Plus appréciés Attractions à Birmingham, USA

Located in downtown Birmingham, at first glance this rare bookstore/antique store/museum resembles a room in your grandmother’s house. Bursting at the seams and boasting an inventory of over 45,000 books, magazines, and other periodicals, if Reed Books doesn’t have what you’re looking for, it probably doesn’t exist. But, its vast inventory is not what makes Reed Books special. The randomness (a display of plastic Santa statues) and odd finds (post office mailboxes chocked full of letters) are what makes Reed Books special. That and owner Jim Reed, author, humorist, columnist, and all-around good guy who encourages people to "become your own book." Worth a trip on a lazy Saturday.

Located in Downtown Birmingham, Linn Park is known for its elaborate walkways and the municipal buildings that surround it. The space has been used as a park since the inception of the community in 1883 and it was formerly called Central Park, Capitol Park and Woodrow Wilson Park. Over the last century the park suffered from ups-and-downs, but when it was re-landscaped in 1988, the city renamed it in honor of landscape architect, industrialist and Birmingham benefactor Charles Linn.

Face it. Birmingham and the civil rights movement go hand and hand. But, often overlooked by tourists is A.G. Gaston Gardens, Birmingham’s first African-American owned hotel. Built in the 1960s by African-American businessman A.G. Gaston (arguably the richest black man in America at the time), the former hotel housed black guests and civil rights leaders, including Martin Luther King, and served as a meeting place to plan and organize activities. But, don’t be fooled by the current facade of pale pink, the A.G. Gaston motel provided first class accommodations of master suites with air conditioning and private bathrooms, something unheard of during that time. Not to be missed.

This replica of Lady Liberty located in the suburb of Vestavia Hills is one of the largest in the entire world. The bronze statue stands at 36-ft. tall and just like Bartholdi's original, it was also cast in France. In 1958, an insurance company placed it atop its building in downtown Birmingham, but eventually the city moved it to its present location in 1989. The 60-ft. pediment makes the replica stretch into the air where it faithfully resembles the famous one out in New York harbor. Additionally, the park in which it stands is a tranquil spot away from the hustle and noise of the city.

The city of Birmingham played an integral part in the history of baseball in the South which in turn amplified baseball in the entire U.S. Here the galleries display the largest collection of Southern League baseball memorabilia in the country. Some of the exhibits include Satchel Paige's uniform, the McCallister Trophy, 1500 signed baseballs and much, much more. The mini Rickwood Field (oldest ballpark in America) exhibit is also one of the highlights and the museum also holds one of the last known contracts from the early 20th-Century. A visit is free and great for all ages; open seven days a week.