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Exploring America » Eastern US, US Cities » Huntsville

Huntsville

Huntsville Skyline

Credit The Huntsville-Madison County CVB

The city of Huntsville, Alabama is a diverse place to visit where your adult group will never run out of attractions to visit. There are a number of museums, amusement attractions, outdoor activities, cultural activities, and zoos and aquariums. If the group is interested in visiting museums, Huntsville has several of them to explore, like the Veterans Memorial Museum, the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, the Huntsville Depo Museum, the Huntsville Museum of Art, the Sci-Quest Hands-on Science Center, the Earlyworks Museum Complex, and The Weeden House Museum and Garden. The Veterans Memorial Museum is one of the top visited museums in Huntsville. Is your group looking for some entertainment? If so, Huntsville has plenty to offer. Amusement attractions feature establishments like Monaco Pictures, Regal Cinemas Hollywood Stadium, Skate Odyssey, Southern Adventures, and Lunar Mini Golf. Outdoor activities range between the Huntsville Botanical Garden, the Land Trust of North Alabama, the Harmony Park Safari, Big Spring Park, the Hays Nature Preserve, and Fanning Trail. Are you interested in culture, instead? If that’s the case, Huntsville offers several activities for the adult group to enjoy. These might include Burritt on the Mountain, the Alabama Constitution Village, the Historic Huntsville Depo, Independent Musical Functions, and events and festivals. Are you searching for delectable cuisine? Huntsville has several interesting restaurants to check out like AJ’s Eat and Drink, Connor’s Steak and Seafood, Cotton Row, Commerce Kitchen, and D’Licous Dining and Smokehouse. Bring your group to this magnificent city in the beautiful state of Alabama!

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Sample Itineraries

2-Day Huntsville Group Travel

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These attractions are so entertaining that you might forget that you're actually learning something!

    •  Historic Attractions
    •  Mansion Tour
    •  Civil War Villages

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Attractions

U.S. Space and Rocket Center

Huntsville US Space and Rocket Center

Credit The Huntsville-Madison County CVB

The U.S. Space and Rocket Center is located in Huntsville, Alabama. The location is the official visitor center for the NASA Flight Space Center. It contains one of the largest rocket collections in the world. Student groups can view the exhibits on display and learn about the dramatic space race. Featured exhibits include the Saturn V Hall, Rocket Park, Shuttle Park, Brick Locator, and the IMAX Spacedome Theater. Rocket Park contains 27 rockets and missiles. These rockets show how army rocketry launched America’s space program. Shuttle Park features several launch vehicles. This includes the world’s only fully-stacked Space Transportation System. Saturn V Hall has an authentic Saturn V Rocket. The rocket is one of three in the world. The U.S. Space and Rocket Center offers Children’s Workshops for student groups to enjoy. Workshops include the Science of Imagination Workshops and Saturday Scientist Workshops. The Saturday Scientist Workshops feature hands-on activities. Topics include: solar energy, precipitation, geology of space, and chemistry. The center also contains Ropes Courses. The courses promote teamwork and leadership skills. There are two courses to consider. They are the Low Ropes course and the High Ropes Course. During the Low Ropes Course, the group will do the following: brainstorm, delegate tasks, and plan for the mission. During the mission, the group will incorporate cohesive communication and trust in order to be successful. During the High Ropes program, group members will choose individual levels of difficulty. The equipment for this specific program includes the following items: a Pamper Pole Scale, a Climbing Wall, and a Zip Line. The Climbing Wall is 50 feet tall. Two people will climb this massive wall with the goal of climbing as high as possible. Bring your student group and visit this incredible space center!

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Veterans Memorial Museum

Helicopter

Credit Veterans Memorial Museum

The Veterans Memorial Museum is located in Huntsville, Alabama. The location contains public displays and offers educational programs. The theme in the museum deals with American Military men and women, specifically those individuals who were in World War I and other conflicts. There are various displays for your group to explore. Featured displays include the following: the Oldest Jeep in the World, the AVG 1941-1942, the 1942 Harley WLA Motorcycle, the AH-1 Huey Cobra, the 8th Air Force Briefing Room, and the Greyhound Armored Car. The AH-1 Huey Cobra was in service during the Vietnam War. The docents at the museum are friendly and will answer any questions. The museum contains a library with published written materials. There are also oral and written narratives from the families and veterans. There are several documents from World War II. Do you enjoy looking at Military vehicles? If so, the Veterans Memorial Museum contains a variety of them from various wars. The adult group will find 30 of these historic vehicles on display. There are also interesting artifacts and memorabilia to view dating back to the Revolutionary War. Featured artifacts include: guns, clothing, equipment, and other army artillery. The group will spend hours looking at the interesting vehicles and displays. During your group visit, you will want to take a look at the series of V-Disks. The records were cut after the end of World War II. They were recorded by a group of musicians who were on strike. Featured recordings include the following: HOMESICK THAT’S ALL by Frank Sinatra, IT MIGHT AS WELL BE SPRING by Margaret Whiting, WAIT AND SEE by Johnny Johnston, and I CAN’T BEGIN TO TELL YOU by Harry James. Bring your group to visit this amazing Memorial museum!

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Weeden House

Weeden House Sign

Credit The Huntsville-Madison County CVB

The Weeden House Museum is located in Huntsville, Alabama. The location was named after Maria Howard Weeden. She was a talented artist and poet. She made portraits and published at least four books during her life. She was born in July, 1846. The Weeden House Museum opened in 1981. The house was originally built in the year 1819. Visitors will find amazing architecture and learn about the life of Maria Weeden. The location contains several works by Weeden. It was the home to some early settlers of Huntsville. William Weeden purchased the property in 1845. The location also contains a beautiful garden. Maria’s mother loved to plant flowers. They include the following: heliotrope, peonies, lemon verbena, pinks, and hollyhocks. She enjoyed roses and took special care of the beautiful flowers. Maria captured their essence through her paintings and poetry. The museum contains period furniture and the portraits done by Maria Weeden. The group can take a tour of the house and the grounds. The staff members are helpful and will answer any questions. When your group arrives, you will visit in the parlor on the period furnishings. The tour is self-guided and includes the garden and surrounding area for your curiosity. Maria Weeden was near-sighted, and she used a brush with three horsehairs and helped support the family by selling her paintings. The family owned several slaves. In 1892, she attended the World’s Fair. When you look at her work, you will find unrivaled beauty and perfectly honed artistic talent. Come with your adult group and visit this amazing historic house and museum!

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Museum of Art

North Alabama’s leading visual arts center fills its seven galleries with a variety of traveling exhibitions and the work of nationally and regionally acclaimed artists. The nationally accredited museum also presents shows from its own 2,300 piece permanent collection. Named as one of the state’s “Top 10” destinations by the Alabama Tourism Department, the Huntsville Museum of Art has gained a reputation throughout the South for bringing high-caliber touring exhibitions to the region.

Taking a tour with a trained docent enhances the museum experience. A docent encourages groups to ask and answer questions about the art on view. Docents provide a great deal of background about the artist, the works, and the artistic movement to which the art belongs. By helping the group to observe, compare, and interpret, the docent provides groups the tools to evaluate art on their own.  Groups of ten or more may schedule a docent led tour with two weeks notice.

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Burritt on the Mountain

Burritt on the Mountain

Credit The Huntsville-Madison County CVB

Burrit on the Mountain is located in Huntsville, Alabama. The site contains a mansion and a museum. There are educational programs for your student group to explore. The museum contains interesting exhibits. There are other events and activities that take place during the year. Children’s Educational Programs are a valuable way to learn about Burritt on the Mountain. Featured programs include Step Back in Time, Junior Pioneer, and other educational events. The location also offers field trips for students as well. Options include: Burritt’s Barnyard Buddies, Community Past & Present, Packhorse Librarian, and Native Americans of North Alabama. Burritt on the Mountain offers group tours. Featured options include self-guided tours and guided tours. During the guided tour, the group will learn from the staff members about the houses and animals. You will participate in hands-on activities and enjoy nature at the same time. The location has other interesting areas. These vary between nature trails, the Burritt Barnyard, and Historic Park. The group can hike on the Nature Trails where you will find historic coal mines and limestone rock formations. During your visit to Historic Park, you will encounter interpreters dressed in period costumes of the 19th century. They recreate farm life from that era. Your group can participate in demonstrations and hands-on activities. The park contains six log houses as well as other restored buildings. Featured structures include the Balch House, the Chandler House, Gardener Cabin, Old Madison Church, the Smith-Williams House, The Corn Crib, and The Schoolhouse. The interpreters conduct guided tours of the park. Bring your student group to visit this one-of-a-kind entertaining and historical attraction!

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Botanical Garden

Family at Huntsville Botanical Garden

Credit: The Huntsville-Madison County CVB

The Botanical Garden is located in Huntsville, Alabama. The location features several exhibits. Your adult group can take a tour of the beautiful landscape. There are several tour options to consider. Featured tours include the following: self-guided tours, docent guided tours, and Galaxy of Lights walking tours. During the docent-led tour, your group will be guided through the gardens. The group will learn about the location including the history. These tours can include a boxed lunch at the conclusion. The lunch includes the following items: a chicken salad or turkey sandwich, chips, pasta salad, lettuce, tomato, a cookie and a bottle of water. There are a variety of fascinating exhibits for the group to observe. Featured exhibits include the following: the Garden Railway, the Plant Collections, and the Wade Wharton Exhibit. The Garden Railway exhibit is the most popular display visited. The display consists of a European Village. Features include: a church, fire station, a restaurant, a waterfall, 2 ponds with fish, forests, a bog area, and a farm. The Botanical Garden also offers adult classes. Featured programs include the following: Landscape for Life, Fall Bird MIGRATION, Japanese Garden Design, Plant ID Walk, and Youtopia Lunch and Learn. The Landscape for life classes show the group how to work with nature in the garden no matter where you live. Topics include: the role of water in a sustainable garden, successful practices and the role of plant life in a sustainable garden, and practices and materials used to have a successful garden. Come visit with your adult group and enjoy the natural beauty of this amazing landscape!

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NASA’s Space Flight Center

Marshall develops space transportation and propulsion technologies, manages Space Shuttle propulsion elements and science aboard the International Space Station and pursues scientific breakthroughs in space that will improve human life here on Earth. These programs are available on a limited schedule and are subject to cancellation based on national security alerts. 

 

Activities include: 

International Space Station Payload Operations Integration Center
The Payload Operations Integration Center is responsible for NASA’s on board science operations for the International Space Station (ISS), and is in operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Payload Operations Center communicates with the astronauts on board the ISS on a daily basis and can remotely operate on board science and technology experiments. There is a viewing area at Marshall where group tours can observe the control room operations.

Heritage Gallery
The Heritage Gallery is a museum to learn about the history of Marshall. The gallery displays models, artwork, and multi-media productions to illustrate contributions the Center has made to the U.S. Space Programs. The gallery includes a full-size replica of the Lunar Rover Vehicle that Marshall developed for astronauts who travelled to the moon. The Gallery also focuses on the role Marshall will have in the nation’s future space programs.

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