Huntsville, Alabama completely took us abruptly. We knew “Rocket Metropolis” had NASA’s largest house flight heart and the beloved House Camp, however we had no thought their music, artwork, and meals scene would even be out of this world. Town has one of many highest concentrations of PhDs within the nation, and they’re utilizing their depraved smarts in numerous enjoyable methods. Huntsville has reworked a cotton mill into the nation’s largest privately owned artwork heart, an outdated highschool right into a brewery and leisure complicated, and constructed an amphitheater so acoustically excellent and sustainable that it has been named considered one of Billboard’s finest venues on this planet!
For all of Huntsville’s development and innovation in recent times, it haven’t forgotten its roots. As Alabama’s first capital and a metropolis spared through the Civil Struggle, it has a number of the state’s oldest and grandest structure. What initially put Huntsville on the vacationer map within the late 1800s was its “Mountain of Well being.” Monte Sano State Park’s 2,400 acres of wilderness stay inside the metropolis limits within the title of conservation and recreation. Huntsville clearly desires to ensure its friends and residents are properly taken care of, and it has paid off, incomes town US Information & World Report’s “Greatest Place to Reside.”
We spent 5 days in Huntsville, and couldn’t consider how a lot there was to discover on this little metropolis. That can assist you plan an unforgettable journey, we’ve created this checklist of the perfect issues to do in Huntsville, Alabama. Buckle up, Rocket Metropolis, right here you come!
Gush Over Huge Spring
The most effective place to begin your Huntsville journey is the place the city started…Huge Spring! In 1805, John Hunt heard tales of a spot past the Appalachian Mountains with an ever-flowing spring of crystal-clear water. When he noticed 20 million gallons pouring out per day, he made it his homestead, and tons of of settlers rapidly adopted swimsuit. After 150 years as Huntsville’s ingesting supply, Huge Spring’s swimming pools and canals are actually the guts of their central park.
To get a really feel for the uncooked magnificence that attracted Hunt to this place, begin on the Spring Avenue entrance to see the water effervescent from the limestone bluff. Meander the canals and sit on the expansive pond to admire the reflections of town’s skyscrapers and Huntsvillians of their joyful place.
💡 Huntsville Journey Tip: Are available in April for the Southeast’s premier arts pageant, Panply, or summer season Mondays for Huge Spring Park’s weekly live performance collection.
Structure Corridor, The place Alabama Started!
This unsuspecting cupboard maker’s workshop is the place Alabama’s statehood started with the signing of its structure in 1819. At the moment, it’s a beautiful museum, surrounded by eight historic buildings, together with a regulation workplace, print store, put up workplace, cabinetmaker’s store, and residence, providing a glimpse into Alabama’s earliest days. The charming out of doors exhibit is free, and the museum gives atmospheric lantern excursions across the holidays.
The Secret Artwork & Mural Tour
You’ll be able to’t assist however discover the colourful murals throughout Huntsville, however to see the best and be taught in regards to the artists behind them, observe the Secret Artwork Path within the Quigley Arts & Leisure District. Whereas murals make up a lot of the 16 stops, there are additionally fabulous sculptures hanging off buildings and stained-glass artwork for the keen-eyed. We cherished the colourful “This Lady Can” by Kim Radford, celebrating ladies’s proper to vote, and “The Catalyst” mural by Robert Bean for its intelligent selfie opps, like holding a balloon, using a motorcycle, or flying away on a Poppins-style umbrella. For more information, try this detailed guide to the Secret Art Trail.
💡 Journey Tip: In any of Huntsville’s 5 designated Arts & Leisure Districts, open-container legal guidelines loosen up. Bars pour your drink right into a magic purple cup, and it could actually journey with you in your stroll till the following watering gap that calls to you.
Wander the Mansions of Twickenham
Huntsville’s oldest neighborhood is a fairytale-meets-textbook of early American structure. Relationship again to 1814, Antebellum mansions (greater than 65!), Greek Revival, and Victorian properties are superbly preserved right here. Williams Ave SE is the grandest thoroughfare, and each intersecting road has swoon-worthy homes.
For an opportunity to go inside a historic dwelling, the Weeden House Museum is a good alternative. Along with admiring its Nineteenth-century stylings, the work and poems of lifelong resident Maria Howard Weeden supply a deeper look into Huntsville life, notably that of African Individuals. Guided excursions depart at 10:00 a.m., Monday-Friday, with extra excursions on Tuesday and Thursday at 1:00 p.m.
💡 Journey Tip: Pull up HuntsvilleHistoryTours.org in your cellphone to observe the Huntsville Historical past Tour’s audio information to dive into the historical past of town’s most spectacular buildings.
Journey Again in Time at Harrison Brothers {Hardware}
Working on Huntsville’s historic Courthouse Sq. since 1897, Harrison Brothers is a handyman’s, antiquarian’s, and artwork lover’s dream. After the Harrison household stocked its wood cabinets and knobbed drawers for almost a century, the Historic Huntsville Society fortunately took over the stock and froze this place in time. Peek into the creaky cupboards of forgotten wares. Marvel on the rope-pulley freight elevator and go across the six-foot-tall secure till you attain the Harrison Brothers Gallery. It options the works of greater than 50 regional artists and native purveyors to your souvenir-shopping pleasure. Use money, and the clerk will ring you up on the bronze register from 1907.
Frolic in Huntsville Botanical Backyard
Discover 118 acres of manicured gardens and native habitat, together with a path of three,000 azalea bushes, a butterfly home with monarchs fluttering round you, an Aquatic Pavilion to catch the water lilies’ reflections, and a Backyard of Hope for most cancers sufferers and their households. And don’t miss essentially the most thrilling everlasting exhibit…Mama Zelda, an enormous troll created by world-renowned recycled artist Thomas Dambo.
We got here to the Huntsville Botanical Backyard particularly to see this troll, whose hair of twigs and vines types a whimsical labyrinth to achieve her, however rapidly realized there was a lot extra occurring on the backyard. On the day of our go to, there was the “World Rhythm & Blooms” live performance collection, a scarecrow artwork exhibit, and a medieval fencing match. Check their calendar of events for what enjoyable they’ve in retailer to your go to!
Play Hooky At Campus 805
@honeytrek What was a highschool for 60 years is now each naughty pupil’s dream. At Campus 805, the gymnasium is a brewery, the English classroom is a tattoo parlor, a row of lockers hides a speakeasy, and the sports activities fields are actually pageant grounds, for adults to run wild throughout their 13-acre schoolyard. Bending the principles a bit additional, the Huntsville Arts & Leisure District enables you to stroll exterior and between bars together with your purple open container, with out getting detention. As they are saying at Campus 805, college won’t ever be the identical once more. #campus805 #visithuntsvilleal #partner #iHeartHSV @Huntsville, AL @Straight to Ale ♬ ACDC style hard rock(1021726) – Canal Records JP
What was a highschool for 60 years is now each naughty pupil’s dream. At Campus 805, the gymnasium has turn out to be a brewery, the English classroom a tattoo parlor, a row of lockers completely hides a speakeasy, and the sports activities fields are actually pageant grounds, for adults to run wild throughout this 13-acre schoolyard. We cherished Straight to Ale’s beer, meals, and self-guided brewery tour by way of the outdated health club and wandering the halls of lockers in search of cool companies, like Ronnie Raygun’s classic pinball arcade and Rocket Metropolis Laser. In contrast to a standard college, you’re going to need to come on a weekend when all these quirky lecture rooms are open and everyone seems to be enjoying hooky.
Be an Astronaut for the Day on the US House & Rocket Heart
Regardless of if you’re tremendous into science or house exploration, this NASA & Smithsonian-Affiliate museum will blow your thoughts. It’s the official customer heart for the Marshall House Flight Heart—the rocket makers that despatched man to the moon and the geniuses actually propelling the way forward for house exploration. The US Space & Rocket Center additionally dives into the fascinating historical past of Huntsville, going from a floundering cotton mill city to a driving drive within the House Race.
It’s the place you’ll be able to see the precise Saturn V rocket that despatched Neil & Buzz to the moon, a life-size reproduction of the Pathfinder House Shuttle, and numerous artifacts and Twenty first-century prototypes of house journey. This museum is extremely hands-on, letting you hop aboard a world house station, climb into capsule cockpits, and even drive an FS-VC twin system flight simulator that may have you ever doing barrel rolls.
The Intuitive Planetarium is a separate ticket, however so value it to see the newest findings of the James Webb House Telescope (essentially the most highly effective ever constructed) and witness the evolution of galaxies, the lifecycle of stars, and a sort of magnificence we by no means knew existed. And if the US House & Rocket Heart actually will get your engines firing, join House Camp! Not only for children, household, and all-adult classes can be found. Dozens of the grads have turn out to be precise astronauts, and everybody we all know who’s participated continues to speak about it, even many years later.
Paint the City Purple at Lowe Mill Arts & Leisure
From a cotton mill to a shoe manufacturing facility to the biggest privately-owned artwork heart within the USA, Lowe Mill Arts & Entertainment has bought endurance and a lot enjoyable on faucet. After we noticed this collection of century-old warehouses, with their gritty bricks and wonky home windows, we couldn’t consider what was inside…a labyrinth of 153 working artwork studios, 4 efficiency areas, a meadey, classic arcade, and plenty of extra inventive areas. Not some pretentious museum, Lowe Mill desires everybody to search out their inside artist, providing open lessons in every thing from comedian book-making, to cigar field guitar classes, ceramics, and Celtic dance.
As not-so-good painters, we had been a bit of intimidated to enroll, however with beloved native artist Yuri Ozaki internet hosting a 1-hour class for a mere $20, we needed to give it a go! We discovered a ton, had a blast, and really got here away with a portray we’re happy with. To make the evening even cooler, we caught Lowe Mill’s Friday evening live performance collection, danced to a five-piece band till closing time, and had a late-night ceremonial dinner at Chef Will The Palettes’ plant-based meals truck. Watch the video (above) for the magic of Lowe Mill.
Play Disc Golf Like a Professional
Disc golf could be a fringe sport in some locations, however not Huntsville! Town is dwelling to one of many world’s first programs and simply bought the bid for the 2027 PDGA Newbie World Championships. There are 11 programs on the town; die-hards ought to head to the OG Tom Monroe Memorial Disc Golf Course or the John Hunt Park to get to the greens earlier than the championship gamers do.
Or when you’re disc-golf dabblers like us and luxuriate in a stroll within the park simply as a lot, lease a set of discs for $5 on the Out of doors Recreation Heart, then head to Monte Sano. This state park is gorgeous, and we cherished that its course goes by way of the North Alabama Japanese Backyard, with its bamboo forest, tea home, and Haiku Path with inspirational poems alongside the best way.
💡Journey Tip: Have further power after your spherical of disc golf at Monte Sano? Hike the Sinks Path to Stone Cuts Loop for northern Alabama’s spectacular limestone formations.
Catch a Live performance (or any occasion!) at The Orion
How do you create considered one of Billboard’s Prime Music Venues within the World? Pair a Grammy-award-winning rockstar, who understands what artists and followers need, with one of many savviest cities within the American South. With the Mumford & Sons keyboard participant and venue guru on the helm, Huntsville’s Orion Amphitheater is the place music meets group, sustainability, and a helluva good time.
We got here to The Orion to see Blink-182 (considered one of Mike’s all-time favourite bands!), however rapidly realized it was a lot greater than an 8000-person music venue. The outside has a big-art park, meals vans, a dive bar, and a number of areas for group occasions all through the week. Inside, you received’t discover your common sizzling canine and Bud Gentle beer stands, however quite 15 bespoke bars, mixing cocktails with herbs grown on web site and pouring all-Alabama brews that profit environmental nonprofits. Sustainability is on the core of The Orion, with its no-single-use-plastic coverage and dedication to ship zero waste to landfills. The truth is, the week we visited, their reusable cups program celebrated its 1 millionth reuse!
The Blink-182 present was as superior as anticipated, however the enjoyable we didn’t see coming was the after-party! The Orion threw in an additional band totally free at The Dome, and we danced till midnight on a Monday with tons of of stoked locals…what an evening!
Greatest Huntsville Bars & Eating places
Domaine South
In entrance of Huge Spring’s waterfall sits the most effective eating places on the town, with a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence to again it up. Love the vibe at Domaine South, with their art-packed partitions and ceilings dripping with vegetation. With a give attention to native and seasonal elements, the menu modifications weekly, and you’ll at all times rely on their attractive charcuterie boards (with a number of vegan cheese choices!). Go for joyful hour (11-5pm) to get pleasure from their wonderful wines and admire the waterfall within the sunshine.
Commonplace Social Market
Half gourmand bodega and half restaurant, Standard Social Market looks like a hip locals’ joint, they usually had been loads accommodating to newcomers. We requested for a Southern meal vegan-style, they usually put their scrumptious black bean burger between a biscuit with a facet of fried inexperienced tomatoes, and we had been in comfort-food heaven!
Revivalist
As soon as a Nineteenth-century tavern, Revivalist is channeling its old-school vibes within the chicest approach. This place pulses with date-night vibes and has costs to match your big day, however value it for the tahini cauliflower steak and French onion orzo.
Mason Dixon Bakery & Bistro
A wholly gluten-free and largely plant-based menu, this bakery and bistro is nice for well being and planet-conscious diners. Get Mason Dixon’s vegan cookie-dough chocolate cupcake—it’s divine!
Stovehouse
A former range manufacturing facility is now a food-court-meets-adult-playground, simply exterior of downtown. Centered round a yard of garden video games and sunsails, Stovehouse’s 15 eateries and bars let associates observe their appetites in several instructions and are available collectively over large checkers and cornhole. Kamado Ramen and Pourhouse hit the spot!
Catacomb 435
This speakeasy does it proper, with clues to get to the entrance door, a secret password, and really customized cocktails in a moody, cool setting. Catacomb 435’s menu is only a collection of checkboxes to mark the flavors, spirits, and vibes you’re feeling, and their mixologist makes magic from there.
Extra Vegan Choices
We reached out to @HuntsvilleVegans and this group of native plant-based devotees advisable Vujee Vegan, The Veggie, and Hippea Camper for incredible 100% vegan eateries.
The place to Keep
106 Jefferson
The Victorian-era Huntsville Lodge is again as a posh Hilton Curio property. Completely located within the coronary heart of downtown and throughout from full of life Jefferson Alley, the rooms are stylish, their rooftop bar is a locals sizzling spot, and their foyer is linked to considered one of Huntsville’s most interesting eating places (learn: your Hilton Honors F&B credit score will get you breakfast or cocktails!)
Placemakr
Within the booming Mid-Metropolis neighborhood and simply throughout from The Orion Amphitheater, this apartment-style hotel is a good various to Airbnb with the identical homey comforts.
Monte Sano Cabins
Sitting on the bluffs of the state park, simply 5 miles from downtown, Monte Sano has eleven 1930s cabins constructed by the CCC. Just lately renovated with trendy kitchens and loos, with out dropping their stone fireplaces, wide-plank ceilings, and screened-in porches of yesteryear. We’re so glad we added this stint in nature to our metropolis keep!
Attending to Huntsville
Being in Northern Alabama and the state’s largest metropolis, Huntsville is extra linked than you may assume. Only a two-hour drive from Nashville, and three.5 hours from Atlanta, Knoxville, and Memphis, it’s a simple highway journey. In case you’re flying in, Huntsville has direct flights from New York, Washington DC, Chicago, Miami, Denver, Las Vegas, LA, and extra main cities. And making journey to Huntsville further nice, HSV has repeatedly been named “Greatest Small Airport within the USA” for its environment friendly service and sudden delights, like an artwork gallery, dwell music, and a brewery. Rental automobiles are plentiful and the easiest way to get round Huntsville.
Rocket Metropolis Rocks!
Clearly, there are many issues to do in Huntsville, however the ingenuity and artistic spirit behind them is what impressed us most. We marvel at how Huntsville reinvented itself from a defunct mill city to a beacon of NASA expertise. Then, when the glow of the House Race light, they targeted on artwork and structure, reimagining outdated buildings as inventive areas to convey their group collectively.
Then, what at all times makes a spot so memorable is the folks you meet! From catching up with our outdated buds, Jen & Ed, who made Huntsville their dwelling, to breaking bread with new associates at Lowe Mills’s portray lessons and vegan meals truck, we noticed Rocket Metropolis and Alabama in a brand new and shining mild and know you’ll too.
P.S. Huge Due to Visit Huntsville for inviting us to city and supporting our work!
