It was a thrill starting our trip in Huntsville, Alabama, widely known as the Rocket City! Huntsville, Alabama’s biggest city and one of the fastest-growing in the southeast, is located in northern Alabama near the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. With this expansion comes more ethnic variety in the area’s cuisine scene. During my vacation, I ate everything from southern comfort cuisine to sushi.
This similar diversity can be found in the greatest things to do in Huntsville AL! The US Space & Rocket Center has a long history dating back to 1958, when America launched its first satellite from Huntsville. Today, you’ll learn more about NASA’s space launch system and the Artemis program.
If you like history and art, Huntsville offers them as well. You may go to the Great Spring, which lured the first inhabitants to Huntsville. Over the nineteenth century, Alabama’s Constitution Hall Park played an important part in history. Huntsville now has a plethora of art and outdoor activities.
Although this isn’t a history tour, I’ve organized the sights in chronological sequence, beginning with Huntsville’s origins and ending with the contemporary U.S. Space & Rocket Center.
Visiting other places in Alabama? Check out our other tasty guides:
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- 9 Must-Try Decatur Alabama Restaurants | The Best Restaurants In Decatur, AL
- 8 Must-Try Florence AL Restaurants | Best Places to Eat In Florence, Alabama
- 7 Must-Try Huntsville Restaurants
Huntsville AL’s Top 7 Things To Do
International Park of Big Spring
Church St., +1 256 883 3754200
Begin your Huntsville trip with Big Spring International Park, where it all started more than 200 years ago. During the early 1800s, Huntsville’s namesake, John Hunt, had erected his cottage close where the subterranean spring offered a water supply in the 18th century. See the Big Spring as it is now from the cliff behind the old First National Bank building.
As I was looking for things to do in the downtown area, many people recommended this park as a must-see. There’s a lot to see and do here, including jogging routes, footbridges, and koi ponds. Spring is a wonderful time to come since the cherry trees bloom with pink flowers. Japan donated cherry trees to Huntsville, as well as a Red Bridge for pedestrian traffic. Norway’s Fog Bell and Britain’s park seat are two more intriguing foreign gifts.
The park holds concerts and events such as the Panoply Arts Festival.
Park at Alabama Constitution Hall
+1 256 564 8100109 Southeast Gates Avenue
A time machine transfers you as you enter Alabama Constitution Village. Huntsville, Alabama’s initial capital, is where the state’s forebears drafted the Alabama constitution in 1819.
The cabinet shop, where delegates signed Alabama’s Constitution, is included in the 90-minute guided tour. While you’re there, check out the woodworking demonstration and try out the wheel lathe.
Look for the Ramage printing press at the Boardman Complex, where Mr. Boardman produced the Alabama Constitution. Afterwards you may take part in a hands-on demonstration using the original Ramage printing press.
See how they manufactured garments using the spinning wheel at the Neal House, where you can also learn about the Neal family’s life and how they lived in 1819.
Pro Tip: Get the combination ticket with the Huntsville Historic Depot at the main desk to save money.
Museum of the Weeden House
+1 256 536 7718300 Gates Avenue
The Weeden House Museum, erected in 1819 and located in the Twickenham Historic District, is Alabama’s oldest open to the public structure. Twickenham, Alabama’s biggest antebellum area, is on the National Register of Historic Places, containing 360 historically important properties. If you like architecture, you won’t want to miss out on this Huntsville neighborhood.
Dr. William Weeden bought the home in 1845 and lived there with his family and relatives until 1956. Maria Howard Weeden, a painter and poet, wrote her poems under the pen name Howard. She was an internationally famous artist and authored four volumes of poetry before her death at the age of 58.
The Weeden House Museum is an example of Scottish architect Robert Adam’s Federal-style American architecture. It has six rooms, including two parlors, a dining room, and three bedrooms on the second floor.
Contact ahead to organize a tour, since admission costs are only payable in cash.
Children’s Museum Earlyworks
+1 256 564 8100404 Madison Street SE
If you have children aged two to nine in your company, the Earlyworks Childrens Museum should be on your itinerary. They’ll like the museum’s hands-on, interactive approach to history. Nothing is off-limits to them, since they may climb, touch, pull, and investigate.
The Talking Tree will delight the youngest visitors, who will hear a range of traditional stories about Native American culture and Alabama’s history. Preschoolers will enjoy Biscuits Backyard, where they can practice fine motor skills with bricks and a water table. What child does not like water play?
The school-age children will have a great time sailing down the river on the 46-foot keelboat and experiencing 19th-century river travel. These are some of the activities that the younger members of the family will enjoy visiting this destination.
Pro Tip: Even if the kids are in their early twenties, they’ll have a fun time with their younger siblings here, but if they’re with adults, Constitution Hall Park and the Huntsville Historic Depot are better alternatives.
Botanical Garden of Huntsville
+1 256 564 8100109 Southeast Gates Avenue
The 112-acre garden is accessible all year and is home to a variety of habitats. The native flora of Alabama are the focus here. You may take a trip in the woods and explore flowers in different gardens and aquatic ecosystems. The Damson Aquatic Garden has a 100-foot pool and an Aquatic Pavilion with fauna, water lilies, and lotus.
The children’s garden is a hybrid of eight gardens. The park will also entice kids to its various water elements, particularly on hot days when they will want to cool down in the wading pool. They may then learn about prisms, spaces, and how to make a labyrinth.
Apart from the children’s garden, children will enjoy the biggest seasonal open-air butterfly habitat in the United States. The small scenery of the G-scale Garden Railway will delight everyone. There will be a farm, a settlement, a waterfall with a pond, a tunnel, and a railroad trestle.
Arrive after 11:00 a.m. to avoid long lines at the ticket office.
Huntsville Art Museum
+1 (256) 535-4350300 Church Street South
The Huntsville Museum of Art specializes on 19th and 20th century American art, with an emphasis on the southeast. Almost 3,200 items are in the permanent collection. A secondary emphasis is on art from Europe, Asia, and Africa that has impacted American art. The collection includes works by artists from the twentieth century such as Andy Warhol and James McNeil Whistler.
The museum also has a collection of works by Alabama-born artists such as Stephen Rolfe Powell, William Christenberry, and David Parrish. There is also a permanent display named American Glass Studio, which includes pieces by Dale Chihuly and Cam Langley.
Pro Tip: The museum is closed on Tuesdays.
Campus number 805
+1 (256) 519-62122620 Clinton Avenue
From 1951 until 2009, it housed different educational institutions before becoming Stone Middle School when the Huntsville City School District closed it down. Now, the property is thriving as a brewery and entertainment destination.
Campus No. 805 has a plethora of breweries and food establishments. Straight to Ale Brewing with Ales Kitchen is one of my favorites. The burgers here are fantastic. If you prefer Mexican cuisine, try Hops N Guac. They provide counter-style ordering, self-service beer, and enjoyable activities such as snook ball.
Additionally, go here to see my comprehensive list of Huntsville’s greatest eateries.
You may learn ballroom dancing at Huntsville Ballroom, play virtual golf at X-Golf in a sports bar atmosphere, vent your rage at Civil Axe Throwing, or play pinball arcade games at Pints and Pixels or Ronnie Rayguns. Whichever you choose, you will have a terrific time.
On campus, there is lots of free parking.
Space and Rocket Center of the United States
One Tranquility Base 800 637 7223
Huntsville’s moniker, Rocket City, was obtained via the development of rockets that sent men to the moon. The US Space & Rocket Center has everything connected to putting men on the moon.
In addition to moon rocks, there is a full-scale mock-up of the space shuttle stacked for launch, a flying Apollo spacecraft, and a new walk-through display of the International Space Station.
Dr. Wernher von Braun and his colleagues made moon landing a reality, and you’ll discover more about NASA’s ambitions for Mars exploration. Discover the Space Launch System (SLS), the world’s most powerful rocket.
Take advantage of their live guided tour of their planetarium.
Conclusion
This list of things to do in Huntsville, AL just scrapes the surface of all the entertainment available in Huntsville. Whatever your interests are, whether they be history, art, science, or beer, you will have a great time in Rocket City.
What are your initial plans in Huntsville? Inform us in the comments section below!