Delicious food & great customer service. Healthy options were available. Will be back next time I'm…read morein town.

In Decatur, there are four buildings that survived the Civil War, including The Old State Bank. I…read morehad really intended on just snapping a picture but it happened to be open late that day for high school seniors taking pictures so the old judge/tour guide ushered me in. Such a neat building and the guide was full of good information. The tour is free, doesn't take long and you get to see the vault used as a hospital in the Civil War, as well as the bankers apartment upstairs. Beautiful house. The second floor apartment area is furnished with antiques from the 1830's, and gives a glimpse into life in the early Tennessee Valley. The coolest part to me was seeing the big dents in the columns out front where canon balls hit and bullet holes from the CIVIL FREAKING WAR! Never would have known that without the guide! This bank was one of three banks authorized by The Alabama General Assembly in 1832. Few structures can boast as varied a past as the Bank. Since its construction, the building has weathered two depressions and a Civil War, and has served as a hospital guardhouse, bank, and dance hall. Named to the National Register of Historical Places in 1972, the Classic Revival architecture of the Bank is symbolic of the period in which it was built. The building is decorated with antique pieces from the Federal and Empire period. It's the oldest standing bank in Alabama. In the early 1800's the settlement of Decatur was virtually unknown. The placement of the state bank in Decatur gave the area a new significance and aided in its transition to established town. In addition to establishing Decatur's importance in the state, the bank also heralded a new era in which banking played an increasingly important role in developing state economy. The decision to locate a branch of the state bank in Decatur was one of the first events in the town's early history to lift Decatur from relative obscurity and give it a special role in the state. Several previous attempts to institute a state banking system had failed, but the legislature would again pass a bill in 1830 to establish a state bank. Branch bank locations were established in Mobile, Montgomery and Decatur; with the Decatur bank opening on July 29, 1833. The Decatur bank reported a profit of $84,028.22 in its first year of operation. A spirit of optimism surrounded the banks and is evidenced by the legislature's decision to run the sate government from the bank profits and abolish direct taxation. Unfortunately, the good times were short-lived, as a nationwide depression in 1837 and other factors contributed to the decline of the state banks. Despite attempts to improve and reform and improve the state banks, the Decatur bank franchise was revoked by 1845. Though the banking experience ended in failure, it showed the importance of banks in a developing state economy, and the need for a safe and stable bank system. On a local basis, the bank would serve as a catalyst for Decatur's transition from "frontier village" to "town." Architecturally, the Old State Bank played a significant role in the influence and development of architectural style in Alabama for several decades. By combining elements of the Federal style with the Greek Revival style, the Old State Bank introduced a new look and influenced building style in Alabama until the Civil War.

The guides are fantastic. Tons of information on the history of Decatur. The model train set is…read morereally something to see. Tour is free. Seriously go see the model train setup. The models of the local houses are incredible.

Now restored!! Drive by and check it out. The City of…read moreDecatur has bought this historic depot, and completed a $2.5 million major restoration. The south part of the depot will be a museum. It will house a theater, and there will be a large model train layout of the city of Decatur. The museum should be complete about Spring of 2017. I hope to update my review then, and add another star or two! The north part of the building will be used as office space by the Decatur civilian police department.

This historical marker is appropriately enough in Ingalls Harbor and it remembers Robert Ingalls…read moreand his shipyard, which he opened in 1937 to build dredges, towboats and barges for coastal and river service. With World War II approaching, Ingalls Shipyard realized they were too small here and relocated to Pascagoula, Mississippi.

This 50-year-old bridge underwent $24 million renovations last year to clean, paint, and repair the…read morebridge's concrete and structural steel including concrete deck repairs and asphalt widening on the approaches to the bridge. Heading south from north Alabama? You'll find yourself using this bridge. I believe this bridge is just under three miles long, at 2.6 miles. It really is nice as a passenger in a car to enjoy seeing all the boats on the Tennessee River from this bridge! The bridge has always seemed to be in good shape on the numerous times I've travelled it! Why no fifth star? I'm just not a fan of bridges in general. I'll be happy when the renovations work is completed.

Beautiful bridge traveled while headed to Huntsville, AL. Hard to take photos while driving but…read morethe views are great!!

I couldn't quite figure out what to place this under so I chose Landmarks & Historical buildings…read morebecause it is housed in the old Tenn.Valley Bank, built in 1927 and has a little museum upstairs on the 3rd floor. But this is the Morgan County Archives which houses huge tomes of records, genealogical papers and a most interesting display (with original documents/photos) of the Scottsboro trial. I initially went in to ask about the Garth cemetery which lies untended in the thickets behind Rose Lawn Cemetery and had a fascinating conversation with John Allison, their archivist who gave me a more detailed study of the families buried there. One of the more interesting things displayed on the first floor was original documents, court papers and photos of the Scottsboro trial where eight young African American men were put on trial for raping two white women (One later recanted her story). I have seen a documentary on this farce of a trial and it was intriguing reading excerpts from the actual trial. Upstairs on the third floor is a conference room/museum that Mr. Allison is working on. It has a confederate soldiers complete uniform, WWII uniforms and military items donated, household utensils, several weaving looms, old cameras and office machines. This is definitely a hidden gem in the Old Decatur section and worth stopping by. They normally open around 8 a.m. but are closed on holidays.

Decatur Public Library, just off 6th Avenue was my hang out when I attended Calhoun Community…read moreCollege! I commuted to Calhoun in Decatur from Huntsville and rather than drive back to Huntsville between classes, I would hang out in this library! Although not as large as the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library, Decatur Public Library had everything I needed to pass the time: magazines, a place to catch up on homework and study, books to flip through, and creature comforts (heating in winter months, A/C in hot months, and restrooms). Based on other reviews here, it appears this library now offers all the "modern" amenities that people look for in a public library these days: Wi-Fi, computing and printing, an online catalog accessible from your home, ebooks, interlibrary loans, meeting spaces, and a Friends of the Library used bookstore. The staff here were always friendly and it made a lovely place to relax or study while attending Calhoun!

The library is a staple in the community. It's easy to find what you need and the staff it's always…read morehelpful.

Its a swamp and a boardwalk not much other to say. When we went it was dry but it still was nice,…read moreboardwalk looks relatively new.

A great small hiking trail that is a part of the Joe Wheeler State Park system and the Alabama…read moreBirding Trail. It's the largest Black Tupelo swamp in Alabama and home to many bird varieties. Not much going on in winter from what I saw, but it's a cool place to visit if you're near the Wheeler Park. We did saw a palliated wood pecker on one of the many dead trees in the swamp. It's an easy walk along a boardwalk that dead ends at a creek. Really cool trees! See the website for directions. They lead us straight to it.

Come here for the Annual Somerville Celebration Festival, Fri., 1 May 2015! (Rain date Fri., 15…read moreMay 15.) We showed up here in April, and the building was "closed to the public due to safety issues with the floors." Stop by here sometime if you live in the vicinity of Morgan County, or have an interest in its history. This old county courthouse is just a couple of blocks north of Alabama hwy 67.

Couldn't find the review for the entire Square, so I'll post here. The exterior of the Courthose is…read moredefinitely more interesting than the interior. Nice to know the clock tower works, and the Methodist Church nearby is nice. I am sure there are many perks to this place, and the cowboy/pioneer statue was neat...but The Square, itself, didn't have much going for it. Heritage Park behind it is nice. I am sure there is more to it than at 10:30am....but everything is closed at that time? I hear they have a good pie shop. I gave it 3 stars because it looks like there were more positives than our experience, but casual walking and viewing, there wasn't really much to see. Glen Rose, as a town is nice, though. This just isn't one of the high points. Visit the Historic Granbury Square not too far away. Nice dining, shops, and entertainment. It won't disappoint.