Voted Best Restaurant, Best Chef and the recipient of AAA Four Diamond Award for more than a decade, Ocean offers fresh seafood in an exciting and contemporary atmosphere.
The bold seafood menu at Ocean makes the restaurant a premier location for fine dining in Birmingham. Ocean is widely known as one of the city’s crown jewels as accolades have been heaped on the restaurant, chef and owner George Reis and on the restaurant’s fine wine offerings. Many patrons stop by for a signature martini at the newly renovated white marble topped bar. The beautiful environment, paired with one of Ocean’s signature cocktails, is a perfect way to start the night.
Other locals head straight to the Raw Bar for seafood offerings not found anywhere else in the city. From the imposing Seafood Tower that showcases most of the Raw Bar’s offerings to the various oysters, lobster, crab legs and mussels served at the bar, it is a wonderful taste of what Ocean has in store.
The casual atmosphere of the patio dining area is perfect for a low-key night out with friends or entertaining clients, but be sure to sample the award-winning and recently restyled dining experience inside as well. Any seafood lover is certain to find their favorite on the menu, whether it be shrimp or one of the restaurant’s whole fish offerings, which changes daily.
For those who aren’t in a seafood mood, Reis offers a cooked-to-perfection Hereford filet mignon as well as a number of salads and desserts that will satisfy any craving. Located in the historic Five Points South area, Ocean is at the center of the city’s entertainment and culinary center.
Reservations are encouraged and there’s ample seating at the bar. 218 20th Street South Birmingham, AL 35205 205.933.0999 oceanbirmingham.com @oceanbirmingham Tuesday-Saturday: 5:30 – 10:30 p.m.
The historic Princess Theatre anchors the downtown Arts and location is an attraction all by itself, with its unique art deco style from the 1940s, terrazzo floor map of the state in the lobby, landmark two-story marquee on the front and blacklight reactive murals that decorate the auditorium. But the theatre is also home to many local productions and traveling shows that use the 677-seat facility to reach Decatur residents, the North Alabama region and beyond.
photo: Brent Boyd
The Princess Theatre is a boon to the economy, drawing tourism from across the U.S.The building was constructed in 1887as a livery stable for horses, but in 1919, the building was converted into a silent film theatre and vaudeville playhouse. Then, in 1941, the theatre underwent an-other transformation. This time the Princess gained the art deco style that most visitors now associate with the Princess.In 1978, the movie house closed and the city of Decatur was able to purchase and renovate the old building, preserving and revitalizing the 1940s-style decor.
Due to the pandemic, Centennial celebrations took place 101 years after the Princess’s birthday. Now, new concerts, comedy, dance, live theatre and more are being added to the Princess Theatre’s calendar on a weekly basis. The Theatre hosted the inaugural Marquee Awards, a Grammy-inspired event that marks the culmination of the nonprofit’s annual fundraiser with a showcase of the types of entertainment that grace the Princess Theatre’s stage year-round.
One of the ongoing attractions at the theatre is the singer/songwriter series hosted in the theatre’s listening loft. As the series has grown, this elevated experience has gained momentum. Top-tier artists from all over the country request a slot in the lineup. The monthly songwriter schedule is listed on the Theatre’s website, along with movies, concerts, live performances, seasonal shows and more. One of the newest and most exciting additions to the website is a virtual tour of the Princess Theatre.
photo: Brent Boyd
This “bird’s eye’ view of the historic, nonprofit venue, and a full calendar of upcoming events can be found at www.princesstheatre.org.
Contact Info
112 2nd Avenue NE, Decatur, AL 35601; 256.350.1745; princesstheatre.org; @princesstheatrecenter on social media.
Captivated by dreams of space travel since his youth, Wernher von Braun brought powerful passion and vision to the American space program.
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.
Delano Park is the oldest park in the city of Decatur, Alabama. It was created in 1887, as part of a master plan to “re-invent” the City of Decatur, then New Decatur.
A Brief History of The River City
By John Allison, Morgan County Archivist. Photographs courtesy of Morgan County Archives, Decatur, Alabama.
Decatur, Alabama’s history has been entwined from its beginning with that of the Tennessee River. The river has sustained the area’s residents with life-giving water and nourishment ever since the first PaleoIndian peoples arrived in the area up to 11,000 years ago. Decatur’s particular location is due to its position at the head of the Muscle Shoals, a rocky area in the river and an obstacle to river traffic in the days before the Tennessee Valley Authority tamed it with a series of dams in the 1930’s.
Early Residents
Archaeological evidence at the quad site on the north bank of the Tennessee River at Decatur indicates that people seasonally camped along the river for thousands of years, hunting, fishing and gathering mussels, a dependable source of food. Many rock shelters and riverfront camp sites and at least one mound were excavated in the Decatur area by WPA workers in the 1930’s. These excavations and others yielded thousands of artifacts, including several types of projectile points unique to the area. After construction at Decatur’s Riverwalk Marina revealed ancient human remains in 1999, local people put up a monument commemorating the site.
The area’s earliest residents in historical time were Cherokee and Chickasaw. These people occasionally clashed over control of the Tennessee Valley but for the most part a truce existed in the sparsely populated area. No major settlements were recorded in Morgan County during this time, although nearby chiefs exercised great influence over commerce and travel. A series of four Native American interpretive walking trails are being constructed at Point Mallard Park that tell stories of the lives of these early residents of the Decatur area. The Chief Doublehead and Chief Black Fox walking trails, opened in May 2016, highlight the lives of Cherokees. The Chief Big Foot (Creek) and Chief Colbert (Chickasaw) trails recently opened.
The Treaty of Turkey Town in 1816 ceded Cherokee rights to the area south of the Tennessee River, and in 1818 the U.S. Government officially opened the land to white settlers for purchase. Some whites, known as squatters, had already illegally settled on the land. Most Native Americans in the area who remained after white arrival blended into the local population, their heritage passed down through private family oral tradition.
Decatur Parks and Recreation unveiled four American Indian Interpretive Walking Trails in 2016 to honor Decatur’s Native American history.Dedication of the Cherokee Trail of Tears historical marker.
Decatur Established
In 1818, the Alabama Territorial Legislature established Cotaco County, renamed Morgan County after Revolutionary War General Daniel Morgan in 1821. In 1820, entrepreneur Dr. Henry Rhodes began a ferry service at the site of today’s Rhodes Ferry Park in Decatur. Later that year, President James Monroe promoted the establishment of a town at this ferry crossing, at the last consistently navigable point on the Tennessee River above the Muscle Shoals. Tradition holds that the President requested the town be named for U.S. Naval hero Commodore Stephen Decatur, who had died after a duel in March 1820. Rhodes, along with Jesse Winston Garth, McKinney Holderness, Isaac Lane and George Peck founded the Decatur Land Company. They purchased patents for land and laid out the original plan of the town. Settlement began as new residents bought lots and established businesses in the new river town. The beautiful Palladian-influenced Dancy Polk House, built in 1829 by Col. Francis Dancy, is the oldest standing structure in Decatur and is indicative of the promise of wealth in the young community. Decatur’s most iconic landmark is the Old State Bank. The Greek revival structure was originally built as a branch of the Bank of Alabama. The Alabama General Assembly established the staterun bank system, with other branches in Montgomery and Mobile, in 1830. Its creators hoped that the bank would be able to provide investors with the capital to spur development and provide a source of revenue for state government. After a brief period of apparent prosperity, flaws in the system were exposed during the nationwide financial panic of 1837. By 1840, the Decatur Branch had an outstanding debt of one million dollars. The bank’s charter was revoked in 1842. In the years to come, the bank served as a private residence, as a hospital during the Civil War, as a boarding house and tavern, as a bank again and as an American Legion hall. The bank has served as a museum and civic hall since 1934. In 1982, it was restored to its original configuration, including a first floor cashier’s cage and a second floor apartment furnished in the Federal style of the 1830s and 1840s.
Old State BankUnion soldiers dig trenches on Bank Street, 1864.
Early Railroad in Decatur
In Decatur’s history, the railroads are second only to the Tennessee River in significance. The Tuscumbia, Courtland and Decatur Railroad was the first rail line west of the Alleghany Mountains. The brainchild of investor and Lawrence County planter Benjamin Sherrod, the TC & D was designed so that travelers and cargo on the Tennessee River could move easily and dependably around the treacherous Muscle Shoals. The railroad was chartered in 1832 by less than 100 stockholders, most of them prominent planters from Morgan, Lawrence and Colbert Counties. Early progress was slow, but by December 1834 crowds welcomed the “Fulton,” the railroad’s first steam locomotive as it rolled into Decatur from Tuscumbia. The little railroad struggled to turn a profit, but Sherrod stuck with his dream, shoring it up with infusions of capital until his death in 1847.
The TC &D’s most famous passengers were displaced Cherokees on the “Trail of Tears.” A new Alabama Historical Commission marker at Rhodes Ferry Park commemorates the passage of the Ridge, Deas and Whiteley detachments of Cherokee people from Georgia and Tennessee through Decatur in 1837 and 1838. A National Park Service trailhead is also in development that will include narrative panels that explain the history of Cherokee removal, the railroad’s role and the “witness structures” in Decatur that stood in 1838.
The TC & D was incorporated into the Memphis and Charleston Railroad, and in 1855 the first railroad bridge across the Tennessee River at Decatur was completed. The location of this river crossing on the South’s most important rail artery from the Mississippi River to the Atlantic Coast added to Decatur’s importance.
The Depot as it appeared in 1905.
By 1860, Decatur was also a terminus of the Nashville and Decatur Railroad, making the River City one of the more important crossroads of rail and river travel in the Southeast. This promising distinction unfortunately led to Decatur’s destruction during the Civil War, as the city changed hands as many as nine times between the Union and Confederate armies.
The Civil War
Decatur’s unique geographic position made it a prime staging location for campaigns during the War. Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston gathered his forces here in March of 1862 before marching to the battle of Shiloh, where he was killed. In April, Union forces under Col. John Turchin took Decatur and burned the strategic railroad bridge. In 1864, Union troops forced most of the city’s inhabitants to leave so that the city could be fortified to protect one of General Sherman’s crucial supply lines for his Georgia campaign. In the process, most of the town’s structures were demolished. The Old State Bank, the Burleson-McEntire House, the Dancy-Polk House and a Southern Railway. The Nashville and Decatur Railroad was incorporated into the Louisville and Nashville (L&N) in the 1870s and located a massive car repair works at Decatur that employed up to 3,000 workers. The railroad expansion attracted many businesses to Decatur during this period. In 1887, the Decatur Land Improvement and Furnace Company laid out the city of New Decatur, south and east of the old city and contiguous to it. The new development, backed by both Northern and Southern investors, sought to become “The Chicago of the South.” Modern water, electric and sewer services began to be laid out, along with rail branch lines to factories along the southern bank of the river. A yellow fever epidemic broke out in 1888, severely limiting new investment and stunting the massive growth that the investors anticipated. An obelisk in the city cemetery honors the doctors who perished treating those afflicted by the epidemic. Still, the new town’s development was impressive. In spite of many leaders’ efforts to unite the two cities, much animosity developed between them, and residents voted to change the name of New Decatur to Albany in 1916. Many wealthy migrants to New Decatur built stately mansions in the area that is now the nationally registered Albany Historic Neighborhood. The crown jewel of the neighborhood was a beautiful public green space now known as Delano Park, improved over the years with a dramatic rose garden, gazebo and other features.
Dancy-Polk HouseBurleson-Hinds McEntire House
In October 1864, John Bell Hood and the Army of Tennessee surrounded Union troops at Decatur. Hood wanted to cross the river at Decatur for a quick route to the Union supply depot at Nashville, but strong Union fortifications and Union gunboats above the Muscle Shoals made an assault on Decatur too costly. Hood lost as many as 500 men assaulting the works at Decatur before heading west. Hood’s delay gave Union forces time to prepare for his arrival in Tennessee, where his army was nearly annihilated at the battles of Franklin and Nashville.
Decatur and the surrounding countryside was thoroughly destroyed by the war’s end. After a period of great struggle, the town began to rebound in the 1870s and 1880s with the rebuilding and expansion of the rail lines that passed through the area and the resumption of trade along the Tennessee River. The Memphis and Charleston Railroads rebuilt the railroad bridge in 1866 and later became the rail artery from the Mississippi River to the Atlantic Coast and added to Decatur’s importance.
The Civil War exhibit in the Morgan County Archives.The story of Decatur’s role in the war is dramatically illustrated by a Civil War Walking Trail and by a major exhibit in the Morgan County Archives.
Decatur’s railroad growth was accompanied by the construction of three new train depots, one of which remains standing. Decatur’s Union Depot, so named because both the Southern Railway and the L & N boarded passengers there, was built in 1905. The depot was in operation until 1978. It sat empty from then until 2015 when work began to renovate the space into a railroad museum and offices for the Decatur Police Department.
The railroad also spurred the growth of Old Town, Decatur’s oldest neighborhood, just west of the Union Depot. Old Town was racially integrated, and as the turn of the twentieth century approached it became home to a number of African-American owned businesses. Black professionals and business owners joined churches and civic organizations that provided leadership for the Old Town community. A new gateway marker placed on Vine Street at the entrance of the neighborhood tells the stories of this unique neighborhood.
New Decatur’s business district became the commercial heart of the town, with dozens of businesses, restaurants, hotels and theatres. The historic Princess Theatre was originally built in the 1880s as a massive stable, and later converted into a vaudeville theatre and movie house. It was thoroughly remodeled into its current art deco form in 1941.
The two Decaturs were finally united in 1927, as business leaders united to lobby for the location of the “Bee Line Highway” (U.S. 31) bridge at Decatur. The opening of the Keller Memorial Bridge was a major event and cemented Decatur’s importance as a crossroads of water, rail and road travel. Today’s Hudson Memorial Bridge, named for Captain “Steamboat Bill” Hudson is located at the spot of the original bridge, demolished in 1998.
Wild Steamboat Days and the River Tamed
The completion of the Muscle Shoals Canal in 1890 increased steamboat travel on the Tennessee River. Legendary captains like the infamous Simp McGhee made names for themselves on the river and in increasingly wild port towns like Decatur. One of Decatur’s oldest and finest restaurants on Bank Street is named for the captain. Liquor flowed in the bars and gaming houses near the water. Violence often erupted in “Dead Man’s Alley” behind Bank Street between Lafayette and Church. Even after prohibition, bootlegging and speakeasies proliferated. One local fixture of the vice community was Kate Lackner, a madam who ran a large “sporting house” at the corner of Market St. that entertained customers from the 1880s until the 1940s.
The Princess Theatre was built in the 1880s.
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt visited Decatur in 1932 and declared that poverty in the Tennessee Valley would be a major focus of federal efforts during the “New Deal.” The Tennessee Valley Authority built a series of dams that finally tamed the river and provided hydroelectric power to millions. Decatur billed itself as “the TVA Town” and recruited businesses with the promise of cheap electricity and easy transportation.
Today, Decatur continues to be known as a prime spot for industry, with industries like United Launch Alliance, Daikin America, 3M and many others located along the river.
Waiting just off I-565 at 3414 Governors Drive, Stovehouse is 13 acres of eats, drinks, shopping, event space & live entertainment.
The building was originally constructed in 1929 and housed Martin Stove Company. See signs of pride, progress and preservation around every corner of this “little village.”
A couple thousand folks a day come to enjoy the ideallic backyard-party-vibe, dozens of restaurants, bars, shopping & nightly entertainment on stage!
Plenty of outdoor games & family-friendly entertainment in the “Food Garden” & Courtyard areas.
It’s not all outdoors. Enjoy meals & drinks from eclectic restaurants inside The Booth, The Canteen & The Shed.
Charming murals and clever signage provides Insta-ready backdrops. More importantly, they remind us what’s important in life! Look for several quirky signs as you approach 3414 Governors Drive, Huntsville, AL 35805. There’s ample parking at east & west entrances.
POURHOUSE
Pourhouse is a comfortably swanky bar that sits at the heart of the food garden at Stovehouse, a mixed-use development. The unique round bar is the first of its kind in Huntsville, serving cocktails, wine, and beer with a large screen, showing movies and sports daily. The first roof top bar in Huntsville also offers a wrap-around patio with fans and heaters, making this outdoor seating area comfortable year-round.
CHARLIE FOSTER’S
Charlie Foster’s is a local family-owned coffee shop dedicated to employing people with special needs and serving our community high quality specialty coffee. They have a unique aesthetic and charging ports at every seat. They offer espresso drinks, a variety of sandwiches for both breakfast and lunch, and a variety of teas and cold brews. Dine inside or enjoy their patio. Charlie Foster’s invites you to come on by and hang out for a while.
CO-OP BREWPUB
The Co-Op Brewpub is part of the Brewers Cooperative consisting of Good People Brewing Company, Avondale Brewing Company, Straight To Ale Brewing and Druid City Brewing Company. The 10,000-square-foot facility makes beer, spirits, and wine for onsite consumption. In addition to brewpub fashioned suds, the location offers its four collaborators’ beers. The kitchen serves up made-from-scratch “American comfort food.”
FRESKO GRILLE
Where family tradition meets modern Mediterranean cuisine. Fresko Grille offers a variety of Mediterranean favorites, rich with a variety of spices and ingredients that make each dish pop with flavor. From baba ghanoush to shawarma and falafel to kafta kebobs, their rotating weekly specials and customizable menus are offered in a fast-casual setting. Enjoy a classic Mediterranean dish or build your own to your liking by selecting your desired protein, fresh vegetables, sides, and sauces. Vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options are readily available.
BARK & BARREL BBQ
Bold Alabama Barbecue with a foodie twist. Bark & Barrel serves up house-smoked wings, turkey, BBQ, homemade chips, great sides, and yes, even smoked chocolate chip cookies. Did we mention they have specials like their coveted Brisket French Dip?! Follow on Facebook for daily specials. Or, just show up because whatever you order will be perfection!
OSCAR MOON’S MILKSHAKE BAR & ICE CREAM SHOPPE
Oscar Moon’s is the country’s most soulful shake shop! Featuring milkshakes, floats and ice cream, the experience is a nod to 50s soda-counter-culture. But with Motown music pumping, disco balls spinning & spontaneous sing-alongs happening, it’s becoming a timeless tradition. ❖
From golf courses to museums and historical sites, Decatur/Morgan County has the perfect agenda for every traveler.
Alabama’s Largest Victorian-Era Historic Districts
The Old Decatur and Albany Historic Districts of Decatur make up the largest concentration of Victorian-era craftsmen and bungalow homes in Alabama. Often referred to as “The Painted Ladies,” some date to the early 1800s, while others were constructed around the turn of the century. Both are listed in the National Register of Historical Places. A detailed tour map and brochure are available at the Decatur Visitor Center on 6th Ave.
The Old Decatur Historic District embraces over 116-acres with houses ranging in age from 1829 to the present. Styles vary from the French-influenced Empire period to the Edwardian Cottage and beyond.
The New Decatur
Albany Historic District was founded by northern businessmen in the late 1800’s and was named after the New York state capital. Styles reflect early 20th century trends such as Colonial Revival, California Cottage, Dutch Colonial, and Frank Lloyd Wright influences.
Carnegie Visual Arts Center
Carnegie Visual Arts Center is a not-for-profit organization, the center is a cultural, educational and community service organization providing an environment to promote learning, creation and appreciation of the visual arts. It also preserves one of the area’s historical buildings and serves as a multi-purpose community resource. Check website for latest events. {207 Church Street NE, Decatur, 256.341.0562, carnegiearts.org}
Cook Museum of Natural Science
The Cook Museum of Natural Science is in downtown Decatur. The new 60,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility will serve the people of North Alabama and the Southeast as an educational destination as well as a premier tourism attraction. The museum will be an interactive immersion into North American biomes, from deserts to oceans, to arctic tundra and hardwood forests. Each exhibit will be a part of a narrative explaining how the natural world works. Key features of the new museum will include: educational programs, live animals and aquariums, mounted wildlife from across North America, collections of rocks minerals, fossils, shells and coral, native plant landscaping, café with outdoor patio, three classrooms, theater and museum store. You will experience nature close-up through interactive exhibits, including live animals, an immersive cave experience, a 15,000-gallon saltwater aquarium, and much more. For more information please visit their website, cookmuseum.org.
Hartselle’s Historic Depot and Downtown
Sixty-nine of the buildings in the central business district of Hartselle, including the Hartselle Depot, have been nominated for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places because of their architectural and historic significance. The Depot, built in 1914, includes historical displays provided by the Hartselle Historical Society. The popular downtown shops offer such items as imported Mexican pewter, artwork by local artists and crafters, linens, soaps, and all kinds of antiques, from glassware to large furniture items. {110 Railroad St. SW, Hartselle; 800.294.0692, 256.773.4370; hartsellechamber.com}
Morgan County Archives
Located in the 1927 Tennessee Valley Bank Building in the Bank Street Historical District of Decatur. Holdings total approximately 1,500 cubic feet of archival and manuscript materials including the original estate and guardianship case files, birth and death ledgers, marriage records (1819-1930), tax records dating from the 1920s, county commission records, circuit court records and newspapers. Genealogical materials include census, family histories and bible records. The Morgan County Archives features two new state-of-the-art permanent exhibits on the Scottsboro Boys Trial in Decatur and the Civil War in Morgan County. {624 Bank St. NE, 256.351.4726}
Old State Bank
The Old State Bank was one of three banks authorized by The Alabama General Assembly in 1832. Few structures can boast as varied a past as the Bank. Since its construction, the building has weathered two depressions and a Civil War and has served as a hospital, guardhouse, bank and dance hall. Named to the National Register of Historical Places in 1972, the Classic Revival architecture of the Bank is symbolic of the period in which it was built. The building is decorated with antique pieces from the Federal and Empire period. It is the first stop on the Civil War Walking Tour of Decatur. Founders Park and Daikin Amphitheatre are also located on the Old Bank property. {925 Bank Street NE, 256.341.4818}
Point Mallard Park
Point Mallard Park is designed to provide family recreation opportunities throughout the year. A 35-acre water theme area (open daily summer months) offers America’s first Wave Pool, the Duck Pond and Squirt Factory kid’s pools, Lazy River Ride, two new drop slides and more! The Park also features a scenic 18-hole, par 72 championship golf course; a 25-acre wooded campground; the Strike Zone driving range and batting cages; lighted tennis courts; ball fields; a recreation center; amphitheater; and an indoor Ice Skating complex (open year-round). Call for seasonal facility hours. {256.341.4900. pointmallardpark.com}
Princess Theatre Center for Performing Arts
The historic Princess Theatre anchors the downtown Arts and Entertainment District. The location is an attraction all by itself, with its unique art deco style from the 1940s, a terrazzo floor map of the state in the lobby, landmark two-story marquee on the front and blacklight-reactive murals that decorate the auditorium. But the theatre is also home to many local productions and traveling shows that use the 677-seat facility to reach Decatur residents, the North Alabama region and beyond. The Princess Theatre is a boon to the economy, drawing tourists from across the U.S.
The building was constructed in 1887 as a livery stable for horses, but in 1919, the building was converted into a silent film theatre and vaudeville playhouse. Then, in 1941, the theatre underwent another transformation. This time the Princess gained the art deco style that most visitors now associate with the Princess.
In 1978, the movie house closed and the city of Decatur was able to purchase and renovate the old building, preserving and revitalizing the 1940s-style decor.
Due to the pandemic, Centennial celebrations took place 101 years after the Princess’s birthday. Now, new concerts, comedy, dance, live theatre and more are being added to the Princess Theatre’s calendar on a weekly basis.
The Theatre hosted the inaugural Marquee Awards, a Grammy-inspired event that marks the culmination of the nonprofit’s annual fundraiser with a showcase of the types of entertainment that grace the Princess Theatre’s stage year-round.
One of the ongoing attractions at the theatre is the singer/songwriter series hosted in the theatre’s listening loft. As the series has grown, this elevated experience has gained momentum. Top-tier artists from all over the country request a slot in the lineup. The monthly songwriter schedule is listed on the Theatre’s website, along with movies, concerts, live performances, seasonal shows and more.
One of the newest and most exciting additions to the website is a virtual tour of the Princess Theatre. This “bird’s eye” view of the historic, nonprofit venue and a full calendar of upcoming events can be found at www.princesstheatre.org.
Historic Decatur Union Depot Museum
The restored Historic Decatur Union Depot Museum links the historic downtown to the city’s oldest neighborhood and to the city’s historic center of its African-American cultural heritage. Today, the museum portion occupies the foyer and west passenger waiting room (for artifact display), a second portion of the same waiting room (theater) and the ticket office (model train display). The entire loading area has been restored and is open to the public for amazing train watching with the nearest main track only 12 feet from the loading dock. {701 Railroad St, Decatur}
The Region’s Premier Destination for Art Education
Founded in 2012, the Alabama Center for the Arts is a partnership between Athens State University and Calhoun Community College, with collaboration from the City of Decatur and Morgan County. The campus, located in beautiful downtown Decatur, consists of two state-of-the-art buildings, where students can take several types of courses in art, theatre, graphic design, and music. College courses taught here can lead to Associate of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees.
At 44,000 square feet, the Performing Arts Center features a 150-seat recital hall with a digital projector for films and lectures, a 300-seat black box theatre, a recording studio with two booths for sound engineering, sound-proof rehearsal rooms, a space for set construction, a music lab, computer lab, dressing rooms and smart classrooms. alabamacenterforthearts.org
Trails and Tours
The Alabama Scenic River Trail is the longest and most experience-rich river trail in America—from mountain streams to multi-class whitewater to river delta and the salty waves of the Gulf of Mexico. Paddling and powerboat experiences and exploration abound along over 5,300 miles of accessible waterways with over 50 adventure services to serve and assist you. We have organized a network of volunteer Trail Angels who can help you plan and conduct your journey. We have amenities and campsites to support everything from long-distance touring to organized paddles to races, overnight trips or any kind of day trip you might imagine. alabamascenicrivertrail.com
Point Mallard Indian Interpretive Trail
The Point Mallard Indian Interpretive Trail is a 5.5-mile natural walking trail through the wooded areas of Point Mallard Park. Divided into four trails, all connected throughout the park, we honor local Cherokee chiefs, Doublehead and Black Fox; Creek Chief, Bigfoot; and Chickasaw Chief, George Colbert. The walking trail will celebrate Indian culture in Morgan County and the Tennessee River area, as well as provide a beautiful walking experience for all to enjoy. The trail also includes a children’s amphitheater for educational experiences and performers.
Battle for Decatur Civil War Walking Tour
The Civil War Walking Tour is located in the Old Decatur and New Albany Historic Districts, just off the southern bank of the Tennessee River near downtown Decatur. Covering 13 blocks, the self-guided walking tour chronicles events surrounding Confederate General John Bell Hood’s attempt to advance across the Tennessee River, a four-day battle that took place in October of 1864.
North Alabama Birding Trail
Decatur-Morgan County is part of the central loop of the North Alabama Birding Trail, which features over 50 designated stations that allow visitors to observe the birds in their native habitats. There are eighteen stations located along the central loop, including eight within the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge in Morgan County. The Refuge embraces both banks of the Tennessee River and is home to more than 300 species of birds.
Amen Trail
The Amen Trail is located in Decatur and throughout Morgan County. Many of the churches are at least 100 years old, on its original site and still hold services today. This self-guided tour recognizes churches that define the heart of Decatur and Morgan County’s rich and diverse cultural and spiritual heritage. Two of the 19 churches listed on the Amen Trail are also a part of North Alabama’s Hallelujah Trail, which was published in The National Geographic’s Driving Tours of Appalachia.
Downtown Turtle Trail
Take the Downtown Turtle Trail and find 10 bronze turtles located along Decatur’s historic 2nd Avenue. Learn about the significant places and events that helped make Downtown Decatur what it is today along the way! decaturdowntown.org/turtle-trail
MoCo Mural Trail
Take a free mural tour of Morgan County Alabama! Unique and vibrant murals are popping up all throughout MoCo! You can mix and match any of the locations on the MoCo Mural Trail to best fit your location and itinerary! Did we mention it’s FREE?
Flint Creek Canoe Trail
The Flint Creek Canoe Trail opened in 2018, providing access to the interior of the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge and the many birding and recreational opportunities that surround it. Additionally, the nearby Sipsey River in Bankhead National Forest is a popular spot for canoeing. The river, designated a “Wild and Scenic River,” is best in Spring and late Winter. This is part of the Alabama Scenic River Trail.
Appalachian Recreation
Morgan County is the focal point of all outdoor recreation on the 67,100-acre Wheeler Reservoir (Wheeler Lake) on the Tennessee River. It’s the largest lake in the region, stretching approximately 60 miles. Wheeler Lake is basically a wide river until it flows through the City of Decatur, after which it widens considerably and takes on more of the appearance and characteristics of an impoundment. Decatur has played host to many national fishing events, including the Bassmaster Top 150 Tournament, Bassmaster Invitational, Walmart FLW and the Crappie USA National Championship. Wheeler presents a mixture of deep drop-offs and shallow banks; narrow tributaries and wide-open spaces. There is flooded timber, grass beds and seemingly bottomless depths; quiet coves, brushy sloughs and wave-washed cliffs. Wheeler represents the southernmost point for the natural habitat of smallmouth bass, making the area home to many lunkers. Largemouth bass, spotted bass, crappie, stripe and catfish are all popular game fish. Wheeler Lake is on the Alabama Bass Trail and is considered one of the country’s best fisheries for catfish.
Wheeler Wildlife Refuge
Established in 1938 as an experimental home for waterfowl, the Refuge encompasses 34,500-acres of preserved woodlands. The Givens Wildlife Interpretive Center serves as the welcome center for the Refuge and is also one of the South’s largest educational centers for waterfowl and wildlife study. The center features a large glass-enclosed observatory and is open to self-guided tours with displays, pamphlets and wildlife films. The Givens Center is open free to the public daily {Highway 67, 256.350.6639. fws.gov/wheeler}
Marinas
Ingalls Harbor
The marina is also one of the sites on the Alabama Bass Trail. Includes fishing boat launch, parking and green space suitable for family gatherings and festivals. Future additions include a riverboat docking area, visitors center and Tennessee River Heritage Museum. {701 Market Street, NW. Mile Marker #303.5} decaturparks.com
Riverwalk Marina
Includes private slips and boathouses, public launching ramps, vending area, Hard Dock restaurant, boat sales and dockside gas/oil. {Located on the north bank of the Tennessee River on Hwy. 31. Mile Marker #305} decatursports.com
Brickyard Landing
Includes 240 dry docks, boat repair, waterfront marina store, dockside gas/oil. No public launch ramp. {Located on the south bank of the Tennessee River on Hwy. 20. Mile Marker #303.5} brickyardlandingmarina.net
Jay Landings Marina & RV Park
Includes wet-slips, vending, RV sites and public launching for a fee. {Located on the south bank of the Tennessee River on Hwy. 20. Mile Marker #302.5} jaylandingsmarina.com
Golf Courses
Point Mallard Park – Decatur
Redesigned by South Carolina golf course architect John LaFoy, the course features 18 manicured Tiftdwarf Bermuda greens designed to United States Golf Association specifications Tee time reservations may be made up to three days in advance and group or company outings are welcome. Recognized as “The Best Public Course to Play” by the Tennessee Valley Golf News and as one of the best three public courses to play in the state by members of the Dixie Section of the Professional Golfers Association of America. Point Mallard golf course facilities include a modern clubhouse with a pro shop, restaurant and shower and restroom areas. Open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas. 15 percent discount for Senior Citizens. Tee times: 256.341.4921, Pro Shop: 256.341.4925
Quail Creek – Hartselle
An 18-hole, par 71 course laid out on 6,007 yards on Nat Key Road. Open year-round. qcresort.com
From kids to adults, we have tons of stuff that just takes up space, so instead of getting another thing to sit around why not give the gift of experience this year? A gift membership to one of these amazing attractions is a gift that your friends or family will enjoy all year long.
Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum
Have you considered how exquisite a motorcycle is in its styling, mechanics, and capabilities? Their artistry is what Birmingham native George Barber saw when he began collecting motorcycles in 1988. Six years later, he established the Barber Museum as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Today, it is home to the largest collection of motorcycles in the world.
Burritt on the Mountain
Burritt on the Mountain — A Living Museum has been referred to as a “Jewel on the Mountain.” Start with Dr. William Henry Burritt’s eclectic mansion, add a historic park with restored 19th century houses including barnyard and animals, and finally throw in the artistic side with concerts, plays and exhibits, and you have a delightful mixture of old and new for young and old!
In 1955, Dr. Burritt willed his mansion and surrounding 167 acres of land on Round-Top Mountain to the city of Huntsville (making it Huntsville’s first museum). Since that time, volunteers and community activists have brought original homes from the area to Burritt to be restored and utilized as an educational facility. Our interpreters are always busy demonstrating activities as one would see on a 19th century farm. Blacksmithing, spinning, and cooking over an open hearth are just some of the skills employed in our historic park. In the Burritt Barnyard, visitors can get “up close and personal” with an animal that would have been used for work, wool, or even food for the farmers and their families.
Cook Museum of Natural Science
The Cook Museum of Natural Science, located in downtown Decatur, Alabama, is a hands-on, immersive experience where guests can explore, interact with, and learn about nature.
Huntsville Botanical Garden
Spring, summer, fall, or winter – the Garden is an oasis of natural beauty in every season! 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.
On a visit to the Garden, you can stroll along the nature trails while admiring collections of Alabama’s native plants. If you visit with little ones, head to the Children’s Garden for play, pretend, and hands-on learning. From May through September, you won’t want to miss seeing over 1,000 brightly colored butterflies the nation’s largest open-air butterfly house. Finally, at the end of the day, you can find a moment of serenity in the cool shade of the trees, surrounded by the sounds of nature.
The beautiful Guest Center features additional amenities to make your trip extra special, including recommendations for dining and a gift shop with a hand-picked selection of unique items for your own home and garden.
With additional events, exhibits, and programs happening throughout the year, the Garden is a place of beauty, education, and celebration for all in every season.
McWane Science Center
Fun and learning never end at McWane Science Center, a nonprofit, hands-on museum and IMAX® Dome Theater. Four floors of interactive exhibits celebrate science and wonder — from an amazing collection of dinosaurs to innovative environmental showcases, imaginative early childhood playgrounds, and an awe-inspiring aquarium. The energy and excitement of discovery spring to life through an extensive lineup of science demonstrations performed daily by talented educators. The adventure intensifies in the IMAX® DomeTheater, where wide-eyed visitors experience the sights and sounds of breathtaking films on a 5-story-tall screen surrounded by 3 tons of high-intensity speakers.
U.S Space & Rocket Center
Since opening its doors in 1970, nearly 16 million people have toured the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. The vast majority of those visitors have been from out of state or from foreign nations. Many of the more than 550,000 annual visitors are school students on field trips to their future. Dozens of interactive exhibits encourage visitor participation, prompting one official to note: “Here, everyone can be an astronaut for the day!”
Home to Space Camp® and Aviation Challenge® Camp, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center (USSRC) is the most comprehensive U.S. manned spaceflight hardware museum in the world. Its large rocket and space hardware collection is valued in the tens of millions of dollars. From America’s first satellite, Explorer I, to next generation space vehicles like Sierra Nevada’s Dream Chaser, the museum showcases the past, present and future of human spaceflight. The USSRC is more than just artifacts! Experience the physics of astronaut training like never before in simulators like Space Shotand G-Force. Our Spacedome IMAX® Theater transports you to different worlds with amazing documentary films like Hubble, and live demonstrations in the Discovery Theater will have you seeing space science in a whole new light. There’s always something happening at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center!
Notable Artifacts:
National Historic Landmark Saturn V Moon Rocket Pathfinder – the world’s only full-stack space shuttle display Apollo 16 Command Module Skylab Orbital Workshop Apollo 12 Moon Rock
Vulcan Park & Museum
What kind of city builds a huge statue of a burly, bearded, bare-bottomed man to tower over its entire population? One that never forgets its roots. Vulcan, the Roman god of fire and forge, watches over all of Birmingham as a symbol of the city’s iron origins–and the ever-present spark of its indomitable spirit. Visit the Vulcan Park & Museum to see this magnificent statue.
Downtown Decatur has several upscale boutique shops that offer beautiful, unique home decor, food, and clothing that make the perfect gifts or the perfect retail therapy.
The Cupboard
The Cupboard is a locally owned boutique kitchen and gift shop nestled on historic Bank Street. Not only do they procure the highest quality of locally and regionally crafted products, but they’re always willing to share the stories behind their artisans and manufacturers. They have gifts for every room in your house—from the kitchen to the bath.
Kathleen’s Fine Art & Interiors
Kathleen’s Fine Art & Interiors gives you the best of all worlds. From original art creations from local artists from around the southeast, to interesting and unique home accessories, you will find it all here for your convenience. Works range from paintings to pottery to jewelry and furniture. The inventory changes frequently so be sure to stop by each time you visit for an opportunity to find a unique treasure for your home or someone you love.
Absaroka
Welcome to Absaroka, your number one source for Western Wear in Downtown Decatur, Alabama. They’re dedicated to giving you the very best of Western.
The Carriage House
The Carriage House a distinctive boutique in Historic Downtown Decatur where modern design plays side by side with classic style. Owners, Nicole Shelton and Kate Cole, and their sales team, are knowledgeable and passionate about women’s apparel and accessories and create a fun and comfortable shopping experience.
Brands include: Lafayette 148 New York | Diane von Furstenberg FRAME Denim | Milly | Nicole Miller | 360/Skull Cashmere | Halston Heritage | JBrand Jeans | Planet AG Jeans | Equipment | Kal Rieman | Iris Setlakwe | and so much more. Monday – Friday 10-5 | Saturday 10-4 | Closed Sunday.
Tennessee Valley Pecan Company
Founded in 1942, Tennessee Valley Pecan Company is a small town business that operates from the historic business district of Decatur, Alabama. Social or holiday occasions in the South have always called for the need to recognize and appreciate family, friends, co-workers, clients and business associates through gift-giving. Tennessee Valley Pecan Company helps fill that need by providing unique pecan gifts for holidays, social events and special occasions or just as a personal reward. Additionally, our pecans may also be bought as a staple for every Southern kitchen anywhere in the world.
Ottis & Kate
Ottis & Kate is a truly unique family shopping experience! We carry children’s and adult’s clothing, accessories and home decor from around the world!
Museum Store at the Cook Museum
The Museum Store at the Cook Museum has all kinds of souvenirs to help you remember your visit to the Museum as well as unique gifts you’ll love to take home and use everyday. The Museum Store has items like Piper & Leaf tea, Savannah Bee Company, books, t-shirts, educational activities for homeschooling, and so many other pretty and useful items.
Who doesn’t need a little retail therapy from time to time?! Whether you’re looking for gifts for friends and family or a treat for yourself, we’ve put together a list of unique places that are perfect for that therapeutic shopping trip.
Bridge Street Town Centre
Bridge Street Town Centre is the premier mixed-use lifestyle center in Huntsville, Alabama. Featuring over 80 upscale shops and restaurants, the 232-room Westin Huntsville Hotel, a 150-room Element by Westin hotel, a 14-screen Cinemark movie theater, and a six-story office tower. The property also features a customer service center, carousel, fountains, and lots of green open spaces.
The center is located in Cummings Research Park at the intersection of Old Madison Pike, Interstate 565, and Research Park Boulevard (Alabama State Route 255).
Bridge Street offers a wide variety of shops and restaurants. Among them are Altar’d State, Anthropologie, Apple, Bar Louie, Barnes and Noble, Bath and Body Works, Bed Bath and Beyond, Belk, Cantina Laredo, Connors Steak & Seafood, DSW Shoes, Francesca’s, Gap, H&M, Mountain High Outfitters, P.F. Chang’s, Sephora, The Melting Pot, Victoria’s Secret and other boutique shops.
Clinton Row
Clinton Row is an innovative mixed-use space comprised of over 20 storage units repurposed into hyper-local retail shops and startup offices. Offering a wide variety of eclectic creations, Clinton Row provides a unique retail experience at the high visibility intersection of Clinton Avenue and Jefferson Street.
Merchandise ranges from vintage records to men’s and women’s clothing to locally and regionally made art. The shops are located in the Quigley Entertainment District, allowing patrons to enjoy their favorite beverage as they browse Clinton Row’s offerings. In addition, Redstone Federal Credit Union’s first Downtown ATM is located at Clinton Row.
Current businesses include: Clachic Boutique, In Bloom, Clinton Row Gifts, Carol Foret Gallery, Echo Records, 81 Home Gifts and Glam, and more. Come out and shop local in Downtown Huntsville!
Stovehouse
In the century-old building that was once all work and no play, the reimagined Stovehouse complex is now manufacturing leisure.
The old factory is being transformed into a village of eclectic restaurants, gourmet cocktail & coffee bars, event & entertainment spaces, boutique shopping, offices and more.
There’s a lot of fun to be had in the Huntsville and Decatur area for kids! Check out our list of cool attractions your kids are sure to love.
Burritt on the Mountain
Burritt on the Mountain — A Living Museum has been referred to as a “Jewel on the Mountain.” Start with Dr. William Henry Burritt’s eclectic mansion, add a historic park with restored 19th-century houses including barnyards and animals, and finally throw in the artistic side with concerts, plays and exhibits, and you have a delightful mixture of old and new for young and old!
In 1955, Dr. Burritt willed his mansion and surrounding 167 acres of land on Round-Top Mountain to the city of Huntsville (making it Huntsville’s first museum). Since that time, volunteers and community activists have brought original homes from the area to Burritt to be restored and utilized as an educational facility. Our interpreters are always busy demonstrating activities as one would see on a 19th-century farm. Blacksmithing, spinning, and cooking over an open hearth are just some of the skills employed in our historic park. In the Burritt Barnyard, visitors can get “up close and personal” with an animal that would have been used for work, wool, or even food for the farmers and their families.
Cook Museum of Natural Science
The Cook Museum of Natural Science, located in downtown Decatur, Alabama, is a hands-on, immersive experience where guests can explore, interact with, and learn about nature.
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.
On a visit to the Garden, you can stroll along the nature trails while admiring collections of Alabama’s native plants. If you visit with little ones, head to the Children’s Garden for play, pretend, and hands-on learning. From May through September, you won’t want to miss seeing over 1,000 brightly colored butterflies the nation’s largest open-air butterfly house. Finally, at the end of the day, you can find a moment of serenity in the cool shade of the trees, surrounded by the sounds of nature.
Point Mallard Park
The Point Mallard Waterpark is home to America’s First Wave Pool and so much more! There’s also Point Mallard Golf Course, Point Mallard Ice Complex, Point Mallard Camp Ground, and Strike Zone Batting Cages.
U.S. Space & Rocket Center
Since opening its doors in 1970, nearly 16 million people have toured the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. The vast majority of those visitors have been from out of state or from foreign nations. Many of the more than 550,000 annual visitors are school students on field trips to their future. Dozens of interactive exhibits encourage visitor participation, prompting one official to note: “Here, everyone can be an astronaut for the day!” Home to Space Camp® and Aviation Challenge® Camp, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center (USSRC) is the most comprehensive U.S. manned spaceflight hardware museum in the world. Its large rocket and space hardware collection is valued in the tens of millions of dollars. From America’s first satellite, Explorer I, to next generation space vehicles like Sierra Nevada’s Dream Chaser, the museum showcases the past, present and future of human spaceflight. The USSRC is more than just artifacts! Experience the physics of astronaut training like never before in simulators like Space Shotand G-Force. Our Spacedome IMAX® Theater transports you to different worlds with amazing documentary films like Hubble, and live demonstrations in the Discovery Theater will have you seeing space science in a whole new light. There’s always something happening at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center!
See an actual moon rock at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center.
