8 Family-Friendly Alabama Historical Sites for History Buffs
EDUCATION

8 Family-Friendly Alabama Historical Sites for History Buffs

From Civil Rights landmarks to preserved battlegrounds, these 8 must-see educational destinations are perfect for history lovers of all ages.

By Tracey Carter, M. Ed., Hazel McLaughlin

Bring Alabama history to life for the whole family! Not only are we sharing must-see sports and battlefield landmarks, we've created the perfect history lover's treasure hunt at some of the state's best cultural destinations. Each of the 8 locations have an accompanying video, so you can know the history before you go. And the reward? A hidden treasure is waiting at every stop!

1. Selma to Montgomery and Voting Rights

(Available in Spanish)

Photos of teenagers during the Selma to Montgomery March from crmvet.org/images/imgmont.htm

Copyright: Civil Rights Movement Archive Inc (CRMA)

The National Voting Rights Museum & Institute | 🎥 Watch Video

📍Selma, Alabama | 🎟️ Purchase Tickets

How did teenagers fight for fair voting rights?

Visit the National Voting Rights Museum, walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge as you learn about the Selma to Montgomery marches of 1965. During the march, people of all ages came together to make a change. This Yellowhammer History Hunt video explains how teenagers were integral in the fight for fair voting rights. During your visit, make sure to find the hidden treasure and learn the significance of this “coat of honor.” After you visit, you can learn more about the marches by creating a timeline on Google Earth to travel with the marchers.


2. Rickwood Field: America's Oldest Baseball Park

(Available in Spanish)

Black and white photo of the Black Barons at historic Rickwood Field

Rickwood Field | 🎥 Watch Video

📍Birmingham, Alabama | 🎟️ Visitor Information

Why is Rickwood Field so historic?

Step up to the plate at the oldest professional baseball stadium in the United States! Watch the Yellowhammer History Hunt video with the whole family to learn how Birmingham’s steel industry influenced this historic ballpark. Then discover Alabama's baseball treasure inside the museum... After your visit, you can research the famous players who set foot on the field, like Willie Mays, Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth, or craft a baseball card featuring a friend or family member!


3. Muscle Shoals and The Rolling Stones

(Available in Spanish)

Illustration of the band The Rolling Stones on a light yellow background. Text on the photo reads: Why did the Rolling Stones come to Muscle Shoals, Alabama?

Muscle Shoals Sound Studio | 🎥 Watch Video

📍Muscle Shoals, Alabama | 🎟️ Book A Tour

The Muscle Shoals Sound Studio may be small, but it has had a significant global impact on the music world. The studio is in Muscle Shoals, a small town on the Tennessee River. The Yellowhammer History Hunt video on this location will tell you about musicians like The Rolling Stones, Percy Sledge, Aretha Franklin, and The Allman Brothers Band recording there, and why they wanted that "Muscle Shoals sound."

While you're there, be on the lookout for this site’s treasure that made that sound unique. After your visit, research some of the famous musicians who recorded there and calculate how far they had to travel from their hometowns. Be sure to take a picture of you and your family rocking out.


4. Fort Morgan and the Last Major Naval Battle

(Available in Spanish)

Aerial shot of a pentagon shaped military fort

Fort Morgan State Historic Site | 🎥 Watch Video

📍Gulf Shores, Alabama | 🎟️ Purchase Tickets

While visiting Baldwin County, check out Fort Morgan, which is the site of the last major naval battle of the Civil War. In this Yellowhammer History Hunt video, learn about the Anaconda plan and why it was given that name. This site’s treasure is quite a jaw-dropping discovery that shows how humans and technology have been an important part of the site. Fort Morgan isn’t just about history, the peninsula is home to the Alabama beach mouse. After your visit, take time to draw a picture of the mouse, its habitat and its predators.

Gee's Bend Heritage Trail | 🎥 Watch Video

📍Boykin, Alabama | 🎟️ Visitor Information

What is the connection between Gee's Bend Quilts and Michelle Obama's Dress?

The quilt makers of Gee’s Bend are known for the unique design of their quilts and their sense of community. Their designs were an inspiration for the dress Michelle Obama wore in her First Lady portrait. Your adventure to Gee’s Bend starts with the hidden treasure because that’s the only way to get into town.

Take time to learn about the history of this treasure before you head out on your adventure. After your visit, get your glue sticks and scissors ready and use your fraction skills to create a quilt out of paper.


6. Africatown and the Last Slave Ship

(Available in Spanish)

Africatown Heritage House | 🎥 Watch Video

📍Mobile, Alabama | 🎟️ Purchase Tickets

What is the link between a hidden ship and a town in Alabama called Africatown?

Africatown in Mobile County is a community founded by former enslaved Africans from the last known slave ship, the Clotilda. Africatown Heritage House showcases an exhibit about the Clotilda, whose wreckage was found in the Mobile River in 2018. While visiting Heritage House, find the treasure that tells the story of the kidnapped Africans brought to Mobile in 1860. Cudjo Lewis was one of those who preserved the experiences of those on the Clotilda to continue to tell their story. Read a story that Cudjo Lewis told, which was captured by Zora Neale Hurston, then get out your craft supplies to illustrate that story.


7. Moundville Archaeological Park

(Available in Spanish)

Illustration of an indigenous woman sitting with a weaved basket reads: What were these mounds used for?

Moundville Archeological Park | 🎥 Watch Video

📍Moundville, Alabama | 🎟️ Ticket Information

What were these mounds used for?

Explore the mounds at Moundville Archaeological Park near Tuscaloosa. Find out what the mounds were used for and learn about this area that was once an important political, economic, and religious center. Investigate this site’s treasure by finding out the details about what the artifact may have been used for. While you are visiting, find a gorget, which is a pendant created out of shell, stone, or copper and carved with symbols and animals. After your visit, research what’s important about a gorget’s symbols and design one that shows what is important to you.


8. Fort Toulouse and the Muscogee Peoples

(Available in Spanish)

Fort Toulouse-Jackson Park | 🎥 Watch Video

📍Wetumpka, Alabama | 🎟️ Ticket Information

How did white-tailed deer change Alabama?

At Fort Toulouse, you can discover what life was like for both Native Americans and the French settlers in Alabama in the 1700s. This French trading post was established in the Alibamu territory. Before your visit, check out the Yellowhammer History Hunt video, and find out why the white-tailed deer was so important to the community’s survival and trade. Explore how deer hides and other items were important to trade between Native Americans and the French.  Learn about this site’s treasure and how it played a key role in feeding the community. When you get home, use your math and science skills to make bread similar to what they may have had at Fort Toulouse.

TAGGED:history | Black History

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