Huntsville Alabama

Before you get started on this travel guide, we wanted to give you some quick background on the city. Huntsville, Alabama, AKA The Rocket City, was primarily a cotton manufacuturing town prior to the Civil War. In 1862 the town was controlled by the Union in order to block the railroad to Northern Alabama which was a major supply/transporation route for the confederates. Unlike many other towns in the South that were ransacked and burnt to the ground, Huntsville was treated very well and very little damage was caused, leaving behind a city full of history. During World War 2, the city brought in over 20,000 new residents as the army designated Redstone Arsenal to the South of the city. By the end of the war the facility was no longer needed and transistioned several times until 1950. At this time, operation paper clip began and brought in nearly 1,000 workers, 200 being from Nazi Germany, led by Wernher Von Braun. By 1958 the city was nicknamed "The Rocket City" for its success in space: Explorer 1 & Jupiter-C launch. Several years later another big push of people came and NASA's Space and Flight Center was created. Now this city is considered a hot spot for rocket scientists and FBI agents. The city continues to grow and is the second largest tech and research hub in the United States.

You can’t be in Rocket City and miss the Space & Rocket Center! Here you will learn any and all information relating to our exploration of the moon and space! You could literally spend all day here, and if you time it right you might be able to attend Space Camp! First enjoy the Planetarium where you will learn all about our solar system and the infinity of space! It really puts your life into perspective, there is so much that is unknown. After, head through the variety of exhibits indoors. They have an in-depth children’s area, several vehicle and missile related sections, and then their massive training/ simulation area (this is where space camp happens). There are several additional rides/simulations you can do, however they have an additional cost ($10 on average). Following the first indoor section, take a walk around the outside of the park where there are a lot of different retired planes, rockets, and missles. This is also where you can find their G Force ride… Grace loves rides, I however do not handle well. After exploring outside, head into their other indoor area. This building has the first ever rocket and capsule that took us to the moon! It’s amazing to think how many different things could have gone wrong that didn’t, especially with such a big group of people working on it! This building had several different games/simulators you could try out. This is a stop that you cannot miss if you’re in the Huntsville area! Plan to spend at least 2-3 hours here. If you need a break from all the fun and information, they also have a large restaurant with lots of different food and snack options.

Take a look into the home of Maria Howard Weeden. Maria, who was nearly blind, had the gift of recording the beauty found in a person's eye. Most of her famous artwork were portraits, specifically African-Americans. As a child and later in life, Maria and her family had servants. Many of these paintings were of them. We also learned of her unique style of sharing her art. She wrote poems to go along with each portrait, which gives you a completely different look into the portrait itself. The house is very well taken care of with all of the original interior still intact. The architecture of this building is truly remarkable, especially when you think of how it was built without the tools now available to us today. You will enjoy the tour with Gina who’s passion for the house is clearly felt!

What a time it was to watch the Huntsville Havoc out on the ice! For a minor league hockey team, the atmosphere of the arena on game day was incredible! We enjoyed what was Havoc's first sold out game since before Covid! The arena is located directly by the Embassy Suites, which made an easy walk to and from the game. We dabbled in a couple of ciders, watched a few fights on the ice, and had a great time being a hockey fan for the night! Expecting to be in Huntsville during the winter? Don’t miss your chance at watching the Havoc!

Welcome to the largest privately owned arts facility in the United States. Lowe Mill is home to over 200 artists, 152 working studios, 7 galleries and 4 performance venues. It is such a cool area where you feel as if all the artists are working together to create a special experience and atmosphere. There are three different stories in the main building, all with different artists, shops and studios. On the outside of the main building, they have a lot of outdoor areas (when it's warm), as well as additional buildings with different food and drink options. We went to The Veggie and filled our bellies with some high quality vegan food! Lowe Mill does advertise that they are dog friendly. We didn’t bring the doggos this time, but if the weather were nice out we could see it being a great place to bring your dog friend and hangout. Side note: We don’t live in Huntsville, but if we did you would find us down at Lowe Mill on a weekly basis trying out all the different art classes!

Have you ever found yourself with family or friends and everyone wants something different to eat? It can be hard to make sure everyone is happy, especially if you have some picky eaters! Stovehouse is one of the best all around areas to grab a drink, get a bite to eat, and hangout. They offer indoor and outdoor seating, outdoor fireplaces, games, nice restrooms, and plenty of event space. Click on the link above to check out all they have to offer. Personally, we can attest that Charlie Fosters (coffee), Kamado Ramen (ramen), and El Cazador (mexican) are all great choices!

If you find yourself in Huntsville using this guide, there is no way you'll miss this! The park takes up a good section of town with different walking paths, sitting areas, and places to take in the city. As far as parks go, this one is at the top for cleanliness, architecture style, and accessiblity.