ONLY IN MADISON COUNTY
- The U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville is Alabama’s top paid tourist attraction and the world’s largest space attraction, with dozens of interactive exhibits showcasing the past, present and future of spaceflight. Visitors can experience elements of astronaut training and travel through the universe during shows at the Intuitive Planetarium. The USSRC also is home to Space Camp.
- Since opening in 2022, The Orion Amphitheater has garnered national attention and has been featured on Billboard’s global Top Music Venues. In addition to concerts, the 8,000-capacity venue hosts markets, art displays and educational events plus large-scale events.
- Lowe Mill Arts & Entertainment is the largest privately owned arts facility in the United States and is located in a redeveloped historic factory building that accommodates more than 150 working studios for more than 200 artists, makers and independent businesses. The facility also includes seven art galleries, a theater, restaurants, a community garden and four performance venues.
- The 118-acre Huntsville Botanical Garden is open year-round, and has nature trails, a family garden and a butterfly house, plus hosts events like the Galaxy of Lights holiday display. In April, the Garden unveiled its newest permanent exhibit, “Mama Zelda,” a 20-foot troll sculpture by renowned Danish artist Thomas Dambo.
VISIT HISTORY
SIGNALS – The Museum of Information Explosion just opened in Huntsville in March showcasing communication technologies throughout history. Alabama Constitution Hall Park offers guided tours of the site where Alabama became a state and offers a glimpse at how residents of Huntsville lived in 1819. The park is open March through December. Burritt on the Mountain is the mountaintop home of Dr. William Henry Burritt, who built the x-shaped mansion in the 1930s. The 167-acre site features restored buildings that interpret what rural life was like in 19th-century Alabama, hiking and nature trails. Harrison Brothers Hardware Store is Alabama’s oldest continuously operating hardware store and has been located on Huntsville’s downtown square since 1897. EarlyWorks Children’s History Museum is a hands-on, science and history museum geared towards children ages two to 12. Built in 1819, the Weeden House Museum and Garden has been a home to some notable figures, including John McKinley, associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court; Bartley M. Lowe, the first president of Huntsville Bank; and it was the birthplace and lifelong home of artist and poet Maria Howard Weeden. The U.S. Veterans Memorial Museum in Huntsville houses memorabilia, artifacts and military equipment from the American Revolutionary War to the present day, including the oldest surviving Jeep vehicle, the Ford Pygmy.
TOOT! TOOT!
The North Alabama Railroad Museum in Chase, just east of Huntsville, features some 30 pieces of rolling stock, including freight and passenger equipment, and three historic locomotives. The museum’s volunteer staff are available on Wednesdays and Saturdays to take train ride reservations and assist visitors.
ART, MUSIC & DANCE
Located in Big Spring International Park in downtown Huntsville, the Huntsville Museum of Art houses a permanent collection of more than 3,000 objects, primarily focused on 19th and 20th century American art with an emphasis on art from the Southeast. The Huntsville Symphony Orchestra has been performing for 70 years and is the oldest, continuously performing orchestra in Alabama. Each season, HSO offers a Classical Series, a Pops Series and Casual Classics Concerts in addition to annual Young People’s Concerts and a free Family Concert. In 2015, the Huntsville Ballet Company became the first professional ballet company in North Alabama. Its annual performance of The Nutcracker is a beloved holiday tradition and gives students from the Huntsville Ballet School the opportunity to audition and perform with the company at the Von Braun Center Concert Hall. And catch concerts, Broadway shows, music, dance and even sports at the city’s Von Braun Center.
GO TO THE PARK
Built around the water source that first lured settlers to the area over 200 years ago, Big Spring International Park, in downtown Huntsville, hosts Panoply Arts Festival and Concerts in the Park and more. John Hunt Park is home to soccer, sand volleyball and cross-country championship facilities; a Kids Space playground; a festival site for large outdoor gatherings; a 52,000-square-foot skatepark; an 18-hole disc golf course; plus tennis, ice skating, mountain bike trails and more sports options. Apollo Park is Huntsville’s newest park. Located in MidCity, the 20-acre space includes a pond for kayaks and canoes, a water feature and lots of open space with landscaping, irrigation and walking paths.
GET OUTDOORS
Monte Sano State Park offers over 2,000 acres for outdoor recreation, including 20 miles of hiking trails, 14 miles of biking trails, an 18-hole disc golf course, playground, recreation fields and campgrounds, all with spectacular views. Ditto Landing is Huntsville’s gateway to the Tennessee River. In addition to water recreation, hiking and camping, Ditto Landing hosts events throughout the year. And, the Land Trust of North Alabama, originally the Huntsville Land Trust, provides over 80 miles of free public trails on their nature preserves in seven counties.
SPORTS
The Rocket City Trash Pandas are the Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels, playing April through August, with fireworks shows after Friday and Saturday games. In the offseason, Toyota Field hosts special events from movie nights to holiday lights. The Huntsville City Football Club held their first-ever match at Wicks Family Field at Joe Davis Stadium in May 2023. HCFC competes as Nashville Soccer Club’s affiliate in the MLS NEXT Pro league.
Huntsville is home to the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Hampton Cove, one of the most picturesque and playable courses on the famous trail. The 54-hole course covers 650 acres and includes the Highlands Course, the River Course and the Short Course.
NIGHTLIFE
Huntsville’s MidCity District is home to the Orion Amphitheater; The Camp, a restaurant and bar that serves up live music and entertainment every night; and several other dining, entertainment and retail options. Located on the site of the old Martin Stove Factory, Stovehouse is a destination for dining, drinks, shopping and live entertainment. Campus No. 805 is a 13-acre development that transformed the site of the former Stone Middle School into a local craft brewery center, dining, entertainment and event venue. Downtown Huntsville Inc. has created trail guides for those who want to sip their way through the Rocket City. The Craft Beer Trail features nine local craft breweries, and the Craft Cocktail Trail includes over 10 locations, including hidden speakeasies. If that’s not your thing, a Craft Coffee Trail guide also is available.
This article appears in the May 2025 issue of Business Alabama.
