Birmingham Civil Rights, BOOK, Fred Shuttlesworth

Southern Museum of Flight: Plan a Birmingham Aviation Adventure

A favorite family activity at the Southern Museum of Flight is exploring a real aircraft that kids can climb into while discovering the history of aviation. The museum features more than 100 historic aircraft, along with interactive simulators and guided educational tours. It is one of the South’s largest aviation museums and is also home to the Alabama Aviation Hall of Fame. (See pg. 99 of Birmingham by the Book for this and related activities.)

A popular spot for birthday parties, the museum also features a playground and picnic facilities, and the gift shop is filled with aviation-themed gifts, models, flight jackets, and other unique memorabilia.

In addition to the museum, aviation tech college classes are held on the Museum’s campus. Accepting students as early as their sophomore year of high school, Aviation College degree is a virtual guarantee of full employment upon graduation.

Occasional field trips include the Birmingham Shuttlesworth International Airport, renamed in 2008 to honor Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth. A striking 13’x 66’mural by Rico Gaston, was installed to honor his memory as well, with his portrait surrounded by colorful rays.

Rev Fred Shuttlesworth mural by Rico Gatson at the Birmingham Shuttlesworth Airport

Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame, Alabama Theater, Birmingham Landmarks, BOOK, Carver Theater

Exploring Birmingham’s Jazz Roots and Grand Historic Theaters

Birmingham has a number of historic museums, theaters, and cultural venues to explore that are listed on page 10-11 of Birmingham by the Book: A Guide to the Magic City. An excellent starting point is a visit to one of Birmingham’s three historic theaters.

Tuxedo Junction is a famous historic jazz intersection and neighborhood in the Ensley area of Birmingham, Alabama, that inspired the 1939 hit swing song by Erskine Hawkins. The Jazz Hall of Fame celebrates the great musicians of this era. The museum is now located downtown in the historic Carver Theater, which was originally opened in 1935 as a movie house. A refurbished performance hall hosts live performances as well as movies.

The Lyric and Alabama Theaters face each other on 3rd Avenue North in the City Center. The Lyric is the oldest theatre in Birmingham and was opened in 1914 as a vaudeville house. Following an $11 million restoration it has reopened as a 750 seat performing arts center. The Alabama Theater was built in 1927 by Paramount Studios as an Alabama showcase for Paramount films . It now hosts over 150 events per year and was beautifully restored in 1998.

Birmingham Historical Society, Highland Avenue, Historic Preservation, Neighborhoods, Southside

Porch Crawl in Historic Highland Park

Birmingham Historical Society is excited to participate in the 2nd annual Porch Crawl in Highland Park, Sunday, October 18th, 3-5 PM! It’s FREE and open to the public, rain or shine, but hoping for beautiful October weather. It was very well attended last year! Take a look in the video below! And then read more about it and browse photos on Highland Parks Neighborhood Association website. Hope to see you in October!

Featuring 16 stops in no particular order, here’s a map:

Map showing a walking route through Rhodes Park and Rushton Park, with labeled points and a highlighted pathway.

And at our stop, you can expect the following:

Birmingham Historical Society  2827 Highland Ave
Pick up a copy of the Historic Highland Scavenger Hunt! Complete and return it to BHS by 5 p.m. to win a copy of True Tales of Birmingham, one of the Society’s most popular books. While at BHS, browse an exhibit of aerial photographs from the Society’s newest release Birmingham by the Book: A Guide to the Magic City and the Society’s other books for sale, learn about Highland Avenue’s grand residences, and get tips on researching the history of your home or apartment and how to get an historical marker.

Birmingham Historical Society, Frederick Law Olmsted, Olmsted Brothers, Parks & Recreation, Red Mountain Park

I can see for miles and miles…from Ruffner Mountain

Over 1,000 acres just minutes from downtown Birmingham (and covering an area larger than Central Park) is the reclaimed mining land of Ruffner Mountain. Mining operations began on the mountain under the Sloss Iron and Steel Company to supply iron ore to nearby Sloss Furnaces from the late 1880s until operations finally closed on June 1, 1953.

It’s the highest point in the city of Birmingham and now features over 12 miles of hiking trails. The preserved panoramic view began with 25 acres of the former limestone quarry and surrounding land in 1977. Additional land was provided by the city, by various conservation organizations, and the state’s Forever Wild Land Trust.

The Red Rock Trail System® (RRTS) is a 750-mile master plan connecting 6 main trail corridors including Ruffner Mountain. An interactive map shows the complete system and according to Birmingham Historical Society Director Marjorie White, the map looks very similar to what the Olmsted Brothers firm proposed for Birmingham in 1924.

In 2017, Ruffner Mountain was one of six Birmingham historical sites celebrating Alabama’s industrial and economic history.

Interested in hiking, biking, or nature trails? There’s lots from which to choose and you can find a comprehensive list located on pgs 12-13 of Birmingham by the Book.

Birmingham Historical Society, Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham pioneers, BOOK

Birmingham by the Book: A Rich, Comprehensive Magic City Guide

From neighborhood histories and iconic venues to landmark sites, this guide traces Birmingham’s story from its beginnings before the Civil War to the city’s most memorable places and landscapes today. Drawing on 50 years of research, it offers a rich, comprehensive portrait of our Magic City—with something to captivate every reader.

Now available on Amazon! Just in time for fall holiday guests!

Birmingham Landmarks, BOOK, family history, Food History

Labor Day Barbeque at the Historic Golden Rule

One of the oldest barbecue joints in the USA still in operation is the Golden Rule in Irondale. Established in 1891 by the Williams family, it’s operated under multiple owners since then. But over 130 years, it’s expanded not only its menu, but its presence throughout Alabama and the South.

Nationwide shipping attests to the ongoing popularity of this historic location. See pg. 86 of Birmingham by the Book for other must-sees near this Irondale location!

Birmingham Historical Society, Birmingham Landmarks, BOOK, Publications

150 Sites to See in Birmingham: From Motorsports to History

New to Birmingham – or just visiting? Our Birmingham by the Book guide is an excellent source of activities for history buffs. But it also includes venues for those interested in architecture, sports, civil rights, iron ore, railroads, food, parks, or even motorcycles!

Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum contains the world’s foremost collection of restored motorcycles, cars, and bicycles, along with an official U.S. Porsche driving school. The beautiful 880 acre park through rolling hills allows picnics on the grounds while watching world class racing. Named “World’s Largest Motorcycle Museum” by the Guinness World Record, it was built by George Barber and opened in 2003.

Any visit to Birmingham should include Barber Motorsports. For this and other great sites, check out the extensive Guide to the Magic City which includes over 150 sites in the Birmingham area and 50 years of Birmingham Historical Society research.

Birmingham Historical Society, Birmingham Landmarks, Historic Preservation, Rickwood Field

Take Me Out to the Ball Game! 🎶

Rickwood Field, the nation’s oldest ball park opened in the West End community of Birmingham in 1910. The popularity of baseball was such at that time that the entire city of Birmingham closed up shop for the day in anticipation of its opening.

It is also revered as the oldest remaining park that was home to a Negro League ball club, the legendary Birmingham Black Barons. Legends like Willie Mays, Satchel Paige, Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, and Hank Aaron all played there.

After the minor league Barons left for the suburbs, the park was preserved as a historic landmark and working museum, hosting amateur games and an annual Rickwood Classic. And with the help of the Birmingham Historical Society, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.

Open for both self-guided or guided tours upon request, the ball park is listed by Birmingham Historical Society as one of Birmingham by the Book‘s Must-Sees (pg. 6)!

The Negro Southern League Museum near Regions Field in the Parkside District tells the story of black baseball in America through the lens of Birmingham’s experiences. A map along with other attractions in the area is included on pg 57 of Birmingham by the Book.

The Negro Southern League Museum is near Regions Field in the Parkside District. A map along with other attractions is included on pg. 57 of Birmingham by the Book.

Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham Public Library, BOOK

Bierstadt in Birmingham!

This massive painting by Albert Bierstadt, entitled Looking Down Yosemite Valley measures over 5 feet tall and 8 feet wide and is a local favorite at The Birmingham Museum of Art. A gift of the Birmingham Public Library, Bierstadt completed the oil in 1865 as a hopeful vision reuniting the country after the Civil War, and it was displayed in Chicago until the Great Fire of 1871.

Following the 1871 fire, the masterpiece vanished for nearly 60 years. It resurfaced at an auction in 1929, where a railway engineer bought it for a mere $300 and brought it to Birmingham, eventually donating it to the Birmingham Public Library. It quietly hung in a library reading room for decades until 1991, when it was permanently transferred to the Birmingham Museum of Art, where it is celebrated as a national treasure.

Looking Down Yosemite Valley by Albert Bierstadt, photo by Art Meripol

The Birmingham Museum of Art was founded in 1851 annd now has a diverse collection of more than 27,000 paintings, sculpture, prints, drawings, and decorative arts. ( For information about this and other museums in Birmingham, please refer to Birmingham by the Book or this list on our website.)

Birmingham Historical Society, Birmingham Landmarks, Birmingham pioneers, BOOK, Coal Mines, Railroads, Vulcan

Mineral Riches and Historic Mines in Birmingham

Birmingham emerged as the industrial capital of The South by 1900, and its growth was so fast, it was nicknamed The Magic City. For those curious about Birmingham’s resources, mines, and mineral lands, there are lots of sites to see (see pg. 11 of Birmingham by the Book for a list of 15 )! The historic Lone Pine Iron Mine opened around 1900 and can be viewed from The Vulcan Trail. It was a part of the Birmingham Mineral Railroad but the mine was closed shortly before WWI.

(photo above by Art Meripol 2025)

Tannehill Furnace (photo by Marjorie White)

During the Civil War, the Tannehill site expanded into three large stone cold blast furnaces producing up to 22 tons of pig iron daily for the Confederacy. The Union Cavalry under General James H. Wilson destroyed and burned the furnaces on March 31, 1865. But because it had successfully produced pig iron, the site is considered to be the birthplace of iron and steel making in the Birmingham District.

For more information, please refer to The Birmingham District: An Industrial History and Guide and Building Birmingham’s Industrial Base

Research, Publishing, and Education