10 Incredible Hidden Gems In Alabama You’ll Want To Discover This Year

Delano Park is a 28-acre hidden gem founded in 1887 and recognized as Morgan County's oldest continuously operated city park. Renowned New York landscape architect Nathan Franklin Barrett designed the park, which the park beautifully blends traditional, formal gardens with modern amenities. The park also features the work of Alabama’s first licensed female architect, Carolyn Cortner Smith, who designed the stone structures added to the park in the 1930s.

Dismals Canyon is one of our most unique places to visit. This sandstone gorge in the Appalachian Mountain foothills has an air of mystery that’s only enhanced by its resident glow worms. You can see these rare insects known as dismalites during special night tours. As a National Natural Landmark since 1975, Dismals Canyon is home to six natural bridges, waterfalls, and stunning rock formations across its 85-acre nature preserve. It’s an enchanting escape for those who revel in the unusual spots off the beaten path.

Another of our hidden beautiful places is Ave Maria Grotto, which is located on the grounds of St. Bernard Abbey. In 1918, Benedictine monk, Brother Joseph Zoetl, began using any materials on hand to build miniature reproductions of famous religious buildings and sites around the world. The site was named and formally established in 1934, and Brother Zoetl continued adding to it until 1958 when he reached the age of 80.

For the bookworms who love delightfully extra things, the Alabama Booksmith in Homewood is a treasure. Every title here is signed by the author. Unless it's a rare, out-of-print edition, they're sold for face value. The bookstore has been operating since 1990 and was known as The Highland Booksmith for almost a decade before moving into its current space and taking on its now-established name in 1999. A special spot for those in the know and a perfect place to find gifts for those friends who seem to have everything.

Just 40 miles southwest of Birmingham, you’ll find an atmosphere unlike any in the world at the Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge. The Cahaba is Alabama’s longest free-flowing river at about 200 miles in length. Lucky for us, it has the perfect conditions to support the largest known stand of Cahaba lilies in the world. The best time to see them in full bloom is mid-May to mid-June. Note that there is a Cahaba Lily Festival on the last Saturday of May.

"The grass so green. Skies so blue. Spectre is really great!" I can't tell you how tempting it was to write nothing more here than to quote this three-line literary masterpiece by fictional poet Norther Winslow in Tim Burton's 2003 movie, "Big Fish." Yet, if you've not seen the film, the fictional Town of Spectre merits more explanation. The movie's production crew constructed the entire town on Jackson Lake Island in Elmore County near Millbrook. After finishing filming, they abandoned it. While part of the set burned years ago, several of the buildings remain. After more than two decades, fans continue to visit, exploring what's there, greeting the baby goats who live there now, and tossing their shoes over the line in a nod to a pivotal scene in the film.

Reflect on the remarkable contributions of African-American airmen during World War II at Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site, where the first of the men trained at Moton Field. Known as the Tuskegee Airmen, they were the first African-American aviators in the US Armed Forces. There are five original structures at the site. At Hangar 1, visitors get an orientation about the park through multimedia exhibits, including recordings of Airmen telling their personal stories of accomplished service to the country — even amid ongoing racism and segregation long before the Civil Rights movement.

Monroeville was the hometown of Harper Lee, Truman Capote, and other literary greats, earning it the title of "The Literary Capital of Alabama." It is a must-visit for those who are fans of their work, especially Lee's "To Kill A Mockingbird." The most popular destination is the Old Courthouse Museum, which contains the courtroom that inspired the iconic courtroom scene of the screenplay based on the book. Since 1991, The Mockingbird Players have produced a stage adaptation for adoring audiences in Monroeville each spring and for audiences all over the world.

We promise there is nowhere else you will see giant dinosaurs rising out of the woods, a replica of Stonehenge, and a giant woman soaking in a bay like it's a huge hot tub. Artist Mark Cline created all of these works of whimsy on commission for George Barber of the Barber Dairy family, who also owns Barber Marina as well as Barber Motorsports Park and Museum in Leeds. The best part may be that you can see Dinosaurs in the Woods, Bamahenge, and Lady of the Bay for free.