The beautiful weather continues as we start another week and we’ve got a calendar full of fun things happening in Birmingham.
Start the week with a Scavenger Hunt at Ruffner Mountain or take advantage of the great weather and hit up Boo at the Zoo.
Check out a free yoga class, a spooky storytime or some of the events happening at the Birmingham Museum of Art next weekend.
If you’re looking for a Fall Festival or Pumpkin Patch, check out our list of Fall Happenings
Have a great week!
It’s Not Our Fault if Your Kids are Bored!
Sunday October 13th:
Fall Scavenger Hunt – Ruffner Mountain
Enjoy a walk through the forest and search for answers to the clues from Ruffner’s Fall Scavenger Hunt. Once you have found all the answers, return your paper to the front desk and claim your prize! Children of all ages. Scavenger sheets will be at the front desk.
This event is on-going. Come any time between 1 and 5.
Boo at the Zoo
Watch as the Zoo transforms into a destination of spooky attractions for 15 nights of Wells Fargo Boo at the Zoo. This year, you can see your favorite ©Marvel characters like Spider-Man, Iron Man, Thor and Captain America*! Don’t miss your chance to experience special meet and greets with the heroes, get their autographs and take your very own pictures!
Be sure to come dressed in your favorite family-friendly costume to search for Bigfoot on the Sasquatch Safari*, jump on the Eerie Express train*, take a spin on the Scarousel*, participate in animal-themed games at the Creepy Carnival tent, trick-or-treat your way through safe candy villages and much more! Boo at the Zoo is one spook-tacular event you won’t want to miss!
*©Marvel character appearance dates: October 4-5 (Captain America), 11-12 (Thor), 18-19 (Iron Man) & 25-26 (Spider-Man)
*The Zoo will close at 4pm on each day of Boo at the Zoo.
*Animals will not be on exhibit for Boo at the Zoo.
* Daily attraction fees still apply
* Wristband includes unlimited access to: Eerie Express Train, Sasquatch Safari, Scarousel, Creepy Carnival, Gruesome Golf, Ghost Rollers and Cajun Sadie’s Fortune Telling Adventure
$8 Non-members*
$6 Members*–NEW MEMBER DISCOUNT!
$11.50 wristbands*
$3.50 attractions*
5pm – 9pm
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Monday October 14th:
Tot Time with Ms Eve – Avondale Library
Storytime for 2-4-year-olds with a caregiver. Includes stories, songs, and craft. 24-hour advance registration required.
10:30am
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Tuesday October 15th:
Pumpkin Painting – Hoover Library
Bring your own pumpkin to decorate and enter into our annual contest. Entries accepted until October 30.
Family Tours – Birmingham Museum of Art
FREE // Meet in the Main Lobby
Join us for an in-gallery family experience! Children aged 3 – 8 and their adult companions are invited to join Museum educators to explore our collection, discover activities that make looking at art fun and exciting, and create new family memories about art.
No reservations required. Family Tours are also available by appointment for groups of 10 or more children aged 3 – 8. For more information or to schedule a tour, call 205.254.2964.
10:30am
Storytime for All Ages – Homewood Public Library
10:30am
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Wednesday October 16th:
Free Yoga Classes – Villager Yoga
Come check out our kids classes as we prepare to start our next 8-week yoga series. Free classes for kids ages 4-7
4:45pm
Storytime – Homewood Public Library
All Ages
10:30am
Family Story Time with Mr Mac – North Shelby Library
Storyteller Extraordinaire – Come join Mr Mac and his musical storytime complete with puppets! All Ages, no registration required.
10:45am
Storytime – Barnes and Noble Summit
Monsters, monsters everywhere! Join us as we learn all the fun things you could do if you were a monster.
11am
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Thursday October 17th:
Preschool Party/Costume Ball – Vestavia Public Library
Join your fairy friends at the Annual Fairy Costume Ball! You are invited to dress in your favorite costume and join us for dancing, games and fairy frivolity. Beware: the evil fairy might make an appearance. I hope we have some Super Heroes there to banish her! Ages 5 & under. Please call to register or visit the website to sign up.
10:30am
Free Yoga Classes – Villager Yoga
Come check out our kids classes as we prepare to start our next 8-week yoga series. Free classes for kids ages 4-7
3:30pm
Ages 8-12 at 4:30
Crafts and Storytime with Ms Karen – Clay Public Library
Join Ms. Karen for Stories and Crafts. After some “Scaredy-Cat stories,” participants will make a related craft. These programs are geared toward toddlers through second graders, but all ages are welcome. Programs last approximately 30 minutes. Stories and Crafts programs are generally held on 3rd Thursdays at 5:30 and 4th Wednesdays at 10:00.
5:30pm
Mummy and Me Storytime – Homewood Public Library
Story Time for our younger patrons (birth to 30 mo.) and their lap partner.
10:30
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Friday October 18th:
Boo at the Zoo
Watch as the Zoo transforms into a destination of spooky attractions for 15 nights of Wells Fargo Boo at the Zoo. This year, you can seeyour favorite ©Marvel characters like Spider-Man, Iron Man, Thor and Captain America*! Don’t miss your chance to experience special meet and greets with the heroes, get their autographs and take your very own pictures!
Be sure to come dressed in your favorite family-friendly costume to search for Bigfoot on the Sasquatch Safari*, jump on the Eerie Express train*, take a spin on the Scarousel*, participate in animal-themed games at the Creepy Carnival tent, trick-or-treat your way through safe candy villages and much more! Boo at the Zoo is one spook-tacular event you won’t want to miss!
*©Marvel character appearance dates: October 4-5 (Captain America), 11-12 (Thor), 18-19 (Iron Man) & 25-26 (Spider-Man)
*The Zoo will close at 4pm on each day of Boo at the Zoo.
*Animals will not be on exhibit for Boo at the Zoo.
* Daily attraction fees still apply
* Wristband includes unlimited access to: Eerie Express Train, Sasquatch Safari, Scarousel, Creepy Carnival, Gruesome Golf, Ghost Rollers and Cajun Sadie’s Fortune Telling Adventure
$8 Non-members*
$6 Members*–NEW MEMBER DISCOUNT!
$11.50 wristbands*
$3.50 attractions*
5pm – 9pm
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Saturday October 19th:
Boo at the Zoo
Watch as the Zoo transforms into a destination of spooky attractions for 15 nights of Wells Fargo Boo at the Zoo. This year, you can seeyour favorite ©Marvel characters like Spider-Man, Iron Man, Thor and Captain America*! Don’t miss your chance to experience special meet and greets with the heroes, get their autographs and take your very own pictures!
Be sure to come dressed in your favorite family-friendly costume to search for Bigfoot on the Sasquatch Safari*, jump on the Eerie Express train*, take a spin on the Scarousel*, participate in animal-themed games at the Creepy Carnival tent, trick-or-treat your way through safe candy villages and much more! Boo at the Zoo is one spook-tacular event you won’t want to miss!
*©Marvel character appearance dates: October 4-5 (Captain America), 11-12 (Thor), 18-19 (Iron Man) & 25-26 (Spider-Man)
*The Zoo will close at 4pm on each day of Boo at the Zoo.
*Animals will not be on exhibit for Boo at the Zoo.
* Daily attraction fees still apply
* Wristband includes unlimited access to: Eerie Express Train, Sasquatch Safari, Scarousel, Creepy Carnival, Gruesome Golf, Ghost Rollers and Cajun Sadie’s Fortune Telling Adventure
$8 Non-members*
$6 Members*–NEW MEMBER DISCOUNT!
$11.50 wristbands*
$3.50 attractions*
5pm – 9pm
Birmingham Museum of Art – Multiple Event Listings
Bart’s Spooktacular
Help celebrate Bart the Art Bat’s favorite holiday at his SPOOKTACULAR party! Trick your eyes and seek the details in scavenger hunts, treat your sense with art activities and spooky storytelling, and dress up as your favorite character to clear the cobwebs. Create traditional Mexican sugar skulls in honor of the Day of the Dead and decorate pumpkins for your front step. Be prepared to have a spooky good time!
10am – 3:30pm
Spooky Storytelling
Bart’s Books is a storytelling program for children ages 4-7. Bart selects a new book and related work of art each month that he thinks kids will enjoy. This month, as part of Bart’s Spooktacular, Bart has selected a special spooky book for you to enjoy!
11am – Noon
Sugar Skulls
This drop-in art program for kids and families features a different theme from our galleries and art activity each month. Stop by to make art with Bart! Sugar Skulls // Trick us with your sweet skills while decorating these ornamental treats!
11am – 1pm
Family Storytime – Emmet O’Neal Library
Bring the entire family and join Mr. Mac for stories and music each Saturday morning.
10:30 a.m.
Voyage of Imagination – Barnes and Noble Summit
Join us for a Hands-On Learning event. Create and share adventure-themed stories with Rory’s Story Cubes and Jungle Animals Make-a-Mask.
11am
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Sunday October 20th:
Boo at the Zoo
Watch as the Zoo transforms into a destination of spooky attractions for 15 nights of Wells Fargo Boo at the Zoo. This year, you can seeyour favorite ©Marvel characters like Spider-Man, Iron Man, Thor and Captain America*! Don’t miss your chance to experience special meet and greets with the heroes, get their autographs and take your very own pictures!
Be sure to come dressed in your favorite family-friendly costume to search for Bigfoot on the Sasquatch Safari*, jump on the Eerie Express train*, take a spin on the Scarousel*, participate in animal-themed games at the Creepy Carnival tent, trick-or-treat your way through safe candy villages and much more! Boo at the Zoo is one spook-tacular event you won’t want to miss!
*©Marvel character appearance dates: October 4-5 (Captain America), 11-12 (Thor), 18-19 (Iron Man) & 25-26 (Spider-Man)
*The Zoo will close at 4pm on each day of Boo at the Zoo.
*Animals will not be on exhibit for Boo at the Zoo.
* Daily attraction fees still apply
* Wristband includes unlimited access to: Eerie Express Train, Sasquatch Safari, Scarousel, Creepy Carnival, Gruesome Golf, Ghost Rollers and Cajun Sadie’s Fortune Telling Adventure
$8 Non-members*
$6 Members*–NEW MEMBER DISCOUNT!
$11.50 wristbands*
$3.50 attractions*
5pm – 9pm
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Local Attractions Open Daily!
McWane Science Center:
IMAX
McWane Science Center’s IMAX® Dome Theater puts you in the center of the action by projecting breathtaking quality images onto the 5-story-tall dome screen and delivering intense surround sound through almost 3 tons of speakers and subwoofers.
Now Showing: Flight of the Butterflies, Titians of the Ice Age
Unearthing Alabama’s Ice Age – through December 31st, 2013
McWane Science Center is home to Alabama’s second largest natural history collection. Made up of over 500,000 specimens and objects pertaining to the natural history of the state, this important collection focuses on the preservation, education, and research of Alabama’s rich biodiversity and paleobiodiversity. One of the more significant subsets of the collection is Alabama’s largest collection of Late Pleistocene faunal remains – or Ice Age fossils.
Made up of nearly 10,000 cataloged specimens, the McWSC Pleistocene collection contains a unique diversity of fauna that not only includes those native to North America, but migrants to the state from both South America and the Old World. This collection includes mammals, both extant and extinct, reptiles, amphibians, birds, fishes, and botanical remains collected from both cave and stream localities in the state. Extinct mammals represented in the McWSC collection include mammoths, mastodons, giant beavers, saber-toothed cats, giant armadillos, tapirs, peccaries, and giant ground sloths.
This spring, visitors will have an opportunity to view some of the fossils in the collection with a new exhibit titled — “Unearthing Alabama’s Ice Age.” This exhibit will not only highlight many of the Ice Age animals from the McWane Science Center Collection, but will highlight and dispel many of the common misconceptions surrounding the Ice Age in the state. The goal is for visitors to have a better understanding and appreciation for this time in Alabama. For example, guests might learn that Alabama was on average only five degrees colder than today, glaciers did not reach farther south than southern Illinois or that all the Ice Age animals did not go extinct at the end of the Ice Age. While the largest animals, such as mastodons, giant ground sloths, and saber-tooth cats died out, nearly all the animals that are living in Alabama today were also around in the Ice Age.
The Unearthing Alabama’s Ice Age Alabama display is located in the City Gallery on Level 2 of the museum. It is included in the cost of admission to the museum and free to members.
Birmingham Zoo:
Lorikeet Aviary – Our Lorikeet Aviary has more birds than ever! Zoo guests can feed these exotic birds every day. You and your family will see these birds’ behavior as they eat nectar out of your hand.
Weekends 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
PELICAN FEEDING – A great way to see our pelicans in action is to witness them eating their favorite treats near the pelican boardwalk.
RHINO ENCOUNTER – Embark on an African adventure and experience one of the world’s most extraordinary animals, the Southern White Rhino. Watch from only feet away as our zookeepers engage in hands-on interaction with the animals inside their African-themed exhibit. Don’t miss this exciting encounter with one of the largest mammals on the planet!
Weekdays: 3pm – 3:30pm
Weekends: 11:30am – Noon & 3pm – 3:30 pm
GIRAFFE FEEDING – This up close and personal animal encounter is a memory you and your family will have for a lifetime.
Weekday: 11am – Noon
Weekends: 10am – 11am & 2pm – 3pm
Vulcan Park and Museum:
Vulcan is the world’s largest cast iron statue; made of 100,000 pounds of iron and 56 feet tall, he stands at the top of Red Mountain overlooking the city of Birmingham. But, Vulcan is more than a statue. Vulcan Park and Museum features spectacular views of Birmingham, an interactive history museum that examines Vulcan and Birmingham’s story, and a beautiful public park for visitors and locals to enjoy. With an official information center that is operated by the Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau, Vulcan Park and Museum serves as the first stop for visitors to the Birmingham area!
Railroad Park:
Railroad Park is a 19 acre green space in downtown Birmingham that celebrates the industrial and artistic heritage of our great city. Situated along 1st Avenue South, between 14th and 18th Streets, the park is a joint effort between the City of Birmingham and the Railroad Park Foundation. Hailed as “Birmingham’s Living Room,” Railroad Park provides a historically rich venue for local recreation, family activities, concerts, and cultural events, while connecting Birmingham’s downtown area with Southside and UAB’s campus.
Southern Museum of Flight:
Earn Your Wings – Bring your little pilot and soar above the clouds in our little pilots room. Kids enjoy building aircrafts, flying kites, and more.
Museum Open Tuesday – Thursday
9:30am – 4:30pm
Do you have or know of an event you would like to have added to our weekly calendar? Please email us at contact@birminghammommy.com, subject line “Events Calendar” – We would love to hear from you!
** All information listed on our calendar is subject to change without notice to us or you… We do our best to keep the information accurate and will always update as soon as we learn that something has changed. It’s always best to double check with the event via their website or a quick call, especially when weather can impact the event.
