2-Day Birmingham Holiday

Vulcan Statue and Museum

This statue is the largest cast iron statue in the entire world, as well as Birmingham’s unofficial city symbol. Sitting high atop Red Mountain, and by high we mean 56 feet high, to be exact, this outstanding piece of artwork is this region's ‘original iron man’, the highly recognizable depiction of a ‘burly, bearded, and bare bottomed’ man one of the most spectacular sites in the whole city. This amazing structure is patterned after the mythical Roman God of Forge, a symbol of the city’s powerful position in the iron industry plus its ever-present spark of industrious spirit. There is an onsite museum with interactive exhibits and displays covering the region's history and progress, not to mention the almost endless amount of community events and school field trip days happening here.

Sloss Furnaces

Birmingham was actually the largest pig iron-producing blast furnace in the area from 1882-1970, giving the region almost 90 years of excellent and industrious service. A leader in U.S iron production, the famous Sloss Furnaces here each weighed about 400 tons, massively easy to see why they made such a huge impact on the local economy and business. These furnaces are actually what is considered to be the 'rise to the city of Birmingham', the mess of pipes and smokestacks giving a good glimpse 'into the industrial past of the South and of the nation as a whole'. Guests can take free public tours here each Saturday around 1 pm, each lasting around 1 hour.

Civil Rights District 

The Civil Rights District of Birmingham was once host to the infamous violent struggles during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. The entire district sits on six city blocks and the area includes the Civil Rights Institute, Kelly Ingram Park and the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church. Use your afternoon to explore one or two of these major attractions and grab a bite to eat for lunch along the way!

Negro Southern League Museum

Welcome to the Negro Southern League Museum, the Birmingham history museum dedicated to all that is African American baseball. Sporting memorabilia, an onsite research center, and TONS of amazing athlete stories await your group here! Here's a little bit of what you will see inside the museum, the entire collection of original Negro League artifacts considered to be the largest in the country:
Bullet Joe Rogan's Pitching Jacket
McCallister Trophy
Louis Santop's bat 'Big Bertha'
Satchel Paige and Willie Wells' uniforms
1500 original single signed baseballs
SO MUCH MORE

Red Mountain Park

What is your group going to do at Red Mountain Park? How about hiking, biking, ziplining, team building, learning, and maybe even taking part in a treetop challenge course?? While there are definitely plenty of recreational activities to keep you busy, there are also several learning opportunities, this land once used for mining iron ore, giving the whole park a certain air of historical and geological importance. Your group can take a guided hike or immersive class while here, with several different options fit for specific age groups and subject focuses.

Alabama Sports Hall of Fame

This 33,000 square foot, 3-floor museum will teach your group all about the most talented athletes in Alabama's history. Over 5,000 objects can be found inside, from Heisman Trophies from Pat Sullivan and Bo Jackson to the University of Alabama's coach's famous hat! Sports equipment, championship rings, and personal biographies line the walls. Over 99,000 students have experienced the ASHOF Educational Tour Program, a program that allows them to study the various accomplishments of Alabama's most successful athletes. This program is intended for students in 3rd - 8th grades.

Alabama Splash Adventure 

Formerly known as Alabama Adventure, this newly renovated and updated water park will give you some of the most relaxing and some of the most daring water-related adventures, allowing your group to do everything from taking Neptune’s Plunge to getting some R&R in down the lazy river. Inside the gates of the park, you will have the hard choice of deciding where exactly to start first, be it the highly popular wave pool or the equally popular and thrilling Acapulco Drop. Ride Upsurge or Splash Down, or maybe rent a cabana and spend your day soaking in the sun. There are more options than just water slides and kiddie rides, though, as you will see with choices like the kid-friendly Castaway Island, awe-inspiring 4,600 square foot Mist-local Maze, or the world’s very first 360-degree interactive water obstacle course, Wipeout Adventure. Be aware that you can enjoy some shopping on site here at Emporium, as well as great eating at Fins Surfside Grill, Mama Lizette, or even Generals Diner (save some room for a funnel cake, if you can!)