Montgomery
The capital, at the heart of civil rights history.
Points of interest
- Legacy Museum
- National Memorial for Peace and Justice
- Rosa Parks Museum
State guide
Things to do in Alabama
The civil rights trail through Montgomery, Birmingham and Selma, the moving Legacy Museum, rockets at Huntsville's Space and Rocket Center, white-sand Gulf beaches and the oldest Mardi Gras in the USA in Mobile.
1955
Montgomery bus boycott
Civil rights history and the Gulf
Alabama is where much of the American civil rights movement happened, and it tells that story powerfully. In Montgomery, Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat in 1955, sparking the bus boycott led by Martin Luther King Jr. In Birmingham, the 16th Street Baptist Church was bombed in 1963. In Selma, marchers were attacked on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in 1965, leading to the Voting Rights Act.
Montgomery's Legacy Museum and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, which remembers the victims of lynching, are among the most important sites in the USA. Birmingham, the biggest city, has the Civil Rights Institute and a revived downtown with a good food scene. In the north, Huntsville is Rocket City, where NASA developed the rockets that took astronauts to the Moon, and the US Space and Rocket Center displays a Saturn V.
On the coast, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach have white-sand beaches, and Mobile holds the oldest Mardi Gras in the USA. Give Alabama four or five days, by car. Spring and autumn are best.
Where to base yourself
Montgomery and Birmingham for civil rights history, Huntsville for space, and Mobile for the coast.
Birmingham
Alabama's biggest city, with a revived downtown.
Points of interest
- Civil Rights Institute
- 16th Street Baptist Church
- Sloss Furnaces
Huntsville
Rocket City.
Points of interest
- US Space and Rocket Center
- Saturn V
Mobile
A historic port with the oldest Mardi Gras.
Points of interest
- Mardi Gras
- USS Alabama
- Historic districts
- Gulf Shores nearby
Regions of Alabama
Huntsville and the Tennessee Valley in the north, Birmingham in the centre, Montgomery and Selma in the Black Belt, and Mobile and the beaches on the Gulf.
Birmingham
Civil rights, foodThe biggest city.
Montgomery and Selma
Civil rightsThe Legacy Museum and the Pettus Bridge.
Huntsville
Rockets, spaceRocket City.
Mobile
Mardi Gras, historyThe port city on Mobile Bay.
Gulf Shores and Orange Beach
BeachesWhite sand on the Gulf.
Things to do
Things to do in Alabama
In Montgomery, visit the Legacy Museum, the National Memorial for Peace and Justice and the Rosa Parks Museum, and see the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, where Martin Luther King Jr was pastor. Walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma.
In Birmingham, visit the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and the 16th Street Baptist Church, then explore Sloss Furnaces, an old ironworks, and the view from the Vulcan statue. In Huntsville, see the Saturn V rocket at the US Space and Rocket Center.
On the coast, spend time on the beaches of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, visit Mobile's historic districts and the battleship USS Alabama, and see Mardi Gras in Mobile in February or March. Little River Canyon in the north-east has waterfalls and gorges.
Free things
And what it costs nothing to do
The Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma and Kelly Ingram Park in Birmingham, with its civil rights sculptures, are free. Sloss Furnaces is free to visit.
The Gulf beaches are free, though parking costs money. Little River Canyon is free.
The Legacy Museum, the Civil Rights Institute and the Space and Rocket Center charge entry.
Food and drink
Eating and drinking
Alabama has its own barbecue tradition, including white sauce, a tangy mayonnaise-based sauce from Decatur, served on smoked chicken. Try fried green tomatoes, fried chicken and banana pudding.
On the coast, eat Gulf shrimp, oysters and West Indies salad, a crab dish from Mobile. Birmingham has a strong restaurant scene.
Tip 18 to 22 per cent in restaurants.
Nightlife
Going out
Birmingham has bars, breweries and music venues in Avondale and downtown. Tuscaloosa and Auburn are lively college towns, especially on football weekends.
The Flora-Bama, a beach bar on the Alabama and Florida border, is famous.
College football is a passion here, and autumn Saturdays are huge.
Getting around
Getting around
Birmingham, Huntsville, Montgomery and Mobile have airports, and Atlanta's airport is a two-hour drive from Birmingham. Amtrak's Crescent stops in Birmingham.
A car is essential. Birmingham to Montgomery is around 90 minutes, and Montgomery to Selma under an hour.
Alabama is on Central Time.
Costs
What Alabama costs
Alabama is good value, among the cheapest states in the USA. Beach rentals get expensive in summer.
Sales tax is 4 per cent statewide, but local taxes push the total to around 10 per cent in Birmingham and Montgomery. Tip 18 to 22 per cent in restaurants.
The main museums charge entry.
Safety
Safety and scams
Birmingham and Montgomery have high crime rates in some areas; stay in busy areas and use rideshares at night.
Spring and late autumn bring severe storms and tornadoes, and the coast has hurricane season from June to November. Rip currents are a danger on Gulf beaches; check the flags.
Summers are very hot and humid. In an emergency, call 911.
What's on
What is on while you are there
Mardi Gras, jubilees and college football.
February or March
Mobile Mardi Gras
Mobile
The oldest Mardi Gras celebration in the USA.
March
Bridge Crossing Jubilee
Selma
Commemorates the 1965 march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge.
September to November
College football
Tuscaloosa and Auburn
Huge game days.
When to go
March to May and October to November are the best times. Mardi Gras in Mobile is in February or March. Summers are very hot and humid, and good for the beaches.
Jan
Mild
Feb
Mardi Gras in Mobile
Mar
Spring
Apr
Pleasant
May
Warm
Jun
Beach season
Jul
Hot, humid
Aug
Hot, hurricane risk
Sep
College football
Oct
Pleasant
Nov
Cool
Dec
Mild
Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets:
quiet
busy
peak
Average highs for Birmingham, rounded. The coast is warmer.
What your trip will cost
Per night, for one person, based on Birmingham prices.
Treat these as a guide. Beach rentals cost more in summer.
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- Beds—
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- Doing things—
Alabama questions
The ones we get asked most.
Where should I go on the civil rights trail in Alabama?
Montgomery, Birmingham and Selma, within around two hours of each other.
What is the Legacy Museum?
A museum in Montgomery tracing the history from slavery to mass incarceration, with the National Memorial for Peace and Justice nearby.
Does Mobile really have the oldest Mardi Gras?
Yes, Mobile's celebrations date back to the early 1700s, before New Orleans.
How many days do you need in Alabama?
Four or five days.
Do I need a car in Alabama?
Yes. Public transport is very limited.
When is the best time to visit Alabama?
Spring and autumn.
Is Alabama expensive?
No, but local sales taxes are high.
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