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!
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!
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.
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.
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.
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 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)
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
Birmingham has firmly established itself as a sought after town for foodies. Thanks to the talent and mentorship of Frank Stitt, (whose restaurant Highlands Bar & Grill won James Beard’s most outstanding restaurant in the country) Birmingham now has numerous white tablecloth dining experiences in addition to these old favorites below.
But The Bright Star in Bessemer, claims the title of Alabama’s oldest continuously operating restaurant. Established in 1907, the 300 seat restaurant is a James Beard “American Classic Winner”with down-home cooking, hand-painted murals, and a legendary star sign welcoming guests for over 100 years.
For a list of over 25 historic eateries and their locations, check out Birmingham by the Book (pg. 11)!
A group of women were inspired to provide medical care for the poor, leading them to build and operate Hillman Hospital, the city’s oldest hospital. It was opened in 1888 and has grown to be a part of Birmingham’s largest employer, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, or UAB.
As Alabama’s single largest employer, UAB currently employs more than 28,000 people, serves over 2 million, and occupies more than 100 city blocks. Attesting to its importance to our city, Birmingham by the Book devotes 15 pages (pgs. 60-75) to describing the buildings, the history, the architecture, the research, the medical center, and the arts, athletic, and residential centers in a concise, mapped, and heavily photographed format.
It also includes a nod to the facilities remaining from the earlier residential neighborhood dating to 1901, and notes the years each of the current buildings were constructed. For this and much, much more, check out Birmingham by the Book: A Guide to the Magic City
For an in depth study of the medical school’s history, the book Order from Chaos, by Dr. Arnold Diethelm tells the story of his years as Chairman of UAB’s Department of Surgery from 1982 to 1999, as well as the first kidney transplant.
Birmingham has struggled to shed the images of violence and destruction from 1956-1963 and today is home to several memorials and a premier civil rights museum.
Critically, Birmingham was the site of the 1963 Birmingham campaign; Martin Luther King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail; the Children’s Crusade, with its images of students being attacked by water hoses and dogs; the bombing of the A.G. Gaston Motel – the movement’s headquarters motel – and the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing. All these locations are now preserved as part of the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument. Sixty churches active in the Alabama Christian Movement and Civil Rights Movement are listed on pg. 9 of Birmingham by the Book.
Follow the Birmingham Civil Rights Trail using Birmingham by the Book, (pg. 6) available on Amazon.com. Or for in depth information, A Walk To Freedom has first hand recollections, and 225 photographs.
Climb to the top of the world’s largest cast-iron statue and take in the dramatic city and countryside views. Ditch the screen, and use Birmingham by the Book (pg. 7) for this and many more landmarks! Available on Amazon.
photo by Steve Dunlap
