Tourism Information

Alabama

Tourism Information

Climate

Alabama has warmth and sunshine for the greater part of the year. Spring arrives early, with the weather warming to the 60s Fahrenheit daily by March. Summer days average in the low 80s, with periods of 90 and above. Sweaters or jackets will usually keep off the chill through November. Prolonged spells of severely cold weather are not frequent during the winter. Snow is a rarity except in higher altitudes of north Alabama. Average seasonal temperatures for the state's major cities follow.

The diverse landscape serves to illustrate the variety of adventures awaiting you in Alabama. From the picturesque mountains of North Alabama to the sugar–white beaches of the Gulf Coast, you'll find something special to pique your interest.

Alabama golf courses are garnering praise from golfers everywhere, and our golf vacations have been rated among the best in world by Golf Digest. The famous Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail is the backbone of golf tourism in Alabama, and it now features new sites in the Shoals area as well as Birmingham.

Alabama beaches are among the most beautiful in the world, and the white sand beaches and sparkling emerald water of Gulf Shores could be just the setting you need for that perfect vacation with friends and family.

With majestic mountains, clear blue streams and abundant natural wildlife, Alabama is also the perfect place to enjoy outdoor activities. The Alabama Bass Trail is a must for any avid angler. In addition, Alabama is one of the premier states in the nation for hunting white-tailed deer and Eastern wild turkey. Our state's generous hunting seasons and bag limits are the envy of other states.

Not interested in hunting or fishing? Take a trip to any of the Alabama State Parks and woodlands, and you will find some of the best biking trails in the South. Or visit the Alabama Coastal Birding Trail, a paradise for birding during migration.

There's a wealth of history to explore in Alabama. The Civil Rights Movement that started in Alabama changed the world. Walk in the footsteps of African–American heroes who challenged and defeated segregation laws. Visit the actual sites in Birmingham, Montgomery, Selma and Tuskegee where events that galvanized the world also made a nation view its fellow men and women with equality and respect.

In the 1950s, a team of scientists designed and tested the rockets that eventually put man on the moon. Today, the U.S. Space and Rocket Center is one of Alabama's top attractions. Visitors can see an actual Apollo spacecraft and a towering 363-foot Saturn V rocket.

If arts and entertainment are to your liking, then a trip to the Alabama Shakespeare Festival in Montgomery should be on your itinerary. It's the sixth-largest Shakespeare theater in the world, with more than 200,000 visitors annually, hosting a variety of classical and contemporary theatrical productions year-round.

The world's brightest performers in music, dance and live theater can be found at the Alys Robinson Stephens Performing Arts Center in Birmingham. And the Birmingham Broadway Series stages Broadway's hottest shows from September through April.

For the sports enthusiast, Alabama has a wide range of professional and collegiate sports. College football, baseball and basketball offer games for all seasons, with minor league baseball stretching from the early spring through the summer. At the Talladega Superspeedway and the Barber Motorsports Park, visitors can see competitive auto and motorcycle racing as well as historic racing memorabilia.

No matter where you go in Alabama, there’s no shortage of local art. That's why we are celebrating in 2007 with The Year of Alabama Arts. Southern folk art abounds in communities of all sizes. And, if you’re so inclined, you can visit the actual places made famous by books and movies such as To Kill a Mockingbird and Inherit the Wind.

And no list of things to do is complete without shopping. You'll find world-class malls, expansive outlet centers and more antiques shops than you can visit — all making shopping Alabama an unforgettable experience.

In 2005, we celebrated The Year of Alabama Food. You can visit that site to learn about everything from crops to manufacturers to the establishments from the Shoals to the Gulf Coast — each with their own unique flavor.