Birmingham’s Fan Favorites
As being the largest city Alabama has to offer, Birmingham is never short of to-do’s both indoors and out! The Bham Motorplex is home to over one million people and will even be the host of the 2022 World Games! Birmingham is home to a few different locally-owned breweries, diverse collections of museums, trails, all-around family fun with lots of free options! An intro to a few fan Birmingham favorites in this area are:
- TrimTab Brewing Company
- Cahaba Brewing Company
- Good People Brewing Company
- Avondale Brewing Company
- Birmingham Zoo
- Birmingham Botanical Gardens
- Vulcan Park and Museum
- Birmingham Museum of Art
- Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
- Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark
These breweries and a ton of others are all within a five-mile radius … crazy, right? Some people may wonder how so many breweries this close together can still stay in business, but these companies know how to keep their distinctions by staying fresh on top of their clientele wants. They all have entertainment from table games, to cornhole, brewery tours, and other local sources such as food trucks! Whether you’re in town for an hour or the weekend, stop in and see what all of the fuss is about!
Some keep their fan base eager as they switch out and rotate their different beers each season (TrimTab is a mega contributor to this, to be exact). TrimTab is a warm, welcoming spot with retro vibes and loves to keep their offerings on a diverse rotation of beers; they even offer their very own spiked seltzers!
Cahaba is the official sponsor of Sidewalk Film Festival each year and hosts their annual Salsa Showdown. If interested, this year’s festival dates are August 24th-30th. Cahaba Brewing Company started off in 2012 with an 8,000 square foot warehouse and by 2016, opened their doors to the new 51,000 square foot building; just a little testament of how much people love them and their beer.
Good People Brewing Company is the oldest and largest brewery in the state of Alabama. Good People is highly known for their Double IPA called the ‘Snake Handler’ with an ABV of 10%. They have seven “mainstays” at all times at the brewery, with a few seasonals to accompany them.
“IT ALL STARTED WITH A DRAMA QUEEN.” That particular line is the opening statement to Avondale Brewing Co.’s website, followed by the storyline of how they were inspired to become who they are. Avondale Brewing Co. offers both cans and draughts in their taproom of both their year round beers and seasonal options. They love to host different style concerts throughout the months with tickets starting as low as $10.
If you’re ready to have some adult fun, consider going on a brewery tour around Birmingham. Have some ice cold beers, and some delicious food truck delicacies.
Out & About and Iron City’s History
One of the hottest attractions in the state of Alabama is the Birmingham Zoo. The zoo is a safe home of about 700 animals of 230 species and endangered species from 6 continents. Their home consists of 122 acres right next to the city’s Botanical Gardens.
Leading us to another great outdoor space, free, and home to thousands of plants—the Birmingham Botanical Gardens is open 365 days a year, dawn to dusk, so with a couple of hours or all day to spare no need to have FOMO over here! Fun fact about the Gardens, it is Alabama’s largest living museum and ranks 5th in the United States in their native plant collections that celebrate the state’s biodiversity.
Home to “The Original Iron Man”, Vulcan Park and Museum is where the 58-foot tall statue of the Vulcan is located. For the long history dating back to the early 1900s, check out the timeline on their website with some original photos. The Vulcan Walking Trail is also a great place to get in 1.7 miles of scenic views while walking, running, or biking.
With more than 27,000 pieces of art, the Birmingham Museum of Art is proud of its diverse collection in hand. The collection features Asian, European, African, American, Pre-Columbian, and Native American art. The space is 180,000 square feet with an outdoor sculpture garden.
Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute is part of the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument, as well as an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. As stated as their mission/values, they are committed to telling the Birmingham story and enlighten each generation about civil and human rights while looking back on the past. They continue to provide cultural awareness by offering programs and educational research centers. This is a major part of Birmingham’s history, so to dive in on the city’s foundation this is a definite must for starters.
Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark
Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark started as a museum in 1983. These furnaces on the property are in their original condition and are a great insight into Birmingham’s industrial past that led to its popular nickname, Iron City. Sloss Furnaces property has held concerts onsite, as well as created very live haunted tour scenes during Halloween time. Great place for both a history lesson, followed up with a ghost story.
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