The high-tech city of Huntsville which sprawls at the foot of a mountain in North Alabama is equally at home in the 19th century or the 21st. Huntsville's tourist attractions reflect the heritage of Alabama's first English-speaking city, the strife of the American Civil War, and the accomplishments of America's rocket scientists.
Things to do in Huntsville
Burritt Museum
This unique museum of regional history is housed in the mountaintop home of Dr. William Henry Burritt. The remarkable 14-room mansion built in the shape of an X in the 1930's is insulated with 2,200 bales of wheat straw. The Historic Park contains restored farm buildings which interpret rural life during 1850 and 1900. Many nature trails wind through heavily wooded forest. The grounds, open year round, offer a breathtaking panoramic view of Huntsville and the Tennessee Valley. On a clear day you can see the Tennessee River and the towering NASA rocket test stands. Grounds open year round. Call (256) 536-2882 for more information.
3101 Burritt Drive, Huntsville, AL
Cathedral Caverns State Park
Cathedral Caverns, 40 minutes east of Huntsville, contains wide chambers, an impressive stalagmite "forest" & a massive 60 foot-tall column with a girth of 200 feet. Fossils of sealife estimated at 220 million years old dot the walls. Call (256) 728-8193 for more information.
Off U.S. 72 near Grant., Huntsville, AL
Huntsville Depot and Museum
Circa 1860-One of the nation's oldest remaining railroad structures. Climb aboard locomotives, see Alabama's largest public model railroad, visit Civil War exhibits & discover graffiti written by soldiers. Listen as Andy Barker, the robotic ticket agent tells of Alabama's railway history. "Kid's Corner" is complete with costumes, train puzzles & maps. Call (256) 564-8100 for more information.
320 Church Street, Huntsville, AL
Huntsville Museum of Art
Located in downtown Huntsville among the tranquil beauty of Big Spring International Park, the Huntsville Museum of Art is now a complete experience. Spend a day with us viewing art, shopping in the Museum Store and staying for lunch and dinner at the Palette Café in our newest Plaza in the Park feature. Call (256) 535-4350 for more information.
300 Church Street, Huntsville, AL
U.S. Space and Rocket Center
The world's largest space attraction features dozens of interactive exhibits surrounding Apollo, Mercury and Space Shuttle spacecraft. Rockets developed in Huntsville range from the Army boosters that put America's first satellite and astronauts in orbit to NASA's Saturn V moon rocket and the Space Shuttle. Call (256) 837-3400 for more information.
One Tranquility Base, Huntsville, AL