This is a great museum! I've been coming here since I was a child and they've done a great job of…read moreimproving it and changing the exhibits for the better. I especially love how much they incorporate local natural features, live caves and all of the incredible natural diversity in the state. They really do a good job of going from local to global natural history. Also, they one of the largest collections of bird specimens, even including some extinct birds. And, we can't forget the Bird of Prey trail behind the museum with resident bird ambassadors! The Educational Interpreters work with the birds and do such a fantastic job presenting. I highly recommend the Creature Feature and Saturday Alive! programs - check out their website at exploreamag.org to see descriptions of all the live animal ambassadors. Lots of fun stuff for the kids both at the museum and all the extra programs offered!

This museum is great everytime.It has a very large collection of animals,birds,reptiles from around…read morethe world.It has 2 Egyptian mummies.Dinosaurs,a living cave,etc.The Berman Museum is next door and has a huge weapon collection.The grounds are a very beautiful park with picnic tables in the shade.Check out my next ,The Working Man Review.

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.

Very cool place tucked right off of the Leeds exit. I came not knowing what to expect but I was…read morejust amazed at all of the cars, motorcycles, bikes and overall all the history and beauty this place offers! We did a cool scavenger hunt that led us on each of the floors and gave us reason to explore. There is lots of walking, but the museum is handicapped accessible! So many fun facts about the vehicles, any car enthusiast would be impressed! We even got to see a race! The staff was super kind and welcoming. Great outing for many ages... check this place out!

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.

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.

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!

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

Interesting museum. Decent amount of historically significant cars. Limited interpretative…read morecontent. We were only people in museum on a Sunday. Reasonable admission price. Not a destination but worth a stop if in area.

100% worth the visit, particularly for young African Americans who are not learning about our…read morehistory in the country in school or at home. When you see what those before you had to endure in order for you to be able to walk into a restaurant LEGALLY...just go.

Birmingham Civil Rights Institute 16th St Birmingham, AL…read more I wanted to visit this museum, in fear that this history would be deleted, omitted, whitewashed or hidden from public view. As much as insensitive, out of touch people, politicians, or organizations may feel, being reminded of the atrocities committed by their fore parents, we as Americans of indigenous/african descent must endure the pain of oppression, injustice inflicted on our fore parents and threatened to repeat every day, it's a part of our reality politically and socially. These museums provide us with a baseline for freedom deferred also the intestinal fortitude and courage that sustained us.

Very nice and interesting place. Historic Landmark with very cool architecture and even a nice…read moreplace to chill a little

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 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.

Was a very nice museum and planetarium as well. Alot of interesting exhibits for both children and…read moreadults..would definitely recommend a a visit..

This is a phenomenal museum! The grounds are absolutely beautiful. They had multiple displays,…read moreincluding dinosaurs. They also had a transportation exhibit with cars , bikes and trains throughout time. They had a technology exhibit that had phones, computers and gaming systems throughout time. They have an interactive area to look for fossils and pan for gems (polished rocks) that you can take home with you at no extra charge. They have a theater that played four different science movies. They also had an exploration area for kids. Highly recommend a visit. Plenty of no hassle parking and numerous super clean restrooms. We didn't visit the planetarium, but that was available.

I appreciate the spacial aspect of the courtyard of the Arlington. There is the inside section…read morewhere the food is served. There are inside mens and ladies room which is always a plus. The annual event is really the last reunion before the game for people that went to school with. Thank you Sheila Tyson for the annual love.

Enjoyed a magic city classic event and loved the inside and outside scenes. This is annual so will…read morereturn next or to a sooner event