Huntsville is Birmingham’s neighbor to the north and there is no shortage of fun things to do with the family when you visit. So grab the kids, gas up the car, and hit I-65 for a quick trip from The Ham you won’t forget anytime soon.
We’ve featured the family attractions best known for their exclusive Huntsville-esque flair, and even have a special giveaway below just for our friends “down south”. Click on the titles for each feature’s hours and admission rates.
U.S. Space & Rocket Center
There’s no other place like it. Home of Space Camp and Marshall Space Flight Center, even if you’ve visited before, there are new exhibits coming through constantly. In addition to the space museum and the real Saturn V moon rocket on display (named Best Roadside Attraction with Kid-Friendly Appeal by Family Vacation Critic, currently there’s the Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age exhibit for fans of the new movie. Older kids will love the thrilling simulators like the Space Shot, G-Force Accelerator, and Apollo Cockpit Trainer; the little ones will adore the Kids Cosmos Energy Depletion Zone and Mars Climbing Wall. The IMAX movie theater is currently featuring The Dark Knight Rises, as well as more kid-friendly flicks.
PHOTO link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bryce_edwards/2088079870/
Earlyworks Museum Complex
Really three separate children’s museums, this complex includes Earlyworks Children’s History Museum, Huntsville Historic Depot and Museum, and Alabama Constitution Village. There’s no way you can do all three in one day so plan accordingly.
Earlyworks is indoors and a
great choice for the youngest kids; it features a storytelling tree, Biscuits Backyard play area, KidStruction building room, and interactive history of Huntsville throughout. My six and seven year-old boys LOVE the Huntsville Depot antique fire trucks you can play in and on, as well as real train engines & whistles, caboose, and trolley that rides around the roundhouse and the grounds. The Depot itself has been renovated and still bears graffiti from Union soldiers during the Huntsville’s Civil War occupation. Earlyworks Alabama Constitution Village is a destination American Girl fans will enjoy – they can interact with the grounds and villagers in the year 1819 Alabama.
Huntsville Botanical Gardens… for Kids
Most every major city has a botanical garden, but Huntsville’s is made a Children’s Garden especially for kids and families. Giant 
treehouses to explore throughout, a model train in a miniature country village, water play in the splash ponds, a dinosaur dig, storytime garden, and lush butterfly house are only a few features your kids will delight in. Lunch at Clementine’s cafe make it easy to plan a whole day, just bring your swimsuit, towels, and sunscreen because you WILL get wet!
Where to Shop:
Bridge Street Town Centre is one of THE best places to shop while in Huntsville. Home of the only H&M south of Nashville, Bridge Street also has Anthropologie, LOFT, Juicy Couture, White House Black Market, BlueMED Spa, and J.Crew amongst others. It’s also pretty kid-friendly with the antique carousel, nightly street entertainers, and pop jet water fountains where kids can cool off.
Where to Eat & Other Attractions:
There are a variety of kid-friendly restaurants in town and we’ve reviewed some of them for you HERE.
Been there, done that? Other Huntsville attractions include:
Sci-Quest Hands-On Science Center
Burritt On the Mountain
Huntsville Museum of Art’s interactive ART LAB
Point Mallard Water Park
A huge thank you to Rocket City Mom for giving us ideas on ways to spend a day away from the Ham. To help you out even more they have helped facilitate this Giveaway to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Museum and “Mammoths & Mastadons” exhibit – Head over to the giveaway post for more details and to enter!
