Birmingham

Introduction Birmingham is a city that embraces its past, celebrating the good and learning from the bad. Founded in 1871 as a railroad stop, it was chosen for its rich iron ore, coal and limestone deposits—all necessary ingredients for steel production. Much later, it was the site of some of the country’s most violent racial conflicts. Today you’ll find these phases of its history as well as a strong commitment to the arts reflected in its attractions.

The Vulcan Statue salutes the city's industrial heritage. This 56-foot-tall, 60-ton rendering of the Roman god of fire and inventor of metalwork was created for the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis. Surrounding the statue is a 10-acre public park, where you can get a closer view of Vulcan from an open-air balcony in the observation tower.

Explore Birmingham and Alabama civil rights history at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. Exhibits recount the bus boycott in Montgomery during the 1950s, violence directed against Freedom Riders, and the Selma voting rights march that took place in 1965. Visit the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, Birmingham's first black church and the embarkation point for many of the city's early '60s civil rights marches. The church overlooks Kelly Ingram Park, an assembly point for those participating in boycotts, sit-ins and marches to protest segregation.

More than 27,000 paintings, sculptures, decorative arts and other works from American, Asian and European artists, await you at the Birmingham Museum of Art. The Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame contains artifacts that belonged to legendary performers, and hosts performances March through November.

Getting There

By CarSeveral major highways intersect in Birmingham, providing easy access from all directions. North-south I-65 cuts straight through the city, affording direct routes from Montgomery and Nashville, Tenn. From Chattanooga, Tenn., and other points northeast, I-59 runs through the Appalachian foothills before merging with I-20, intersecting I-65 near the city center and continuing southwest into Mississippi.

I-459 branches off from I-59 just east of the city limits and loops southward to bypass downtown traffic, rejoining I-20/59 near McCalla. Approaching from due east, I-20 meets the I-459 bypass before merging with I-59 downtown.

Getting Around

Street SystemLaid out in an orderly grid pattern, Birmingham is fairly easy to navigate. The downtown area is bounded by I-20/59 to the north, I-65 to the west and US 31, the Red Mountain Expressway, to the east. North-south thoroughfares are designated as streets, while east-west routes are avenues. Both streets and avenues are numbered, although some also have names, such as University Boulevard (Eighth Avenue South).

Unless otherwise posted, a right turn on red is permitted after a complete stop.

ParkingWith numerous public and private lots, parking is not a problem in Birmingham. Garages generally charge from $5 to $10 per day; on-street metered parking is available downtown.