Ok, Birmingham. I see you slipping in under the radar. Like the cool little brother that gets up to all kinds of trouble, Birmingham is also the city that never gets caught. It is Portland before it was Portland. Like Austin with lots more Southern charm. Birmingham is quirky but never tacky (ok… sometimes tacky). But anyway, there is no shortage of weird and fun things to do in Birmingham, Alabama. The city has done novelty, and it has done it well.
Alabama wasn’t exactly the first state I hoped to see after a long trip through South America. I made lazy generalizations about Alabama before visiting, throwing it in with the rest of The American South. More importantly, where was I supposed to get my California tacos and West Coast IPAs?
As it turns out, the birthplace of the Civil Rights movement is layered with history. Birmingham, Alabama is beautiful in a way that only traditional Southern cities are. It is a hotbed of creativity and there are artisan galleries, maker fairs, and Airbnb’s showing some real Southern hospitality to prove it. There’s way more to eat than BBQ (though you should definitely eat that too) and the craft beers and taco spots really are quite good. Give it a little time, and you’ll find Birmingham is anything but a conventional Southern city.
If you’ve got plans to venture to the American South, here’s what to do in Birmingham from classic experiences, bars, restaurants, day trips, things to do, and events you won’t want to miss.
51 Weird+ Fun Things to Do in Birmingham
Very Birmingham Experiences
1. See a summer show at the former pig iron-producing blast furnace, Sloss Furnace
2. Take a jog along Vulcan Street for views of the city below
3. Rent a Veo Bike (replacing Zyp Bike) from one of the docks in town and spend the day exploring the city by bicycle
4. Hit the hiking trails of the 1,500-acre Red Mountain Park
5. Have a nighttime photo shoot under the LED lights of the 1931 tunnel
6. Rent a tube and float down the Cahaba River
7. Head over to the Alabama Theater for a screening of Grease or another summertime classic in the Summer Film Series
8. Pack your own cheese and crackers for a summer picnic at Railroad Park or along the Rotary Trail
9. Move your longwinded stories off the front porch and onto the stage with Arc Stories
10. Bring out the big guns and go skeet shooting at Selwood Farm
11. Scout out the best in secondhand clothing at Sozo Trading Company
12. Browse the screen printed art like license plates, pins, and postcards at Yellowhammer Creative
13. Play all day with interactive exhibits at the McWane Science Center
14. Bait your hook and head out for an afternoon fishing trip
15. Pay a visit to the Civil Rights Institute to learn more about the early stages of the civil rights movement in the American South.
Eating Birmingham
16. Get your fingers covered in sauce with a Southern BBQ feast at Dreamland or Saw’s Soul Kitchen
17. Get dumped and make it up with one of the super delicious, chocolate chip Breakup Cookies at Church Street
18. Beat the heat with a popsicle even adults can get behind (how does pineapple jalepeño sound?) at Steel City Pops
19. Explore the up-and-coming culinary scene of Birmingham at Birmingham Restaurant Week
20. Dine on some killer pizza in a restored post office at Post Office Pies
21. Nosh on the famed tomato salad at Hot and Hot Fish Club
22. Go to Jack Brown’s Beer and Burger for (obviously) a beer and a burger
Drinking Birmingham
23. Get your morning buzz on with a very tasty cup from Revelator Coffee
24. Sip a range of sours with a flight at the Avondale Sour Room
25. Enjoy the creamy and very alcoholic Bushwacker (made with Kahlua, rum, cream of coconut, and more) from Lou’s Pub
26. Refine your tastebuds for vodka at the Redmont Vodka Distillery
27. Slurp up a Good People Coffee Oatmeal Stout Beer Float at Birmingham’s ballpark
28. Check out the bizarre antique collection at Garage Café
29. Bar hop the Avondale-owned properties scattered around town
30. Wander the extensive local and nationwide beer collection at Hop City Liquor Store
31. Head to Trim Tab Brewing for their Trivia or Paints + Pints events
32. Rummage through the costume closet and get dressed for your night out at Atomic Vintage Bar
33. Get tipsy on one of the many funky flavors at Birmingham Daiquiri
Events + Festivals in Birmingham
34. Go to the annual S’mores & Pours event at Avondale (June)
35. Experience all the best brews from Alabama and beyond at the Magic City Brewfest (August)
36. Venue hop to the rock and pop sets taking place across the city for the Secret Stages Music Festival (August)
37. Check out the Queens in the Mr. & Miss National Apollo Pageant hosted at Mystic Krewe of Apollo (August)
Love festivals? Discover more: 21 Weird + Unique World Festivals
Keeping Birmingham Weird
38. Head to the still-creepy Sloss Furnace on Halloween for one of the best haunted houses in the country
39. Suit up for a slip-n-slide block party of epic proportions at Slide the City
40. Head over to Satellite Cafe to play Sonic the Hedgehog and other old-school games on a classic gaming
41. Get locked in and try to make your way out at Locked In: The Birmingham Escape Game
42. Learn about the eerie history of Birmingham on the Birmingham Ghost Walk ($30)
43. Play a few rounds of shuffleboard at the 41st Street Pub & Aircraft Sales
Birmingham + Beyond
44. Venture to the Gulf Coast of Mobile to see where some of baseball’s greatest players come from.
45. Experience outer space and craft beer in the very cute city of Huntsville
46. Experience Southern hospitality and iconic civil rights sites in the capital city of Montgomery
47. Go to Tuscaloosa to experience what the Crimson Tide – the University of Alabama’s football team – is all about
48. Travel around the state in search of the best craft beer in Alabama (there are lots)
Just Because
49. Add some weight to the Heaviest Corner on Earth located on 20th Street + 1st Avenue
50. Head to Alabama Museum of the Health Sciences to check out dated wooden anatomical models and an iron lung
51. Check out the tall-and-tacky roadside attraction, Stan the Muffler Man
BONUS: Locals Suggestions on What to do in Birmingham
“Visit DeSoto Caverns, historic caverns with a theme park on top.” – Jean Marie
2 Comments
Jean Marie
May 21, 2019 at 3:18 amI love going to DeSoto Caverns. It’s right near Selwood Farms (mentioned above), and it’s the nation’s most historic caverns with a unique theme park on top. Definitely one of the most fun and very out-there things to do near Birmingham!
Taylor
May 23, 2019 at 5:11 pmSounds pretty wild! Something to do with kids, or would you recommend it for anyone?