A variety of landmarks are located throughout Alabama. In fact, many of them are so iconic that they’re easily recognizable via photo, television screen, etc. Listed below are nine of Alabama’s most iconic landmarks. Which of them do you believe are the most recognizable?
1. U.S. Space & Rocket Center - Huntsville
The U.S. Space & Rocket Center, which opened for business in 1970, is Alabama's top paid tourist attraction. It welcomes around half a million visitors each year and is sometimes referred to as "Earth's largest space museum." It's also home to Space Camp.
2. Edmund Pettus Bridge - Selma
The Edmund Pettus Bridge was the site of Bloody Sunday on March 7, 1965, a historic event during the Civil Rights Movement. People travel from all over the country to visit this iconic bridge, which became a National Historic Landmark on March 11, 2013.
3. Fort Morgan - Gulf Shores
Fort Morgan, which was built in 1834, is a historic battle site that's located on Alabama's beautiful Gulf Coast. During the Civil War, this masonry star fort played a major role in the "Battle of Mobile Bay."
4. 16th Street Baptist Church - Birmingham
16th Street Baptist Church is the site where four young African-American girls were killed after it was bombed by the KKK in 1963. This historic event happened in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement.
5. USS Alabama (BB-60) - Mobile
The USS Alabama (BB-60) is a historic battleship that served during World War II in both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. In 1962, it retired. It was eventually moved to Mobile Bay in 1964. The USS Alabama (BB-60) is currently the main attraction at Battleship Memorial Park.
6. Ave Maria Grotto - Cullman
Ave Maria Grotto, a four-acre garden park, features 125 tiny reproductions of historic buildings and religious shrines. This iconic landmark is best known as "Jerusalem in Miniature," and it's located on the grounds of St. Bernard Abbey.
7. Boll Weevil Monument - Enterprise
The Boll Weevil Monument, which was erected in 1919, is the world's first monument built to honor an agricultural pest. The statue is more than 13 feet tall and consists of a woman holding a boll weevil above her head.
8. Rosenbaum House - Florence
The Rosenbaum House, which was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, is Alabama's only Wright building. It's also the Southeast's only Frank Lloyd Wright house that's open for public viewing.
9. Vulcan - Birmingham
Vulcan, which offers a beautiful view of Birmingham, is the main feature at Vulcan Park & Museum. With a weight of 101,200 pounds and an overall height of 180 feet, it's also the world's largest cast iron statue. Due to its height, Vulcan is also the only U.S. statue that's taller than New York City's Statue of Liberty.
Have you ever visited any of these iconic Alabama landmarks? If so, let us know which one(s) in the comments. Also, share with us some other iconic landmarks every Alabamian should instantly recognize.
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Featured Addresses
U.S. Space & Rocket Center, 1 Tranquility Base, Huntsville, AL 35805, USA
Edmund Pettus Bridge, Selma, AL 36703, USA
Fort Morgan State Historic Site, 110 AL-180, Gulf Shores, AL 36542, USA
16th Street Baptist Church, 1530 6th Ave N, Birmingham, AL 35203, USA
USS ALABAMA Battleship Memorial Park, 2703 Battleship Pkwy, Mobile, AL 36602, USA
Ave Maria Grotto, 1600 St Bernard Dr, Cullman, AL 35055, USA
Boll Weevil Monument, 101 Main St, Enterprise, AL 36330, USA
Frank Lloyd Wright - Rosenbaum House Museum, 601 Riverview Dr, Florence, AL 35630, USA
Vulcan Park and Museum, 1701 Valley View Dr, Birmingham, AL 35209, USA