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Photo: Ken Thomas, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Alabama's number one for-fee tourist attraction, this museum is especially of interest to space-amazed kids and kids at heart. In 2008 the aging museum was revitalized with the opening of the $23 million Davidson Center, which features a Saturn V rocket that was never launched and also includes numerous exhibits on program that led up to the moon visits. Outside of the museum are replicas and test units for numerous other space vehicles, including life-size replicas of the space shuttle and a vertical Saturn V. The US Space Camp is also based here and has hosted over 500,000 visitors since its inception in 1982.
The U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama is a museum operated by the government of Alabama, showcasing rockets, achievements, and artifacts of the U.S. space program. Sometimes billed as "Earth's largest space museum", astronaut Owen Garriott described the place as, "a great way to learn about space in a town that has embraced the space program from the very beginning."
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A 110-acre garden with woodlands, meadows and ponds. Features the nation's largest Butterfly House, which is open from May to September. There is a Nature Center and Children's Garden. In November and December, the Botanical Garden is home to the Galaxy of Lights. Open 7 days a week except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's. Hours and admission vary between summer and fall/winter/spring months.
UAH Chargers
Sports teams of the University of Alabama in Huntsville, playing mostly in NCAA Division II and the Gulf South Conference. The Chargers play 18 sports in all, nine for each sex, but football isn't one of them. Unusually for a school in the South, UAH's highest-profile sport had long been men's ice hockey, which played in Division I, but that team was shut down in 2021 due to a combination of conference realignment and COVID-19 impact. The remaining UAH teams play on campus.
Mid-1800s era railroad depot used as a prison for Civil War soldiers. Various festivals are held here throughout the year, including the Rocket City BBQ Festival in May. Open Wednesday through Saturday, March through October.
The Museum of Art is in Big Spring Park. It features seven exhibit halls which host many regional and national art exhibits every year and the museum's own 2,500 piece collection. There is a large gift shop and a coffee shop with a patio that overlooks the park.
Constitution Hall Park
See where the state of Alabama was born in 1819. Village includes a cabinet shop, law office, and a post office. During the Holidays, "Santa's Village" is held here. Open Wednesday through Saturday, March through October, and special hours in November and December.
The South's largest hands-on children's history museum. See a 46-foot keelboat, play on giant instruments, and listen to stories told by the "Talking Tree."