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 Birmingham, Alabama  - A Tourist's Guide to "The Magic City"

Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama and is an urban city with a population of over 1.1 million in the metro area.  It is located at the base of the Appalachian Mountains in Jones Valley.  Birmingham is the county seat of Jefferson County Alabama.  Culturally and economically the city is the heart of Alabama.  Tourists are sure to enjoy the eccentric qualities this southern city has to offer.

Named after England's manufacturing and industrial giant city, Birmingham is friendly, young and traditional.  Its diversity is its greatest strength and appeal.  Part of Birmingham's charm is the wide range of attitudes and cultures.  Some well-known inhabitants have been musician Nat King Cole, singers Emmy Lou Harris and Odetta, Olympic medalist Carl Lewis, and football player Junious (Buck) Buchanan. 

Birmingham's sports team is the Barons of minor league baseball.  This college town offers several places for higher education including the University of Alabama, Birmingham Southern College, Miles College, Samford University and Southeastern Bible College.  

History Overview of Birmingham

In 1870, Birmingham rapidly changed from farmland to a cauldron of steel mills.  One hundred miles south of Huntsville, Alabama two railroads crossed in Jones Valley.  The railroad in conjunction with the abundance of iron ore, coal, and limestone provided the ideal manufacturing location for steel and iron. 

Birmingham was founded in 1871 and soon evolved into the industrial center of the South. The "poor insignificant southern village" became known as the "Magic City" because of its rapid growth.  This thriving expansion was brought to a standstill by the Depression, and iron and steel manufacturing accounts for very few jobs in Birmingham to date.  Revived from the pits of the Great Depression by new services, banking, and medical industries, the city is now a pleasant, prosperous hub. 

More Facts about Birmingham

The city of Birmingham was the site of the 1963 bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church where four young black girls were killed.  This action fueled the civil rights movement.  Today this city is truly a different city than the one remembered of this era.  Five-term black mayor Richard Arrington helped to turn the city in a new direction and set the path to improved racial relations.  Some popular cities located near Birmingham include Montgomery, Huntsville, Gulf Shores, Mobile, Orange Beach, Tuscaloosa, Anniston and Dauphin Island.

Birmingham Sites and Attractions

If you want to explore history, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (http://www.bcri.org) is dedicated to informing the public of the African-American struggle for equality and the history of human rights worldwide.

For a sport enthusiast, the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame is a 30,000-square-foot, 3-story Mecca.  It is located in the Jefferson Convention Complex and noted throughout the country as the most attractive showcase. 

Looking for family fun?  The Birmingham Zoo (http://www.birminghamzoo.com) is the number one tourist attraction in Alabama.  It contains over 700 animals and features an alligator swamp, an African exhibit, a children's Zoo and an interactive aviary.

Alabama Adventures, formerly known as Visionland, is a theme park and water park combined for a fun-packed day of family excitement.

The Summit will provide a day of unlimited shopping and dining choices. It offers a large variety of stores.

Other attractions include the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Arlington Antebellum Home, Alabama Theatre, Greater Alabama Fall Fair and Festival, Pete's Famous Hot Dogs and the International Motorsports Hall of Fame.

Several historic sites and museums are available such as the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame, Birmingham Museum of Art, Red Mountain Museum, Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark, Southern Museum of Flight and the McWane Center.

Birmingham is full of interesting sites and rich history.  Learn more about Birmingham, AL USA at the city's official website.  (http://www.informationbirmingham.com/)