Riverchase Galleria | 3000 Riverchase Galleria, Suite 1000, Hoover, AL 35244; 205-985-3020
www.riverchasegalleria.com
Distance from Hotels: 1.1 miles
Welcome to a world of soaring glass, lush greenery, streaming neon and sparkling lights. Welcome to Riverchase Galleria, Alabama's number one tourist attraction and one of America's most unique shopping experiences! Here, beneath a nine-story glass atrium featuring the world's largest skylight, you'll find over 200 exquisite shops, luxurious lodging and fine dining to celebrate any occasion. The entire family will be delighted with every visit!
Birmingham Zoo | 2630 Cahaba Road, Birmingham, AL 35223-1106; 205-879-0409
www.birminghamzoo.com
Distance from Hotels: 12.3 miles
One of the state' s most popular attractions, the Birmingham Zoo is an ever-evolving adventure. Visitors come from around the Southeast to see shows such as the Rhino Encounter, the Giraffe Feedings, the Lorikeet Aviary, the Predator Zone and the Sea Lion Splash Show. The zoo is blazing new trails in elephant conservation with the opening of Trails of Africa. The initiative designates the Birmingham Zoo as a national leader in the care and conservation of threatened elephants. Trails of Africa is a mixed-species exhibit that includes a bull elephant herd, red river hogs, giraffes, wildebeest, zebras and more. Concessions and dining on site. Open daily 9am- 5pm. Extended hours for special events. Admission.
Vulcan Park & Museum | 1701 Valley View Drive, Birmingham, AL 35209; 205-933-1409
www.vulcanpark.org
Distance from Hotels: 13.9 miles
Vulcan is the largest cast iron statue in the world and Birmingham's unofficial city symbol. Standing high atop Red Mountain, the 56-foot-high statue has an observation balcony on its pedestal for a panoramic view of the city. Vulcan is patterned after the mythical Roman god of the forge, a nod to the city's powerful position in the iron and steel industry in the first part of the 20th century. The statue was created as Birmingham's exhibit in the 1903 World's Fair in St. Louis and won the exposition's grand prize. The museum at Vulcan has interactive exhibits and displays that portray the region's history and progress. Vulcan park grounds open daily, 7am- 10pm. Museum open Monday- Saturday, 10am- 6pm; Sunday, 1pm- 6pm. Observation balcony open Monday- Saturday, 10am- 10pm; Sunday, 1pm- 10pm. Admission.
Birmingham Civil Rights Institute | 520 16th Street North, Birmingham, AL 35203; 205-328-9696
www.bcri.org
Distance from Hotels: 13 miles
Richly detailed exhibits in the Civil Rights Institute reveal slices of black and white life in Alabama from the late 1800s to the present. A series of galleries tells the stories of daily life for African-Americans in the state and the nation and how dramatically different it was from the lives white people of that era took for granted. The powerful Movement Gallery presents the Civil Rights Movement for 1955 to 1963. Here a picture emerges of the bad old days of "Bombingham," a reference to the relentless violence that rocked the city in the late 1950s and early '60s. In the final exhibits, the Processional Gallery uses life-size figures representing all ages and races to portray the "walk to freedom." Open Tuesday- Saturday, 10am- 5pm; Sunday, 1pm- 5pm. Admission.
McWane Science Center | 200 19th Street N, Birmingham, AL 35203; 205-714-8300
www.mcwane.org
Distance from Hotels: 13.1 miles
Four floors of hands-on exhibits and an IMAX Dome Theatre are all part of the fun of learning at McWane Science Center. Celebrating science and discovery, the exhibits include everything from dinosaurs to space travel. Play tunes with your feet on the Giant Piano, and learn about gravity with a daring ride on the High Cycle. Pet the sharks and stingrays in the Shark & Ray Touch Tank, and check out the Zoetrope for visual illusions of motion from still pictures. Open September- May, Monday- Friday, 9am- 5pm; Saturday, 10am- 6pm; Sunday, noon- 6pm. June- August, Monday- Saturday, 10am- 6pm; Sunday, noon- 6pm. Admission.
Golf Courses
There are also a variety of nice golf courses in and around the Birmingham area -- visit the Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau for a list of Birmingham-area golf courses and more info.
