5 essential museums you must visit in Birmingham

Have you heard of New Yorkers who have never visited the Empire State Building? Well, this concept also applies to the people of Birmingham.

Visitor-friendly places in the metro area—landmarks, museums, historic sites, and the like—can be overlooked or ignored by the people who actually live here. And that’s a real shame.

We’re not suggesting that everyone should stop their favorite outdoor activities as summer winds down, but maybe it’s time to head inside and get acquainted (or reacquainted) with some of Birmingham’s outstanding museums. Here are five of our favorites, listed in alphabetical order.

Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum

Where: 6030 Barber Motorsports Parkway, Birmingham.

Hours: 10am-6pm Monday to Saturday, noon-6pm Sunday, until September 30. Hours change in October to 10am-5pm Monday to Saturday, then noon-5pm on Sundays and will continue until March 2025.

Admittance: $20 for adults, $15 for children ages 4-12, $18 for military.

Why you should visit: This museum is like a giant toy box for anyone who loves motorcycles. Over 1,000 bikes are on display in a bright and beautiful space that is well designed and easy to navigate. Even if you’re not a motorcycle enthusiast, there’s plenty of color and design to admire in an impressive collection that Guinness World Records has named the world’s largest. Visitors can’t sit on the stylish bikes or ride them, but prepare to be visually dazzled. Founder George Barber also has a love of racing cars, and the museum’s collection includes some rare models, including a 1964 Ferrari F-158.

Good to know: The museum is part of Barber Motorsports Park, which has lots of interesting sculptures—depicting spiders, dragonflies, lions, elephants, and more—on the 880-acre site. The whole complex is worth visiting.

More information: 205–699-7275, Motorsport Museum website, Facebook page, Instagram.

Birmingham Institute for Civil Rights

Where: 520 16th St. North, Birmingham.

Hours: 10:00-17:00 Tuesday to Saturday.

Admittance: $15 adults; $13 for seniors, military and children grades 4-12; free for children 3rd grade and younger.

Why you should visit: The downtown museum offers a compelling look at Alabama’s civil rights history through an introductory film and permanent exhibits that include sculptures, artifacts, artwork, photographs, newspaper clippings, interactive materials, and more. Although Montgomery’s Legacy Sites—the Legacy Museum, the National Peace and Justice Memorial, and the Freedom Monument Sculpture Park—have gotten a lot of attention in recent years (and rightfully so), the Birmingham museum remains a worthy stop in any civilian area. tour of rights. The collection includes a replica Freedom Riders bus, for example, and the door of a jail cell that housed the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. when he composed his famous “Letter From Birmingham Jail.”

Good to know: Several sites near the museum will help deepen your understanding of a pivotal moment in our nation’s history. Combine a trip to the museum with stops at Kelly Ingram Park, 16th Street Baptist Church, Bethel Baptist Church, and the Gaston Motel.

More information: 205-328-9696, Civil Rights Institute website, Facebook page, Instagram.

Birmingham Museum of Art

Where: 2000 Rev. Abraham Woods Jr. Blvd., Birmingham.

Hours: 10am-5pm Tuesday to Saturday, noon-5pm Sunday.

Admittance: Free, donations welcome.

Why you should visit: We could spend all day at this museum, walking through galleries that focus on contemporary art, Renaissance art, Asian art, African art, decorative arts, photography and more. The museum’s collection holds more than 27,000 works, according to its website, and includes notable pieces by Alabama artists. The sculpture garden is also a lovely place, with its reflecting pool and Ferdinand Botero’s “Reclining Nude” sculpture. Want special exhibits? “Heroes & Villains: The Art of the Disney Costume” will be on view until August 18, featuring “Captain Jack Sparrow’s pirate outfit, Cruella De Vil’s fashionable dress, Cinderella’s glass slipper and the evil wardrobe of to the Sanderson sisters,” according to the publication. museum website.

Good to know: Art on the Rocks, the museum’s popular concert series, returns on August 2 with music by funk-rap artist Ric Wilson, specialty cocktails, artist demonstrations and other activities. The calendar of events also includes art talks, yoga, festivals, special tours and more.

More information: 205-254-2565, Art Museum website, Facebook page, Instagram.

McWane Science Center

Where: 200 19th St. North, Birmingham.

Hours: 9am-5pm Wednesday to Friday, 10am-5pm Saturday, noon-5pm Sunday.

Admittance: Adventure Hall tickets are $17 for adults, $16 for seniors, $14 for children ages 2-12, free for children under 2. (Combo tickets are available that include movies in the IMAX dome.)

Why you should visit: Hands-on learning and entertainment? You bet. The McWane Center offers four levels of fun, including the World of Water Aquariums (with a touch tank with sharks and rays), Alabama Dinosaur Exhibit, Itty Bitty Magic City Play Area, Science Quest Activities, a Bubble Room and more . Children will be fascinated by the activities and exhibits here, and adults will find plenty to pique their interest too. (There’s a Harry Potter night on Aug. 16, for all you Hogwarts fans out there.) The 250-seat IMAX dome theater is a bonus, showing movies ranging from “T.Rex” to “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.”

Good to know: Right now, there’s a special “You Build!” exhibited on the top floor of the center. It’s set up as a construction zone, with workshops, build tables and supplies for craft-minded kids. Think of it as a STEM haven for young people who want to experiment with science, technology, engineering and math.

More information: 205-714-8300, McWane Center website, Facebook page, Instagram.

Volcano Park and Museum

Where: 1701 Valley View Drive, Birmingham.

Hours: The park and observation tower are open daily from 10:00 to 22:00; the museum is open daily from 10:00 to 18:00.

Admittance: $6 for adults, $5 for seniors, $4 for children ages 5-12, free for children 4 and younger. Includes park, observation tower and museum. (The observation tower was closed earlier this year for a restoration project, but is open again and a must for visitors. Take an elevator to the top or climb a set of interior steps and you’ll get a memorable view of the Birmingham landscape .)

Why you should visit: The huge cast iron statue of Vulcan – the mythological god of fire and forge – is Birmingham’s best-known landmark and a long-standing symbol of the city’s pride. But don’t overlook the compact museum tucked away in the visitor center, which usually features exhibits related to Birmingham’s history. Right now, the featured exhibit is ‘Vulcan at 120: Celebrating Birmingham’s Iron Man’ and it’s an interesting and informative accompaniment to the towering statue.

Good to know: “‘Vulcan at 120: Celebrating Birmingham’s Iron Man’ tells the story of Vulcan’s auspicious beginnings, representing the city and state at the 1904 World’s Fair, its decline in the 1990s, and how the community came together to repair and restore not only beloved statue. , but also his park,” says the park’s website. “With rarely seen photographs and memorabilia from the Vulcan Park Foundation Collection, this exhibition reminds us all how powerful and important symbols can be and why it is important to preserve our past.”

More information: 205-933-1409, Vulcan Park website, Facebook page, Instagram.