Educational Activities For Kids Near Me in Eclectic
Montgomery Zoo
2301 Coliseum Parkway, Montgomery, AL
Zoo History:
What began in a small downtown park in Montgomery, Alabama has now grown, expanded and become a premiere American zoological facility. The Montgomery Zoo started with humble beginnings as a small children’s zoo as a part of a local community park in the 1920s. While at Oak Park, the zoo housed alligators, monkeys, bears and assorted other animals. There was a small train and carousel for the children.
As the years passed and dreams grew, in 1972 the Montgomery Zoo relocated to the quickly expanding north section of town, and still its current location. The Zoo began with six acres, a small petting zoo for the children, assorted monkeys, a flight cage designed after the 1906 St. Louis World’s Fair and chimpanzee named Benji.
In 1976, the Montgomery Zoo hosted its first fundraising event entitled Zoo Day. This initial event grew to become an annual event and even take on a new name: Zoo Weekend. Today, an average Zoo Weekend will play host to over 18,000 guests. In 1989, ground-breaking took place expanding the Zoo to 40 acres. After two years of hard labor, the community welcomed a new Zoo in 1991. Barrier-free and multi-species exhibits highlighted the expansion, as well as, the Zoo being divided into five continental realms: Africa, Australia, Asia, North America and South America.
Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts
One Museum Drive, Montgomery, AL
Mission + Vision Statement
Looking at our current and future purpose and practice, the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts envisions a thriving organization, one that stewards its public and private assets—art, finances, facility, and people—responsibly and with an eye to sustainability, and provides compelling experiences centered on human creativity valued for their significant contributions to the individual well-being of its citizens and visitors and to the rising vibrance of the City, County, and Region.
Dexter Parsonage Museum
309 South Jackson Street, Montgomery, AL
About us:
The Dexter Parsonage Museum, historic home to twelve pastors of the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church from 1920-1992, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. It was restored in 2003 by the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Foundation, Inc., under the direction of church members, acting as an Authentication Committee, and It was home to Reverend Martin Luther King, early Civil Rights leader Vernon Johns and ten other pastors of the historic Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church. The site features an interpretive center, a serene garden and a gift shop.
The Scott And Zelda Fitzgerald Museum
919 Felder Avenue, Montgomery, AL
About Us :
The Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum is the world's only museum dedicated to celebrating the life and works of Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald.
Zelda, Scott and Scottie lived in our building in 1931 and 1932. Julian and Leslie McPhillips saved the structure from demolition in 1986, and the Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum Association was founded shortly thereafter. In 1989, the museum officially opened to the public.
In May of 2014, we will celebrate our 25th Anniversary. The Association would like to thank the City of Montgomery, the Fitzgerald family and their descendants, and the numerous individuals and groups, both public and private, who have supported us through the years. We look forward to the next quarter-century!
Rosa Parks Library And Museum
252 Montgomery Street, Montgomery, AL
About the Museum:
The Rosa Parks Library and Museum serves as an historical milestone to those who strive to understand the event that began the famous bus boycott. Where visitors used to stand and find only an historical marker and an abandoned building, they now will find a state-of-the-art interactive museum. They are able to see and hear about the past to help them better understand their own futures.
The Museum is a major landmark in the revitalization of downtown Montgomery constructed on the site of the old Empire Theatre where Mrs. Parks made her courageous and historic stand in 1955. The interpretive museum occupies the first floor and 7,000 square feet of a three-story, 55,000 square foot building that also contains the TROY-Montgomery Campus Library. It includes space for permanent and special exhibits as well as a 103-seat, 2200 square foot multimedia auditorium. In a non-violent and non-threatening manner, six distinct and unique areas inside the museum tell the story of bravery and courage of early civil rights soldiers.
Artifacts include a restored 1955 station wagon (see in the second picture, above), a replica of the public bus on which Mrs. Parks was sitting that day (seen above), and original historical documents of that era loaned by the City of Montgomery.
Jule Collins Smith Museum Of Fine Art
901 South College Street, Auburn University, Auburn University, AL
History of the Museum:
1948 – Frank Applebee, Chair of the School of Art and Architecture, arranged for the purchase of 36 paintings for $1,072 from a government auction. This formed the core of what was hoped to be a Museum collection.
These paintings offer an extraordinary representation of the American art scene with works by such artists as Ralston Crawford, Ben Shahn, Georgia O'Keeffe, John Marin, Jacob Lawrence, Arthur Dove and Romare Bearden. Though funding for the museum was not forthcoming there were those who held fast to the idea.
1992 - The art museum project was given new life when philanthropist Susan Phillips of Brewton, Alabama agreed to donate to Auburn a large collection of John James Audubon prints. The collection had been amassed by Phillips' grandfather and continued to grow through the efforts of her grandmother, Louise Hauss Miller.
1994 - Ms. Phillips and her brother Allen Phillips authorized the Louise Hauss Miller Foundation to grant Auburn an additional $1 million to create an endowment for the care of the Audubon collection. In addition, the construction of galleries dedicated to the continuous exhibition of selections from The Louise Hauss and David Brent Miller Audubon Collection was endowed.
The Phillips' gifts were vitally important to the growth of the museum project. The university now possessed not only two distinctive art collections of unquestionable quality but had funding specifically earmarked for the construction of gallery space.
1997 - The movement to construct a museum building on Auburn's campus was gaining momentum. Dr. Charles D. Hudson '50 of the Fuller E. Callaway Foundation donated $500,000 toward the museum's construction. Paul Rudolph, Auburn alumnus ’48, was approached to design the new museum, but his untimely death due to cancer led the newly formed committee to interview and appoint Gresham, Smith, and Partners from Nashville, TN and Birmingham, AL.
1998 – (February) Houston businessman Albert Smith, a 1947 mechanical engineering graduate, commits $3 million toward the construction of the museum building. A native of Montgomery, Alabama, Mr. Smith made the gift to honor his wife, Jule and to commemorate the Smiths' 50th wedding anniversary. During the announcement of the gift, the Auburn University Board of Trustees passed a resolution declaring that the museum be named The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Art.
1998 – (July) The AU Board of Trustees determined the site of the museum to be the intersection of College Street and Woodfield Drive. This site encompasses nearly 20 acres and would serve as the gateway to Auburn University.
Through the cooperation of the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station and the AU College of Agriculture, the museum shares the site with The Cullars Rotation, the oldest soil fertility experiment in the South. An important part of the museum grounds, it stands as a constant reminder of Auburn's land-grant mission.
2000 - Dr. Michael De Marsche was appointed the founding Director of The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art at Auburn University. Under his leadership, a program to extend museum membership to the community was established and a museum Advisory Board was created. Throughout 2000, the design process for the museum building proceeded, as funding for the project continued to grow.
2001 - In December of 2001, the local firm of Conner Brothers Construction was awarded the contract to construct the building of The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art at Auburn University.
Among those contributors are longtime arts enthusiast, 1958 Auburn textile engineering alum, and former CEO of Russell Corporation Dwight Carlisle, who played a significant role in the formation of the Museum. Elected the museum Advisory Board's first President, Carlisle created important endowments which support the administration of the museum during the years leading to its opening.
2003 – On October 3, the Jule Collins Smith Museum opens its doors to the public, under the leadership of interim directors, Joseph Ansell and Anthony Carey.
Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum
1919 9th Street, Calera, AL
Preserving for future generations
From humble beginnings as a chapter of the National Railroad Historical Society (NRHS) the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum carries out its mission to preserve the sights, sounds, and artifacts of railroading for future generations.
Tourism and Recreation
As the official railroad museum of the state of Alabama our museum features operating standard gauge and narrow gauge trains, two restored depots, an indoor collection of railroad artifacts and memorabilia, and an outdoor collection of railroad cars, locomotives, and cabooses. Our exhibits, operating railroads, and educational programs function as both a unique means of tourism and recreation, and also a way to preserve the rich history of Alabama and our nation.
Visit Us!
We hope you'll visit us to ride a train, view our museum's collections, and learn more about Alabama's railroad history. Admission to the museum is free of charge and donations are accepted! During our operating season, tickets are required for riding our trains.
Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum
6030 Barber Motorsports Parkway, Leeds, AL
About as:
George Barber raced, modified, and maintained Porsches in the 1960's (63 first-place wins). He started collecting and restoring classic sports cars in 1989, but his interest soon turned to motorcycles. Mr. Barber recognized that there was not a museum which reflected the history of motorcycles around the world. He wanted to preserve motorcycle history in the
This was the theme used in the development of the Barber collection. An interesting aspect of the collection is that restorations are done in-house. Out of the same shop a vintage motorcycle race team operated with the challenge of maintaining and racing historically significant machinery.
These bikes were routinely campaigned around the
In 1994, the
The Museum reopened at its new location at The Barber Motorsports Park on
The collection now has over 900 vintage and modern motorcycles and as well as a substantial collection of Lotus and other racecars. It is considered the largest in North American and possibly the world. There are approximately five hundred motorcycles on display at any given time. (There are over 900 in the collection.) These bikes range from 1904 to current-year production.
There are bikes from 16 countries that represent 143 different marques. The common street bike is represented, as well as rare one-off Gran Prix race machinery. Bikes have been purchased from as far away as
Vulcan Park and Museum
1701 valley view drive, Birmingham, AL
The history of Vulcan is deeply tied to Birmingham's roots and its growth. Vulcan, the Roman god of fire and forge, was originally built in 1904 and has stood as a symbol of Birmingham for over 100 years. After a four-year renovation, Vulcan Park and Museum reopened to the public in 2004 and welcomed over 100,000 visitors its first year!
Vulcan Park and Museum is operated by Vulcan Park Foundation, a non-profit organization with a mission to preserve Vulcan as a symbol for Birmingham, provide a dynamic educational experience in a public park setting, and serve as the gateway to the region.
Whether you are a guest to the Magic City or a Birmingham native, we invite you to visit our 10-acre grounds with free WiFi Internet access, experience the area from Vulcan's view, or tour Vulcan Center to learn Birmingham's past, present and promise for the future.
Southern Museum of Flight
4343 73rd Street North, Birmingham, AL
History:
With the approach of the centennial celebration of the city of Birmingham in the mid 1960s, a civic committee began working on projects that would tell the story of the first 100 years of the City of Birmingham. Mrs. Mary Alice Beatty, who, with her husband, Donald Beatty had been pioneers in the establishment of the first airline routes and bases in Central and South America, felt that the Aviation History of Birmingham should be included in these projects.
The Committee's goal was to establish a regional air museum, to be called The Southeastern Museum of Aviation, and Mrs. Beatty was placed in charge of the project with $400 appropriated for expenses. Using the Beatty's own collection of memorabilia as a basis, in 1966 she established the first displays in six display cases. Samford University offered space for the displays, which, by that time, was called The Birmingham Museum of Aviation. The displays remained at Samford for three years, during which time Mrs. Beatty was the curator. Mrs. Beatty then moved the displays to a location closer to the airport, using the main lobby of the Birmingham Airport Motel, which stood at the location of the present short-term parking deck across the street from the old terminal.
Groundbreaking ceremonies were held in 1978 at the museum's current location, and the Southern Museum of Flight was officially opened to the public in the fall of 1983. After nearly three decades of growth and expansion, the Southern Museum of Flight is dedicated to investigating, preserving, and promoting the rich stories of Southern Aviation and to providing enjoyable, experiential educational programming for people of all ages. Through collaborative partnerships within the community, the Southern Museum of Flight provides a continuum of exhibitions, displays, and educational services with a sincere devotion to cultural and historical literacy. The Southern Museum of Flight prepares and supports skillful, reflective professionals who improve the quality of aviation education in a museum setting.
The Southern Museum of flight presents civilian, military, and experimental aircraft and memorabilia from the earliest history of powered flight. The museum houses over 90 aircraft, as well as engines, models, artifacts, and paintings. In addition, the Southern Museum of Flight is home to the Alabama Aviation Hall of Fame with over 70 biographical plaques presenting Alabama aviation history through collective biography.
Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
520 Sixteenth Street North, Birmingham, AL
Mission:
To enlighten each generation about civil and human rights by exploring our common past and working together in the present to build a better future.
Vision:
We stand strong as THE CORNERSTONE of the civil rights story, a living memorial with an on-going mission.
Values:
The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute is committed to:
Preserving and telling the Birmingham story
Being a good steward of archival and financial resources
Creating programs that encourage cultural awareness
Championing civil and human rights by facilitating an atmosphere of dialogue and understanding
BCRI is a cultural and educational research center that promotes a comprehensive understanding and appreciation for the significance of civil rights developments in Birmingham with an increasing emphasis on the international struggle for universal human rights. BCRI is a “living institution” that views the lessons of the past as crucial to understanding our heritage and defining our future. Since opening its doors in 1992, BCRI has been visited by more than 2 million people from all 50 states and around the world. Visitors include adults, school children and students, families, researchers, and scholars.
Birmingham Museum of Art
2000 Rev. Abraham Woods, Jr. Blvd, Birmingham, AL
Mission:
The mission of the Birmingham Museum of Art is to provide an unparalleled cultural and educational experience to a diverse community by collecting, presenting, interpreting, and preserving works of art of the highest quality.
Iron And Steel Museum Of Alabama
12632 Confederate Parkway, Mc Calla, AL
About the Musuem:
The Iron & Steel Museum of Alabama is a southeastern regional interpretive center on 19th century iron making technology featuring both belt driven machines of the 1800s and tools and products of the times.
It focuses on the Roupes Valley Ironworks at Tannehill which operated nearby, first as a bloomery beginning in 1830 and later as an important battery of charcoal blast furnaces during the Civil War. The ironworks gave birth to the Birmingham Iron & Steel District.
Along with Tannehill artifacts that have survived, museum exhibits graphically demonstrate how iron was made during the Civil War when 14 different iron companies and six rolling mills made Alabama the arsenal of the Confederacy. During the last two years of the war, Alabama furnaces produced 70% of the Confederate iron supply.
Exhibits include a display of rare CS artillery projectiles manufactured at the Selma Arsenal and Gun Works, a part of the Steve Phillips Collection, along with Civil War weaponry actually used in battle including a 52 Cal. U.S. Spencer Repeater.
Paul W. Bryant Museum
300 Paul West Bryant Drive, Tuscaloosa, AL
Mission:
The mission of the Paul W. Bryant Museum is to collect, preserve and exhibit items, and to disseminate information relating to the sports history of the University of Alabama.
Goals:
Educating and inspiring a universal audience about the significant contributions and accomplishments of University of Alabama collegiate athletes.
Fostering a sense of history, tradition and excellence; allowing visitors to place past events in clear perspective.
Serving as a leading resource to other sports museums, The University of Alabama, its alumni, fans, supporters and other organizations by preserving and interpreting the history of collegiate sports.
Ave Maria Grotto
1600 Street Bernard Drive SE, Cullman, AL
About Us:
Known throughout the world as "Jerusalem in Miniature," is a beautifully landscaped, four-acre park designed to provide a natural setting for the 125 miniature reproductions of some of the most famous historic buildings and shrines of the world. The masterpieces of stone and concrete are the lifetime work of Brother Joseph Zoettl, a Benedictine monk of St. Bernard Abbey. Begun as a hobby, with various materials he could find, and infinite patience and a remarkable sense of symmetry and proportion, Brother Joseph re-created some of the greatest edifices of all time.
History:
The builder of the miniatures at the Ave Maria Grotto was a Benedictine Monk -- Brother Joseph Zoettl, O.S.B. Born in Landshut, Bavaria in 1878, he was maimed in an accident that gave him a hunchback, but luckily it did not hurt his ability to bend over and build the miniatures. He came to Saint Bernard Abbey in 1892. After becoming a Brother in the Benedictine Order, he was appointed to the power plant for the Abbey, and while there he developed his hobby of building miniature shrines.
In contemplating the Main Grotto, which was to be the centerpiece of the whole park, Br. Joseph had yet to decide on the type of building materials he would employ and where they would come from. A partial solution was handed to him on April 29, 1933, when there was a derailment of the L&N railroad about twenty miles away near Vinemont, Alabama. One freight car full of marble from the Gantt Quarry, Sylacauga, Alabama overturned and the marble was crushed. It was useless to the owner so he gave it to Saint Bernard. The monks went up and carted it down to Saint Bernard; it was exactly what Brother Joseph needed as the main stalactites to hang in the Great Grotto.
The material which adorned the works had been donated by people who admired and had seen the beauty in his previous works: the small grottoes enclosing Father Lawrence O'Leary's bargain statues, crucifixes, ash trays, etc. People sent colored glass, marbles, cold cream jars, punctured commode floats, wrecked marble, broken bathroom tile, costume jewelry, gifts from every state in the union and from many foreign countries.
The first replicas were erected on the monastery recreation grounds, but because of the large number of visitors, a new site was selected and on May 17, 1934 the Ave Maria Grotto was dedicated. Brother Joseph continued his work for over 40 years, using materials sent from all over the world. He built his last model, the Basilica in Lourdes, at the age of 80, in 1958.
The Ave Maria Grotto, located on the grounds of Alabama's first and only Benedictine Abbey, consists of over 125 miniatures, reproductions of famous churches, shrines and buildings. Encompassing an area of over three acres, this miniature fairyland sees visitors from all over the world.
Burritt on the Mountain
3101 Burritt Drive Southeast, Huntsville, AL
Burritt on the Mountain A Living Museum has been referred to as a "Jewel on the Mountain." Start with Dr. William Henry Burritt's eclectic mansion, add a historic park with restored 19th century houses including barnyard and animals, and finally throw in the artistic side with concerts, plays and exhibits, and you have a delightful mixture of old and new for young and old!
In 1955 Dr. Burritt willed his mansion and surrounding acres of Round-Top Mountain to the city of Huntsville, making it Huntsville's first museum. Since that time, volunteers and community activists have brought original homes from the area to Burritt to be restored and utilized as an educational facility. Our interpreters are always busy demonstrating activities as one would see on a 19th century farm. Blacksmithing, spinning, and cooking over an open hearth are just some of the skills employed in our historic park. In the Burritt Barnyard visitors can get up close and personal with an animal that would have been used for work, wool, or even food for the farmers and their families.
One of many "musical experiences" available at Burritt on the Mountain!Dr. Burritt was a third generation homeopathic physician who lived in the late 1800s and early 1900s. He was a man of many interests, including art, music, and everything natural. We have used much of the wooded acreage he left to design wonderful trails, including a nationally known handicap trail. This accessible trail is perfect for wheelchairs, strollers, or for those not as sure-footed as they used to be!
We also think the educational department here at Burritt, would have pleased Dr. Burritt immensely! We have camps, field trips, and festivals, focusing on the many natural wonders of our area. Children can immerse themselves in the world of bugs and their habitats, what it's like to be a 19th century boy or girl, or many other exciting areas of study designed to educate and entertain.
Mission:
Our mission is to enhance lives and build community through educational, artistic, and recreational experiences while preserving our heritage, land, and historic structures.
U.S. Space and Rocket Center
One Tranquility Base, Huntsville, AL
About The U.S. Space And Rocket Center:
The U.S. Space And Rocket Center is home to Space Camp, Aviation Challenge and NASA's Official Visitor Information Center for Marshall Space Flight Center. The U.S. Space & Rocket Center is recognized as one of the most comprehensive U.S. manned space flight hardware museums in the world; including Spacedome Theater, Rocket Park, Shuttle Park and NASA's Educator Resource Center. Here visitors may trace the evolution of humankind's ventures into space and watch as tomorrow's potential engineers, scientists and astronauts train in one of the Space Camp or Aviation Challenge Programs.
U.S. Space And Rocket Center is Alabama's most popular tourist attraction features dozens of interactive exhibits on Mercury, Apollo and Space Shuttle spacecraft. The center offers visitors a chance to stand under the Space Shuttle and its two boosters, command simulated space missions, and experience three times the force of gravity in the "G-Force Accelerator." It lies immediately north of the Redstone Arsenal.
Huntsville Museum Of Art
300 Church Street South, Huntsville, AL
Mission Statement:
The Huntsville Museum of Art is a non-profit municipal corporation established by the City of Huntsville, Alabama, and governed by a city-appointed Museum Board. The Museum seeks to foster understanding of the visual arts and appreciation of artistic achievement. The mission of the Museum is to bring people and art together through acquiring, preserving, exhibiting and interpreting the highest quality works of art.
About Us:
The Huntsville Museum of Art, North Alabama’s leading visual arts center, moved to its beautiful facility in Big Spring International Park in March 1998. The nationally-accredited Museum fills its thirteen galleries with a variety of exhibitions throughout the year, including prestigious traveling exhibits and the work of nationally and regionally acclaimed artists.
The Museum’s own permanent collection is comprised of over 3,000 objects and also forms the basis for several exhibitions each year. In addition, the Museum offers reception areas on the gallery level and in the Great Hall for weddings, meetings and other events. Visitors can also shop for local art in SPACE 300, Art for Today’s Collector.
Named as one of the state’s “Top 10” destinations by the Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel, the Huntsville Museum of Art is gaining a reputation throughout the South for bringing high-caliber touring exhibitions to the region. Nearly 40,000 people visited the Museum during A Taste for Splendor: Russian Imperial and European Treasures from the Hillwood Museum. Another 23,000 visited the blockbuster exhibition Land of the Winged Horsemen: Art in Poland.
In addition to its exhibitions, the Museum offers art classes for children and adults along with special programs, lectures, and musical presentations that add extra dimensions to the art work on display.
North Alabama Railroad Museum
694 Chase Road NorthEast, Huntsville, AL
At the North Alabama Railroad Museum, located in Chase, Alabama, just east of Huntsville, you will find a facility reflecting a love of trains and a desire to preserve railroad history. Click on the image for a larger view.
The museum's volunteer staff is present each Wednesday and Saturday until 1:30 or 2:00 p.m. to answer the phone, to take train ride reservations and to assist visitors. The museum is also open by special appointment. Visitors may take a free self-guided tour and there are tour sheets and museum brochures in the waybill box located on the north side of the Chase Depot. We request visitors to stay off the track do not climb on equipment and to obey all signs. The museum depends on its income from train rides and donations from visitors who are interested in seeing a bit of our rail history preserved. Donations are welcomed!!
The centerpiece of the museum features the Chase depot, the smallest union depot in the country since it served more than one railroad when in service. If you visit the museum on a day when the train is running (see Train Ride Schedule), you can ride a vintage train over the museum's own Mercury & Chase Railroad. All aboard !
Over thirty pieces of major rolling stock have been preserved including both freight and passenger equipment and three historic locomotives. Plans for future development are being made and when completed the museum is sure to be a facility that is both unique and attractive while maintaining a character all its own. Also, at the North Alabama Railroad Museum, you will find a group of dedicated volunteers who are willing to work long hours doing grueling work in all weather extremes in order to accomplish the things that make our museum attractive and functional.
Stevenson Railroad Depot Museum
207 West Main Street, Stevenson, AL
About
The Stevenson Depot Museum is a must if you are planning a visit to our beautiful city! The Museum is directed by Mrs. Loretta Barbee. It is home to many historical artifacts from the Civil War and from when the indians roamed this land.
The Stevenson Railroad Depot Museum is located at the heart of downtown Stevenson, Alabama, situated between the tracks of two major railroads. Its mission is to preserve an important part of railroading history through the display of related artifacts. In addition, the museum, which also chronicles modern times, displays hundreds of artifacts from other parts of the area's past to teach young and old alike, including artifacts recalling Native American culture, pioneer life and Civil War events.
