What a perfect gem of a place. From the outside, a little unassuming. But the star of the show was…read morethe Beyond Indigo display by Baggs McKelvey. It was chaos and fun outside of the installation. But when you walk in to the other side of wall- it's this calming structure with denim, and knots. I don't know if it was the flow of the main piece or the light that went through it. But it was really transformative. If you get a chance go see it!!

From the owner: The GMA hosts seven major art exhibitions each year, as well as several solo shows in three gallery…read morespaces. There are educational opportunities such as classes, workshops and children's programming. Our second floor gallery doubles as a venue for weddings, receptions, parties and corporate events.

I only learned about this place a couple of years ago when I was considering a trip to Birmingham…read more It showed up on a 'things to do' list. I read a bit more about it and decided that it might be worthwhile if we had time in the area. We finally ended up with a reason to visit Birmingham, and this seemed to fit nicely into the afternoon drive there. The museum and the surrounding racing complex is located just off I-20. You exit near the town of Leeds and then drive maybe 2 - 3 miles (much of which is a dedicated road that just leads to the entrance). The property is huge. When we visited, once you pass through their gates, they had a guy waiting in a truck to direct you. He was friendly. I got the vibe that they didn't want randos driving further into the actual racing area, as it was in use for some private event. So we turned into the museum parking lot. There are some sculptures outside the entrance. Then you go in and pay the ~ $22 entry fee. The building is huge. It is open around a central atrium, with floors on opposite sides staggered at 'half floor' levels. They advise you to take the elevator to the top (5th) floor and work your way down. We did so. The elevator itself is large enough for cars, which is probably how they shift exhibits around. The top 2 - 3 floors are exclusively motorcycles. I'm not by any means a 'biker' but I still found the displays interesting. They are generally grouped in like clusters, either by brand or vintage or function. We paused to read some plaques, but not a majority. If you read everything, you'd likely be here all day (which might be fine for you). We stopped to take photos and appreciate bikes that were of particular interest (and there were a lot). After completing one floor, you descend on a curved ramp down to the next floor below but on the opposite side of the building. They have areas dedicated to different types of motorcycle racing (track vs. drag), an area about vintage / old bikes (from 100+ years ago). Then you start seeing some racing cars integrated in, and by the bottom floor, it is pretty much all cars. The cars are also interesting (I especially liked a 1960 Corvette and a 1966 VW Beetle, for personal reasons). Most of the cars were for racing and had sleek / interesting designs. The back wall of the museum faces part of their private race track. You may occasionally see / hear cars going by. You can exit and walk across a bridge over the track to a wooded area beyond (in the interior of the track). There was a further bridge / platform where you could see more of the track, but we didn't go up there. I also liked the design of the building and the displays. Some seats are designed to look like tires. A display of dirt bike racing had simulated churned up dirt made of concrete to evoke the racing conditions. The whole place was well laid out and masterfully architected. I checked later and my step count for just walking through the museum and the adjoining grounds was about 6000. I think most people, regardless of their attachment to racing, motorcycles, or cars, would likely find this place quite interesting.

OK, you're not into motorcycles, I get it. However if you will just give this place a try you will…read morebe amazed. First, it is nestled is a stunningly landscaped motor sports park. At the back of the museum is a pedestrian bridge that lets you see the cars or motorcyckes on the track on most days and enjoy the botanical gardenlike path in the winding road track infield. Back inside the museum is the world's largest motorcycle collection, largest Lotus race car collection, an interpretive theater, and a look into the advanced design center. Quickly you will see the motorcycles as a form of art. There are antiques and the newest cutting edge machines near each other and the workmanship and design features will amaze you. The staff is very friendly and can answer most questions or find you an answer. It also is full of other things like a huge HP 3D printer, a Bentley that the Beatles drove around in, and a collectiion of outboard boat motors. This museum is known around the World probably as much or more that it is locally. People come in from other states or countries daily. Yeah, it is motorcycles but check it out and you will be surpised.

What an amazing museum! What a great collection of artifacts, especially if you are into guns and…read moreweaponry. My two sons and I had a great time in the museum and what a cool story about Mr. and Mrs. Berman. Highly recommend a visit!

If interested in firearms this place is a great find. We were very impressed with the collection…read moreand displays. There was also an Asian artifact section that had some interesting pieces. We got there late in the day and wanted to do both museums ... so we spent one hour in each. Could have spent 1.5-2 hours and really took time going through and reading the info. Great deal getting the two museum passport - it was only $12 for both.

It was great the lady running the counter was so sweet and kind. We had a great experience and got…read moresome pressed pennies

We were on our way from Georgia to Texas and happened to see a sign for the museum. Absolutely…read moreworth a stop!! Our son is a racing fan and he really enjoyed seeing all the cars and memorabilia. The museum was clean and the staff were super friendly. The admission and the gift shop prices were very reasonable. The Talledega tour was also amazing. If you are a racing fan or in the area, you should DEFINITELY stop and check this out!!

If you are visiting Birmingham this is a great spot for learning about the history of the city. It…read morewill bring tears to your eyes. The fee to enter is not bad and some days they offer free entrance as they did for our visits. It's an interactive walk thru exhibit with a lot of information from the civil rights area. Great for kids! Be sure to visit the park and church close by too.

The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute is very informative in regards to telling black history…read more Seeing the artifacts and listening/watching the audio/videos was very emotional to experience, but it's an important piece of history. The exhibit is clean and well maintained, but be advised that the women's bathroom doors do not lock.

I wish I could share more about this place, but unfortunately it was closed on Monday -- the only…read moreday we were in Birmingham. Since we couldn't go inside, I decided to walk across the nearby bridge to at least get a view from a distance. When it's closed, there really isn't a way to get much closer, so you're limited to exterior views only. From the photos and reviews others have posted, it looks like a really cool and educational spot, especially if you're interested in industrial history. It seems like the tours give you a great glimpse into what factory life looked like back when it was one of the biggest steel suppliers in the U.S. Knowing it operated for around 90 years before shutting down in 1971 makes it even more fascinating. Even though I didn't get the full experience, the scale of the structures and the history behind the site were still impressive from afar. I'd definitely plan to return on a day they're open to properly explore it -- it looks like a unique and worthwhile stop if you're in town.

I enjoyed my recent visit to Sloss Furnaces (04/19/25). Although I wasn't here very long, I…read moreappreciated the beauty of this historical landmark. A group that I am involved with , the bham babes had their annual picnic here. The grounds are well managed and the sculptures I saw were amazing! I highly recommend planning a visit here. Per their website, they offer guided tours Tues-Sat 10:30-2:00. I definitely plan on returning to learn more about the history of Birmingham, Al.

I brought a birthday cake for my birthday and when we checked in for my reservation the staff…read morebasically took the cake out of my hands saying "we'll bring it to you it's no problem!" and I said thank you and we were sat. At the end of our meals, the cake was brought out, no knife, no plates. He asked after I blew out the candles (that my mom brought) if we wanted the cake cut and he would take it to the back to have it sliced. I said no I want to cut it myself and that was fine with him. When we got our check, a $25 fee was added to our bill for the cake. We were not made aware of the add on whatsoever. I think if they would've mentioned from the get go that we had to pay for my cake to be brought out we would've declined and kept the cake with us.

This is a beautiful welll kept garden that has been around for a long time and is part of the…read moreCalloway Legacy. We went in September and there was much green but very little blooming. The Calloway house is beautiful and is well kept. There are many original pieces in the house from 1916. The tour was excellent and the guide answered all your questions. You could not take pictures in the house. There are 3 stories in the house and do not expect elevators. This is not a place To take young children.

This is my second time here and I really enjoyed the newest additions since the last time we came…read morehere. I enjoy the chill environment of museums, and love space and geology, so the fact that there's both here makes me. Very happy. Looking forward to our next visit!

We loved our time here! We have kids ages 2 through 8, and everyone had a good time, including the…read moreadults. A highlight for the kids was definitely the gem panning and fossil digging - both included with the entrance fee, and you get to take your treasures home. The gem exhibit was huge, and as an adult I also enjoyed the Replaced by the Smartphone exhibit in the smaller building. We stayed for 4 hours and could have stayed for longer if we had the time, as we didn't really get a chance to see the temporary maze exhibit.