Alabama destinations, parks and attractions

Are you going on a road trip to Alabama, looking for tips about the destinations so you and your party can enjoy it, be comfortable and not spend a fortune?

Here are some of the top destinations in Alabama and tips about visiting them

Top destinations

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center is situated on the U.S. Army's Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. Visitors are welcomed at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, Marshall's official Visitor Center, which offers public bus tours of Marshall. Space and Rocket Center visitors can learn more about Marshall's legacy and ongoing work. Interactive exhibits and historic artifacts demonstrate our critical role in supporting the breadth of NASA's exploration and science missions. Visitors will learn how Marshall develops, integrates and manages complex space systems and scientific research projects that continue to yield exciting and innovative scientific discoveries. Space and Rocket Center bus tours of Marshall are $20 for guests ages 5 and up. Children 4 and under ride free. For more information, visit: https://www.rocketcenter.com/bustours. The U.S. Space and Rocket Center (USSRC) is a Smithsonian Affiliate and the Official Visitor Center for NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. We have one of the largest collections of rockets and space memorabilia on display anywhere in the world.
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Beaches: Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, etc, in the southern tip of Alabama, near Pensacola, FL.

Top national parks and monuments in Alabama

Horseshoe Bend, Daviston, AL.
Little River Canyon, Fort Payne, AL
Natchez Trace a 444-mile recreational road and scenic drive through three states. It roughly follows the "Old Natchez Trace" a historic travel corridor used by American Indians, "Kaintucks," European settlers, slave traders, soldiers, and future presidents. Today, people can enjoy not only a scenic drive but also hiking, biking, horseback riding, and camping along the parkway.
Russell Cave, Bridgeport, AL. Russell Cave is an archeological site with one of the most complete records of prehistoric cultures in the Southeast. In the 1950s, archeologists uncovered a large quantity of artifacts representing over 10,000 years of use in a single place. Today, Russell Cave National Monument helps bring to light many cultural developments of phenomenal human journeys.
Civil rights sites: Birmingham Civil Rights, Freedom Riders and Selma To Montgomery, Montgomery, Lowndes and Dallas Counties, AL. Established by Congress in 1996, the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail commemorates the people, events, and route of the 1965 Voting Rights March in Alabama. Led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Black and White non-violent supporters fought for the right to vote in Central Alabama. Today, you can connect with this history and trace the events of these marches along the 54-mile trail. Tuskegee Airmen, Tuskegee, AL. Before the first African American military pilots became known as the "Red Tails" they wore striped tails as they began their flight training in the Army's PT-17 Stearman bi-plane. Their flying adventure started at Moton Field, in Tuskegee, Alabama, where the Army Air Corps conducted a military test to determine if African Americans could be trained to fly combat aircraft. Tuskegee Institute
Trail Of Tears (AL,AR,GA,IL,KY,MO,NC,OK,TN) Remember and commemorate the survival of the Cherokee people, forcefully removed from their homelands in Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee to live in Indian Territory, now Oklahoma. They traveled by foot, horse, wagon, or steamboat in 1838-1839.
See ALL national parks and monuments in Alabama on this page.

State parks

Seasons, bugs, topography and climate

Located in the Deep South, Alabama is hot and humid in the summer, but the northern part of the state does have mountains that make that area cooler. The southern part of the state is hotter, flatter and muggier. Winters are typically brief and usually mild.