Location: Birmingham
Top Things to do in Birmingham
Countries
5 Hidden Gems Things to do in Birmingham That You Shouldn't Miss
It has been said that Birmingham is the last major Southern city in America, where a friendly "How y'all doin'," a hearty meal of country-fried steak with butter beans and a true taste of Southern hospitality await visitors. Whether you're into the history of the Civil Rights movement, a fan of jazz music or just looking for culture and a few fun activities for the family, Sweet Birmingham is the place for you. Spend the morning at the Birmingham Museum of Art, then have lunch at a traditional Southern tea room. Outdoor enthusiasts can tee off at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail or pack a lunch and spend the day hiking and enjoying the vistas at Ruffner Mountain. A world-class zoo, the innovative McWane Center and VisionLand, Alabama's first amusement park, are sure to keep families entertained and on the go. In the evening, listen to a blues show at an outdoor cafe and then spend the night at a small cozy inn or splurge for an elegant hotel.
Restaurants in Birmingham
1. Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1,251 reviews
A motorcyclist's dream, this museum has 750 vintage and modern motorcycles displayed on walls, two-tiered platforms and just about everywhere you look. The bikes are displayed randomly, rather than by date and year, adding an element of unpredictability to the viewer's experience.
Reviewed By jwtraveller2015
If you have a love of motorcycles do not miss this. 900 on display. Wonderful day. Norton’s! Vincent’s! Broughams! Ariels! And a plethora of the usual suspects. Several mint Goldstars and some awesome sidecar setups. Plus “The Porsche Experience “.
2. The Market at Pepper Place
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 48 reviews
The Market at Pepper Place, in the heart of downtown Birmingham, is the largest producers' farmers market in the state, with over 200,000 visitors annually. Founded in 2000, it currently runs from mid April - mid December every Saturday. The Market offers over 100 tents during the summer months. The Market at Pepper Place is rain or shine farmers market. Alabama farmers, food vendors, makers and artisans bring their goods to the market each Saturday. Local live music is featured on multiple music stages, too! During the summer months, live cooking demonstrations and children's activities are available. A zyp bike station is nearby and on-street parking is free.
3. Ruffner Mountain
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 113 reviews
Ruffner Mountain is a 1,038 acre urban nature preserve in the heart of Birmingham, Alabama providing science and nature education programming, 14 miles of trails, and a protected area for thousands of species of native flora and fauna. It is a site for Citizen Science programs and an array of scientist conducted research projects, including native bat and amphibian surveys, research into the causes of American Chestnut Blight, and groves of new-growth long leaf pine. Each year, through nature education and EcoArts programming, it impacts the lives of countless students and scores of schools and universities across the state.
Reviewed By alexisrachelletx - Nashville, United States
We had a great time exploring Ruffner Mountain this morning and afternoon during our weekend visit to Birmingham! The park is really pretty - and it has numerous trails that you can combine to create hikes of various lengths and difficulties! We hiked the Quarry Trail (1.2 miles) to the Possum Loop Trail (1.8 miles) to the Overlook Trail (0.4 miles) to the Ridge & Valley Trail (1.7 miles) for quite a good hike! All of the trails were ranked moderate difficulty except for the Ridge & Valley Trail, which was ranked difficult. That was pretty accurate - the Ridge & Valley Trail was definitely more challenging than the others we hiked! The trails were well marked and well taken care of (we were there in early February and there were a lot of leaves on the ground which could hide some tree roots, but we didn't have any problems). It was clearly a popular place to hike! We arrived around 10 a.m. on a Sunday, and the parking lot by the Nature Center was about half full; when we left around 1 p.m., the parking lot was full and people were parking on the street that led up to the parking lot! We saw a lot of people hiking - from families with small children to hikers with some pretty serious gear. The park seemed to have hikes/options for everyone! We really enjoyed our hike - great exercise, a great view of downtown Birmingham, and views of the old quarry! Definitely check it out and go exploring!
4. Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 488 reviews
Historic iron manufacturing facility
Reviewed By bruggesfc - Miami Beach, United States
After reading the reviews on Trip Advisor we decided to visit Sloss Furnaces and found it to be very, very interesting. The visit is well laid out and the movie at the Welcome Center gives nice background to the entire grounds. The Sloss Furnaces really gives background to the history and background of Birmingham. Highly recommend a visit....our favorite on our recent visit to Birmingham.
5. Cahaba Brewing Company
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 47 reviews
Located in the historic Continental Gin at 4500 5th Av. S., Birmingham, let us share our passion for craft beer in our spacious and vibrant tasting room.
