FIVE DAYS IN BIRMINGHAM
Check out a five day itinerary and see what Birmingham has to offer. Something for EVERYONE…the foodie, the hiker, the golfer, the biker, the family, the history buff, the bar hopper, the art collector, the adventurer…
Day One
One of the best places to begin knowing the area is at Vulcan Park and Museum. Patterned after the mythical god of fire and forge, the statue is a tribute to the city’s industrial beginnings. Vulcan is also the largest cast iron statue in the world and is a great place to get a sweeping view of your surroundings.
From Vulcan, head downtown to El Barrio Restaurante Y Bar, where guests swear by the grilled chorizo meatloaf. A nice selection of tequilas and their homemade guac will make you very happy. On the same avenue are other good dining options such as Helen, recently named by Esquire magazine as one of the best new restaurants in America.
Then it’s off to Railroad Park to work off some of that lunch. Wear your sneakers for a brisk walk around what’s referred to as “Birmingham’s Living Room.” The 19-acre green space celebrates the industrial and artistic heritage of the city. Freight trains regularly run alongside the park, a reminder that the city was founded at the crossing of railroad lines.
Then drive or walk down nearby historic Morris Avenue. Along this cobblestone street, you’ll find Alabama Peanut Company with its antique roasters and boiled peanuts (“Southern edamame”). Stop in at The Essential for mid-afternoon dessert or coffee. Further down the cobblestones you’ll find an ice cream parlor, clothing stores, a pizzeria, and Carrigan’s Public House with upscale pub fare.
Make prior reservations for dinner tonight at Gianmarco’s in the Homewood neighborhood. This cozy, family-owned restaurant has daily specials ranging from grass-fed prime cut rib eyes to fresh grouper with andouille gumbo.
DAY TWO
Start the day out right with breakfast at Demetri’s in the suburb of Homewood. Known mainly for barbecue, this established restaurant serves up a hardy breakfast, and, yes, you can order the BBQ omelet.
Now it’s time for a powerful history lesson. Start your tour of the Civil Rights District at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, and plan to spend at least an hour there. Across the street, historic Kelly Ingram Park has a free audio tour, via your cell phone, to guide you through the epic events of the Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham in the 1960s. On the corner across from the park is Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, site of the 1963 race-related bombing that killed four little girls.
After touring the district, make your way over to Topgolf Birmingham for an afternoon of playful practice. Scratch golfers and novices alike enjoy the climate-controlled bays with full bar and menu service.
It’s the cocktail hour now, and, if fun is indeed your thing, stop in at Paper Doll and Queen’s Park, popular watering holes in the heart of downtown. Nearby Cayo Coco Rum Bar has Cuban and Latin favorites. For some of the best brews in the greater Birmingham area, check out the craft breweries on “Jim’s Beer Trail.”
You can’t leave Birmingham without dining at one of famed Chef Frank Stitt’s restaurants. Make reservations before you leave home—these are popular spots. Bottega Restaurant and Café is a local favorite, as is Chez Fonfon (not at all fussy like the name sounds). If you can’t get reservations, try something more casual like one of the three Saw’s BBQ locations. If you’re staying south of downtown, make reservations at FoodBar, serving farm-fresh, locally sourced dishes, along with regional seafood.
DAY THREE
Have breakfast today at The Alabama Biscuit Company. Not only will you find biscuits with sausage and black pepper gravy, but you can add on Conecuh bacon and peach preserves. Eat your cheese grits.
Then take a tour of the Birmingham Museum of Art with one of the finest collections in the Southeast. More than 24,000 objects represent Asian, European, African, Pre-Columbian, and Native American cultures. The museum also has a cool contemporary gallery and a world class collection of Wedgwood.
It’s time now for lunch, and today we’re going out for some real Southern soul food. Trek on over to Eagle’s Restaurant for ox tails and collard greens or neckbones and sweet potatoes. Top it off with their homemade banana pudding.
Spend the remainder of the afternoon at Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum to see the world’s largest collection of antique and contemporary motorcycles. The five-story facility holds everything from a 1912 Indian board track racer to a collection of Lotus race cars.
For tonight’s dinner—we call it supper in the South—consider two good choices. If you’ve made advance reservations, go to Automatic Seafood and Oysters, nominated for best chef and best restaurant by the James Beard Awards 2022. The other choice is also known for its fresh seafood in a more casual atmosphere. At The Fish Market on the city’s Southside, Chef George Sarris serves up Greek influenced dishes like Athenian-style grouper and George’s Seafood Pastichio.
DAY FOUR
Put on your sneakers and grab breakfast at the hotel. We’re going out adventuring today.
First stop today is Red Mountain Park, a 1,500-acre public woodland park. Hiking is relatively easy here, and you’ll come across closed mines and other artifacts from the city’s industrial history. More hiking is in store at Ruffner Mountain, just minutes from downtown. Oak Mountain State Park, the state’s largest public park, has excellent mountain biking, along with separate hiking trails, fishing, canoeing, and a public beach.
Grab lunch at the Irondale Café in the neighboring suburb of, yes, Irondale. This cafeteria-style dining room has Hollywood ties. It is purported to be the inspiration for the best seller Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Café by Alabama native Fannie Flagg. The movie of half the name is a classic and so are their fried green tomatoes.
Golfers will be teeing off this afternoon at one of the courses along the state’s Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. The Ross Bridge course is one of the longest in the world but has multiple tees for golfers at all levels. Just down the highway is Oxmoor Valley, a 54-hole course with forests, lakes, and challenging elevation changes.
Meanwhile, shoppers should polish their credit cards to seek out bargains at The Summit, an outdoor mall so grand they call it a lifestyle center. Another great shopping area is in the suburb of Homewood. The main street is lined with trendy boutiques, children’s clothing stores, home goods shops, antiques galleries, bakeries, and restaurants.
After shopping and golf, tonight’s dinner is at Sol Y Luna in the Mountain Brook neighborhood. Order the Lobster Tacos or the Fried Duck Empanadas.
DAY FIVE
If you brought the family, this day is for the kids. In between sporting events, work in a trip to The Birmingham Zoo. More than 500 animals of 180 species call this 122-acre zoo home. Inhabitants include sea lions, elephants, bears, flamingos, and endangered species from six continents.
Across the street, the Birmingham Botanical Gardens is a beautiful setting for burning off some energy for kids and admiring the distinct gardens for adults. Then stop in for lunch at Johnny’s, a Greek influenced meat-and-three restaurant in the Homewood neighborhood.
Now it’s off to McWane Science Center where there’s always an action-packed movie showing in the IMAX® theater. See the Shark and Ray Touch Tank and ride the High Cycle, all while making learning fun.
Before you leave downtown, go by Alabama Peanut Company on historic Morris Avenue. The young ones will love getting a bag of roasted peanuts and feeding the pigeons along the cobblestone street. Just a little further down the street, stop in for refreshing treats at Cannella Gelato.
Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark is the final stop of the day. For nearly 100 years, iron was made at this plant, now a museum of industrial history. The rusting stacks stand tall against the sky, a reminder of Birmingham’s beginnings in the iron and steel industry.
Reward the adults by having dinner reservations at Bistro V in the Vestavia community. Ask for seating at the chef’s table, and everyone will enjoy the culinary action.
These are only a few suggestions for what to see and do in the greater Birmingham area during your event. If you’re staying longer—and we hope you will—call the Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau at 800-458-8085 for more ideas. We also invite you to stop by one of our three Visitor Centers at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, Vulcan Park and Museum, and at 2200 Ninth Avenue, North.
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