriff and married the town’s first couple, James McGuire and Elizabeth Ghormley. Soon after, John Bunch’s Old Tavern opened as the city’s first watering hole, and by 1810, the town’s first murder trial had taken place, and Eli Newman had been hanged at the edge of town.

With Hunt’s Big Spring booming, the city’s founder headed back to Tennessee to sell his family’s land to pay his settlement registration fees. While he was gone, three profit-minded pioneers bought up his spring-front property and the surrounding area. One of these men, LeRoy Pope, renamed the town Twickenham after the English hometown of his famous ancestor, the poet Alexander Pope. But in 1811, Hunt’s land around Big Spring was reinstated and Huntsville was given its permanent name. LeRoy Pope may have lost the name game, but Twickenham lives on as the name of Huntsville’s antebellum district—the largest in Alabama—famous for its Federal, Italianate and Neo-Classical architecture.

With land disputes resolved, Huntsville was free to grow in peace. By 1812, a city newspaper, the Madison Gazette, had been established. Near the end of that decade, the growing city was named Alabama’s first capital, albeit only temporarily, when state lawmakers gathered in a local cabinetmaking shop to draft the state’s first constitution. By 1823, Huntsville had developed a public water system, thanks in part to its famous spring. With its infrastructure taking shape, the city took its first steps toward industry.

Huntsville Faces War and the Great Depression

The influx of cotton farmers to the area soon drew the railroad industry’s attention to Huntsville. By the mid-1800s, the Memphis and Charleston Railroad had been constructed through Huntsville, becoming the first railway to link the Atlantic seacoast with the lower Mississippi River. Partly because of its strategic location (and perhaps its charm), Huntsville never saw battle during the Civil War. Union forces, led by Brigadier General Ormsby M. Mitchel, moved in quickly in 1862 to cut the Confederate supply lines. Mitchel decided to stay a while, using the Huntsville railroad depot to incarcerate Confederate soldiers. Federal officers occupied Oaklawn Plantation on Meridian Street, while renegade Confederate soldiers hid out in the Mayhew home, located on Eustis Avenue.

Having avoided the destruction suffered by many southern cities in the war, the thankful townspeople found their lives getting back to normal fairly quickly. But tough times were still ahead. Following the depression and throughout the 1930s, Huntsville faced its first true economic downturn since its founding. Struggling against waning industry, Huntsville survived only on cotton production and its fleeting fame as the watercress capital of the world.

But things were to turn around in 1941, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared “a state of unlimited emergency” and the Chemical Warfare Service began searching for an artillery manufacturing facility. The State of Alabama ceded 160 acres of cotton fields to the War Department to build Huntsville Arsenal, which went on to employ nearly 20,000 people. By 1943, the redesignated Redstone Arsenal had expanded to 475 acres.

From Warfare to Wonder

However, it seemed that this success would be short-lived. In 1949, WWII was over, and the U.S. Army hung a “for sale” sign on Redstone Arsenal’s doors. What were they to do with this secluded outpost? At the last possible moment—on July 1, 1949—a new prospect appeared on the horizon.

That prospect centered around a German scientist, Wernher von Braun, who had grown up in the shadows of Nazi Germany but had maintained a fascination for space travel and rocketry. Von Braun became part of the infamous “Operation Paperclip,” a mission in which the Third Reich’s most brilliant scientists were drafted by the United States. After the war, von Braun found himself and his colleagues transplanted to the isolated cotton fields of North Alabama, where, over the next four years, they would invent rocket science.

In September 1954, von Braun presented his first thesis proposing the use of the Redstone military missile, which he would be instrumental in developing, as the prototype for a vehicular rocket that could launch satellites into space. Over the next few years, numerous military missiles were successfully built, tested and launched using von Braun’s thesis.

On January 31, 1958, Huntsville earned the nickname “The Rocket City” after the Explorer I became the first U.S. satellite to orbit the earth. The front page of The Huntsville Times read: “Jupiter C Puts Up Moon: Eisenhower Officially Announces Huntsville Satellite Circles Globe,” and the world turned its eyes to Huntsville.

Soon after that momentous event, standing on the steps of Huntsville’s new Marshall Space Flight Center, President Eisenhower proclaimed the creation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. With von Braun as MSFC’s first director, rocketry moved from the defense sector into civilian space exploration. Not only did MSFC receive 1,900 acres of undeveloped land and buildings, but several thousand U.S. Army engineers, scientists and administrators were assigned a slate of challenging space exploration projects.

Success came quickly for the growing center, and, barely a year later, the Mercury-Redstone rocket boosted America’s first astronaut, Alan Shepard, into suborbital flight. Then, in 1969, the largest of the Saturn family of rockets built and tested at MSFC propelled American astronauts to their most-anticipated destination—the moon.

After the close of the Apollo program, Huntsville experienced an exodus of big business throughout the 1970s. Ultimately, it would be the U.S. Army, and not the space program, that would prevail. Such military innovations as the TOW missiles and the biomedical research from the HudsonAlpha Institute set Huntsville on a more diverse path to technological excellence.

The harsh realities of World War II brought a new industry to Huntsville—the industry of war. Huntsville Arsenal (later Redstone Arsenal) opened to meet the needs of the American military, employing many female workers.

The Moon, Mars, and Beyond

Civilian contractors work at Marshall Space Flight Center. But most visitors are more interested in the Space & Rocket Center’s Rocket Park, with its massive and impressive Saturn V missile.

The U.S. Space & Rocket Center contains the most comprehensive flight hardware museum in the world. It also features the Spacedome IMAX Theater and its renowned Space Camp, where, every year, thousands of students come from around the world to experience space education at its finest. But, dominating it all, hovering 10 feet above the floor, the 476-foot-long, 90-foot-wide, 63-foot-high Saturn V rocket floats like a leviathan above the new Davidson Center facility.

Redstone Arsenal is one of the Department of Defense’s most strategic technological assets, employing over 30,000 people and managing over $25 billion in annual federal spending—over half of the army’s total annual weapons procurement budget.

Leading Alabama into the Future

Thanks in part to the aerospace and defense industries, Huntsville has one of the most diverse cultures, per capita, in the country. Today, a mixture of nearly 300 international, high-technology and aerospace/defense agencies, plus 50 Fortune 500 companies, reside in the Cummings Research Park, the country’s second largest research and development park.

Two hundred years after its discovery, John Hunt’s Big Spring is still at the center of downtown life. Buffered on all sides by a beautiful public park, the lagoon is surrounded by fine hotels and such distinguished civic buildings as the public library and the Von Braun Center. Lined with park benches and accented by its distinct Red Bridge (a gift from Japan), Big Spring Park is landscaped with cherry blossom trees, a gazebo and eternal flame, around which the city gathers for festivals, like the Panoply Arts Festival and many local concerts.

It’s fair to say that modern-day Huntsville, with its towering rockets, luxury shopping facilities, manicured parks and decadent dining options, would be hardly recognizable to its grizzled frontiersman founder. But, if you ask its residents and many visitors, they’d say that’s just fine. Supported by a culture of innovation, the Rocket City is poised to lead the state, and the rest of the South, into the next century.