Top 10 Kid’s Activities in Birmingham
If you are traveling with a carload of kids, it might be worth it to gain a perspective of Birmingham from a kid’s view. Check out these and other Birmingham activities for kids for all-around family fun.
- McWane Science Center
- Birmingham Zoo
- Sloss Furnaces
- Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
- Vulcan Park
- Alabama Sports Hall of Fame Museum
- Birmingham Botanical Gardens
- Alabama Adventure
- Talladega Superspeedway
- Rickwood Caverns State Park
The McWane Science Center is a first-rate Birmingham children’s museum. The new Shark & Ray Touch Tank is sure to pique your children’s interests, as they can interact with undersea creatures on a whole new level! Don’t miss the dinosaur exhibits or the IMAX Dome Theater where you can watch films projected on a 5-story tall dome screen! To learn more about these exciting kid’s activities in Birmingham go to: www.McWane.org.
The Birmingham Zoo is the place to go to see kangaroos, pandas, sea lions, and endangered species. It is home to over 750 animals and offers daily activities designed to educate the public. Join your kids in a Giraffe Encounter, or take a Camel Ride! This state-of-the-art facility will not disappoint. If you are in Birmingham during December don’t miss the Zoolight Safari! To learn more about Alabama’s most popular not-for-profit destination go to: www.BirminghamZoo.com.
These haunted derelicts are remnants of Birmingham’s industrial past. The blast furnaces housed there used to pump out iron for over 90 years. Today, the Furnaces are a National Historic Landmark and are visited by ghost hunters and tourists who believe the grounds to be haunted by the spirits of dead workers. Join a tour, take part in a metal arts class, or attend one of the spectacular events held at Sloss Furnaces. Of particular note is the Halloween Haunted House. To learn more about this testament to Birmingham’s past go to: www.SlossFurnaces.com.
If you are visiting Birmingham, you can’t miss an opportunity to educate your kids about Civil Rights in the city that made it all happen in the 1960s! At the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, your children will be able to see it all in context. So when you take a stroll through Kelly Ingram Park and view the sculptures created to commemorate the violence done there on protestors in 1963 or take a tour of the nearby 16th Street Baptist Church where the infamous bombing took place that killed four African American children, you and your children will find yourselves in the middle of a story that is still playing itself out. To learn more about Birmingham activities for kids at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute go to: www.BCRI.org.
The centerpiece of this Birmingham Park is a statue of the Roman God of fire – Vulcan – the largest cast iron statue in the world! An elevator takes you up to get a close-up look at the 56-foot tall statue as well as gives you a spectacular view of the Birmingham skyline. Hear the story of Vulcan and its symbolic tie to Birmingham’s ironwork history and ride to the top of the elevator shaft at dusk just as the city turns on its lights. To learn more about Birmingham activities for kids at this popular cultural attraction please visit: www.VisitVulcan.com.
Your little sports lovers will be entranced by the hordes of memorabilia and collectibles jam-packed in this Birmingham museum. Five of the greatest American sports figures of the century are from Alabama and commemorated in the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame Museum: Hank Aaron, Carl Lewis, Willie Mays, Joe Louis, and Jesse Owens. Let your kids roam and find their favorite player’s jersey! The Hall of Fame also offers educational programs featuring sports as a tool for gaining your kid’s interest. To learn more about kid’s activities in Birmingham go to: www.ASHOF.org.
Your kids will love to stroll through Birmingham Botanical Gardens’ 20 themed gardens ranging from a Japanese Garden, to an Iris Garden, to a Southern Living Garden. Be sure to check out the Moon Tree, which was grown from a seed that orbited the moon in Apollo 14 and spend some time at Sonat Lake – a peaceful water-lily strewn retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city. To learn more about Birmingham Botanical Gardens please visit: www.BBGardens.org.
Your kids will have a blast at this Birmingham theme park, which includes Magic City USA, the Splash Beach Water Park, and Celebration Street. They will love a ride on the famous Rampage – one of the scariest wooden roller coasters in the country, or a stroll down Celebration Street for some funnel cake, a ride on a carousel, or an old time photo. Check out these and more Birmingham activities for kids at Alabama Adventure: www.AlabamaAdventure.com.
Take your kids to NASCAR’s most competitive racetrack to watch a race, or let them explore the free Kids Zone at Talladega where they can compete in a Pit Stop Challenge or join a number of other racing-related activities. Check out the International Motorsports Hall of Fame and Museum for a peek at your favorite racers or a glimpse at authentic racecars dating back to the 1900s. To learn more about Birmingham activities for kids at this Birmingham treasure go to: www.TalladegaSuperspeedway.com.
Located just a short drive from Birmingham is one of the most beautiful underground cave experiences in the country. Your kids will be fascinated by the Blind Cave fish, and will delight in the Olympic-sized visitor’s pool. Space and facilities are available for hiking, camping, and picnicking as well as educational opportunities. To learn more about Birmingham activities for kids at Rickwood please go to: www.AlaPark.com/RickwoodCaverns/.