Whether you're looking for things to do with kids or you want to experience the city on your own, there are plenty of free things to do in Birmingham.
Founded in 1951, the Birmingham Museum of Art is home to one of the Southeast's most epic art collections. Featuring paintings, sculptures, ceramics and more, this place has something for everyone.
The Birmingham Museum of Art is one of the best places to visit in the city if you are an art lover. It features an impressive collection of paintings, sculptures, drawings and decorative arts that reflect the rich cultures of Asian, European, American, African and Native American artists.
The museum is also home to one of the largest collections of Wedgwood china in the world.
With a dazzling array of exhibitions, the museum is an excellent place to spend an afternoon. There is something for everyone at this stunning attraction, whether you are an artist, collector or just a regular museum-goer.
The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute is a great place to learn about the Civil Rights Movement and other human rights issues. It has a series of exhibits that highlight the people and events that shaped the 1960s.
Located in downtown Birmingham, the Civil Rights District encompasses historic sites where several significant events in the history of the American Civil Rights Movement took place. The six-block area is a National Historic Landmark and a part of the National Park Service.
The Civil Rights Institute, Kelly Ingram Park and the 16th Street Baptist Church are among the sites in the district. The Institute is a large interpretive museum that depicts the struggles of the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s.
During the 1960s, many protests by black people in Birmingham were met with recrimination by police. Those scenes of policemen turning back young protesters with fire hoses and police dogs helped turn the tide of public opinion in the United States against legal segregationist policies.
If you love aviation, the Southern Museum of Flight is a must-see in Birmingham. The museum, which is the Southeast’s largest civilian aircraft museum, houses nearly 100 aircraft, models, engines, and flight artifacts.
The Southern Museum of Flight began as a few display cases at a Samford University library in 1966. Two years later, the collection was moved to the terminal at the Birmingham Airport and renamed.
Today, the Southern Museum of Flight has four wings or exhibit areas, each displaying a different aspect of Alabama’s rich aviation history.
Some of the most intriguing displays include a replica of a Korean War jet base, the Lake Murray B-25C Mitchell that was recovered from a lake, and dioramas that represent the Tuskegee Airmen and other notable fighter pilots. You can also learn about the importance of aviation in our nation’s history.
Red Mountain Park is a vibrant green space that sits on land formerly devoted to ore mining. After sitting dormant for decades, the park reopened in 2012 and offers plenty of attractions for those looking for something to do outdoors.
The park's 14 miles of trails connect several historic mining sites, city overlooks and treehouses. There are also hiking and biking trails that are great for a casual walk or run.
If you're looking to get some exercise and have a lot of fun at the same time, then Red Mountain Park is the place to go. It has a variety of activities for everyone from those who want to walk and hike, to those who wish to take part in adventure sports like ziplining or tree climbing.
Kelly Ingram Park is an emotional place where you can see a number of sculptures that memorialize the civil rights struggle in Birmingham. They are all depicting events that took place in the city during the 1960s.
The statues are very powerful and it's really worth visiting. They also have a mobile phone tour that will take you through all of the sculptures and explain the historical significance to you.
You can also learn more about the civil rights movement at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute across the street. This museum focuses on the horrors that occurred during the Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham and is one of the first museums in the country to recognize the importance of this history.
