Last Updated: February 7, 2022
Best Museums In Alabama
If you’re planning on a visit to the lovely state of Alabama then boy are you in for a treat. From the stunning beaches of the Gulf Coast to thousands of acres of forest, there sure is a ton to explore.
Alabama is also home to a huge amount of history and historical events so taking a visit to some of the best museums in Alabama while you’re there is kind of a must. There are tons of museums showcasing everything from decorative arts to fine art as well as national history and lots more.
Join me as we run through the best museums in Alabama for you to explore while you’re there.
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Birmingham Museum of Art
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The Birmingham Museum of Art is regarded as one of the best art museums in the southeast United States. The Birmingham Museum of Art was founded in 1951 and since has gathered up one of the most impressive collections of art with over 25,000 pieces.
The pieces in their permanent collection feature fine art, European art, as well as Asian, African, Native American, American, and even Pre-columbian art. One of the hidden gems in this museum is the Asian art collection which is highly regarded as one of the best in the country, in particular the collection of rare Vietnamese ceramics.
You’ll also find impressive exhibits of Baroque and Renaissance pieces that are a part of the Kress Collection. These include everything from paintings to sculptures and span from the late 1200s to the mid 18th century.
Mobile Carnival Museum
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One Alabama museum in downtown Mobile that no one should miss is the Mobile Carnival Museum. This Mobile museum is dedicated to the history of the celebration of Mardi Gras and Carnival that has been going on in the city for more than 300 years.
You’ll find the museum in the historic Bernstein-Bush home in downtown Mobile on Government Street. The museum is home to numerous exhibitions that showcase things like Carnival art and Mardi Gras jewelry as well as a whole host of other Carnival-esq galleries.
One of the coolest exhibitions is of the amazing creative displays that were made for the many carnivals and Mardi Gras held in Mobile in the past.
When walking around the exhibits, you will also learn about the creative process it took to make these wonderful carnival items and displays as well as their sources of inspiration, design symbolism, and lots more.
History Museum of Mobile
The History Museum of Mobile is dedicated to Mobile history and it is housed in an old building very much connected to Mobile’s past. The building dates back to the 1850s and it served three purposes for Mobiles political leaders.
The Mayor of Mobile’s office was once on the top floor, and it was also used as a meeting location for the members of the Mobile City Council. Today, the City Council still meets at the building every year just to maintain tradition and stay connected to their roots.
As well as being one of the historic sites of Mobile, the museum is also full of all things Mobile with permanent exhibitions that bring Mobile’s history to life. You’ll find collections of artifacts, interactive exhibits, music, texts, and even videos to gaze upon.
The museum also hosts special exhibitions that are constantly changing to ensure that any returning visitors have something new and interesting to see and learn.
Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
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The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute is a museum you kind of have to go if you’re passing through Birmingham, Alabama. The museum showcases one of America’s toughest periods of history, The Civil Rights Movement.
Inside the museum, you can learn all about The Civil Rights Movement through learning about the many racial battles and events that occurred from the 1950s onwards. There are a ton of archives and interactive exhibitions that really bring The Civil Rights Movement to life.
The Civil Rights Movement is also portrayed through powerful paintings and photographs of both discrimination and racial inequality as well as in multimedia presentations and life-sized displays.
The museum covers a huge 58,000 square feet so you can only imagine the number of pieces, exhibits, and galleries on offer. If you weren’t clued up about the Civil Rights Movement before, you will be after leaving this museum.
U.S. Veterans Memorial Museum
The U.S. Veterans Memorial Museum is a volunteer-created and run museum that was opened in 2001 and it showcases the military history of Alabama going all the way back to the 1800s.
Alabama’s military history is showcased through old vehicles, artifacts, and other memorabilia that date back to both World War II and the Civil War. You’ll find 30 old military vehicles from World War I, as well as old relics, tableaus, and lots more on display.
A very cool exhibit that is sponsored by the 8th Air Force Historical Society is a replica of the 385th Bomb Group briefing room that was a B-17 unit that conducted rains on the Germans. Another museum favorite is the ‘Merci’ 40 et 8 boxcar which was a gift given to Alabama by the French in 1949.
The final highlight of the museum is its reference library which contains thousands of spoken and written events that Alabama soldiers went through in World War II.
Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum
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The Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum is one you have to go and see while you’re in Alabama as it is home to both an incredible motorbike museum and a world-class racetrack. If you love cars and bikes, then you will love this place.
Inside the museum, you’ll find more than 1,200 rare antique race cars and motorbikes as well as new modern ones too. Not all of them will be on show all at once but you should get to see at least half of their collection on a visit and make sure you don’t miss out on seeing the Lotus Raleigh cars.
If you’re lucky enough, you might even be able to time your visit to this museum with a race. Just check online to see when they are happening as you’ll be able to see motorbikes or cars cruising at worrying speeds around the 16 turns and 2.5-mile course.
Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame
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If you’re a fan of music then a stop off at the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame is a must while you’re in Alabama as it showcases the Jazz greats of the music industry that hailed from Alabama.
You’ll find artists like Erskine Hawkins, Lionel Hampton, Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, and Nat King Cole all showcased in the museum. You can also learn about the folk origins of jazz, its contemporary influences, and how it played a role in the Civil Rights Movement too.
The museum is inside the historic Carver Theater in downtown Birmingham and is packed full of exhibits of photographs, instruments, costumes, and other famous memorabilia from the aforementioned great Jazz artists. There is also a stunning vintage marquee where events are hosted so if you want to see some live Jazz while in town, be sure to check their website.
Related: What is Alabama famous for?
Mobile Medical Museum
Another of the Mobile museums worth visiting while you’re in the town of Mobile is the Mobile Medical Museum. The museum has been running since 1962 and is the largest museum in the world that is dedicated to preserving the medical history of the Gulf Coast.
How the museum came to be was through a donation from Patricia Heustis Paterson of her father’s medical documents and artifacts, who was a mobile resident with an excellent medical record. When Samuel Eichold, II, M.D heard of the donation he encouraged Patricia to ask the donation be used to create a museum.
The museum is housed in a stunning historic building called the Vincent-Doan-Walsh House and is home to over fifty-thousand different medical documents and artifacts that showcase the medical history of the region over the last 300 years.
Anniston Museum of Natural History
The Anniston Museum of Natural History is an awesome museum to visit if you love learning about nature and where it came from, and are traveling with kids.
In this museum, you can learn all about natural sciences, explore the wild environments around the globe from Africa to the Amazon, and even dive way back into the age of the dinosaurs and come face to face with one too.
The museum is home to seven different exhibits that cover a huge range of topics and traverse both indoors and outdoors. The museum is set within the Lagarde Park in Anniston and is home to dinosaur fossils, two authentic mummies from Egypt, a walk-through replica of an Alabama cave, a children’s discovery room, mammals in open dioramas, and lots more.
There are even nature trails that are ripe for exploring, picnic benches and the best exhibit is the Regar-Werner Ornithology Collection. This collection displays more than 400 species of birds and is one of the oldest collections of its kind in the world.
Foley Railroad Museum
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If you’re a lover of trains then a visit to the Foley Rail Museum is a must while you’re in Alabama as it features both a museum and a model train exhibit.
The museum side of things takes you back in time to when the first railroad depot was built on the site in 1905 when the Bay Minette-Fort Morgan Railway was being built. It was Mr. John B. Foley who used some of his own money to ensure the extension was complete. The museum is full of old photos, tools, and memorabilia that document his history and the part he played.
The Foley’s Model Train Exhibit is where the real fun starts. The model covers some 1200 square feet of a massive table and features multiple freight trains and passenger trains that crisscross around a very detailed model community including a town, farmland, and lots more.
Freedom Rides Museum
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The Freedom Rides Museum is in a Montgomery Museum that is dedicated to educating visitors on how “The Freedom Riders”, a group of 21 people changed the course of history through peaceful protest during the Civil Rights Movement.
The 1961 Freedom Riders took their lead from people like Martin Luther King Jr. The group consisted of a mixture of black and white men and women all 22 or under and they made their name by crossing racial barriers in depots and onboard buses.
It was in 1961 on May 20th at the Historical Greyhound Bus Station where they stepped off to face a mob of violence with non-violence. Their aim was to end racial segregation on public transportation and they did it.
You’ll find this museum in downtown Montgomery at the Historical Greyhound Bus Station and it’s an amazing place to visit.
Paul W. Bryant Museum
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If you’re a college football fan then one of the museums in Alabama that you have to visit is the Paul W. Bryant Museum in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The museum is actually on the University of Alabama campus and is dedicated to the rich football history of the University of Alabama and what the sport means to the people of the state.
The museum focuses largely on the amazing football coach, Paul W. Bryant, aka Bear Bryant as well as showcasing the historical special events in Alabama football. You’ll notice that the museum is just down the road from the historic Bryant-Denny Stadium, which is where all the action happened.
Berman Museum of World History
Another awesome museum in Alabama is the Berman Museum of World History which you’ll find in the town of Anniston. This museum is a showcase of a collection of Farley Berman and it features over 6000 historical pieces from around the world.
You’ll find so many different things from old sculptures to weapons from wars and other interesting historical things from all over the globe.
About the Author Roger Timbrook
Roger is a little obsessed with travel. He has been to over 40 countries, broken 3 suitcases and owned over 10 backpacks in 12 months. What he doesn't know about travel, ain't worth knowing!
