Things To Do With Kids in Birmingham, Alabama
Ready to plan a family vacation for a long weekend? You will find the perfect amount of things to do with Kids in Birmingham, Alabama! We’re taking one trip per month this year and our weekend trip for October was to Birmingham, Alabama. I accidentally planned this trip for the same weekend as a huge race in Talledega and a college game day game at University of Alabama- whoops! This meant sold out hotels and packed restaurants. Thankfully, I had some other things planned.
This trip was slower than others we have taken this year, but we still managed to see some very cool sights and spend quality time together in a new place. As soon as our plane landed, we were off for the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Being the middle of October, I was wondering how in bloom things would be…then I realized we were in the South. Everything was still beautiful, and we even saw Santa!
The gardens are free to enter and are well worth the visit. The property is beautiful with gardens, a cafe and library and more. You can check their website to see whats currently in bloom as well as view the upcoming current events.
After exploring the gardens, we spent a few hours driving around and sampling drinks at various areas of Mountain Brook. Talk about charming houses! It was fun driving around and daydreaming of having a house like that someday.
Nearby, you will find the Birmingham Zoo, multiple recreational parks, the Birmingham Museum of Art, and Vulcan Park and Museum. All of these options are perfect for a weekend visit to the area.
15 minutes from the Mountain Brook area you will find a great park in the middle of the city. Railroad Park is 19 acres of green space in the middle of downtown Birmingham. With nearby coffee shops and bakeries, I highly recommend grabbing a coffee then strolling around the park. There are multiple bike stations as well! After walking around the park for a while, we decided to really stretch our legs and try a nearby hike. The McWane Science Center is nearby as well!
Before we began our hiking adventure, we stopped for a free tour of the Sloss Furnace. This place was the reason for Birmingham’s success and is a huge part of their history. We watched a quick video and then wandered around for over an hour. The condition of the furnace is amazing for all the work that had happened there. It was also decorated for their haunted house and was quite terrifying even during the day.
After our tour, it was time for a hike. I had read about a few great hiking locations and settled on Ruffler Mountain because of the skyline view and perfect sunset. It was a fairly easy and nice hike, with good walking trails and just the right amount of people to remind you that you are near a city but still feel secluded. I couldn’t tell you if I was more amazed by the quarry or the beautiful view of the city. We were a little early for the sunset, but it was still breathtaking.
We ended the night with the color tunnels near Railroad Park, and had an awesome meal at the Refinery. After eating so well, walking it off through the color tunnel was necessary. There are a few of these tunnels in the downtown area, all under the same road. Once dusk hit, the tunnels would light up and change colors while you walked through them. It was so cool!
The next day was meant for relaxing and looking for a bar playing the Ravens game. I had another incredible latte from The Red Cat, and then we made our way to Good People Brewing Co. Oh, how I wish I could package this brewery up and bring it home to Baltimore. The people were so nice, the beer was great and the atmosphere was perfect. We spent the better part of the afternoon there watching the game, playing jenga, drinking great beer, and chatting with locals. The best end to our quick weekend in Alabama.
If you are looking for one pass with entry to all the must-see attractions! This pass is affordable and perfect for the family!
Looking for the quick breakdown of our weekend and things to do with kids in Birmingham, Alabama? This quick summary is perfect for screenshotting!
- Birmingham Botanical Gardens
- Explore Mountain Brook: Birmingham Zoo and Vulcan Park
- Take a tour of Sloss Furnace
- Take a quick hike to Ruffler Mountain
- Grab dinner near Railroad Park
- See the Color Tunnels
- Visit Good People Brewing Co
Interested in receiving family-focused travel itineraries, packing guides, and more directly to your inbox? Sign up for the To Travel and Beyond newsletter. I promise to limit the volume of emails you receive, not to share your personal data or personal information, and to provide helpful, quality content!
