Plan an Alabama Vacation for the Whole Family
June 2022
Summertime is a season where families often travel together. There are several Alabama vacation sweet spots from Huntsville to the Gulf Coast with attractions the whole family can enjoy. Whether it’s spending time on a lake, exploring space, bird watching or kayaking Alabama’s waterways, the state has a number of destinations that are filled with fun for the whole family.
Lake Guntersville
Guntersville
Lake Guntersville State Park offers many family-friendly outdoor activities for an incredible scenic vacation. The state park is located on 6,000 acres of woodland along the Tennessee River in Northeast Alabama. Visitors can stay at the park’s hotel or in one of the mountain-setting chalets or cottages. A campground also is available to those who would rather camp. Families enjoy more than 30 miles of hiking trails, picnicking, fabulous vistas and numerous sites for viewing wildlife. It is the winter home of the American bald eagle and the Park features educational programs.
In addition, there is the Screaming Eagle Ziplining at Lake Guntersville where visitors can soar through the air like eagles among the treetops of Taylor Mountain. Lake Guntersville State Park partners with Historic Banning Mills to offer one of the best ziplining experiences in the country that give visitors an opportunity to see bald eagle habitats and scenic views from high above the treetops. The area also offers horseback riding tours through Alabama Horseback Riding Adventures. Visitors can book a one or two-hour ride on the state park’s scenic trails.
U.S. Space and Rocket Center
Huntsville
Whether you want to escape to another world or learn about NASA, the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville has activities for the whole family to participate in. While there, you can see the National Historic Landmark, Saturn V Moon Rocket ( one of only three in the world), participate in interactive activities and see a show at the Intuitive Planetarium (The Southeast’s only 8K Digital Planetarium and Digital Dome) while you learn about the Space Shuttle and Space Station programs. Current special shows include Summer Skies and Sounds of Space. The new Planet Pioneers exhibit teaches budding astronauts how to survive in foreign environments.
Anniston Museum of Natural History
Anniston
Established in 1930, this museum houses seven permanent exhibit halls that explore natural history subjects. One exhibit hall features the "Dynamic Earth '' and focuses on the processes that helped form the planet and the dinosaurs that once roamed Alabama. You will find on display, fossils, minerals, dinosaur replicas, information about the power of weather, a real chunk of meteorite, and a lifelike recreation of an Alabama cave. The "Alabama Sand to Cedars" exhibit provides a tour of the state from the mountainous forests of North Alabama to the Southern seacoast, showing many of this state’s native animals. The "Attack and Defense" exhibit showcases the relationship between predator and prey and how different animals react to potential danger, either by chemical, behavioral or physical means. The museum has implemented winter and holiday hours, so it’s best to check their website to plan your visit.
Birmingham Zoo
Birmingham
This 122-acre zoo features 550 animals of 180 species including endangered species from six continents. From the Trails of Africa to the Children’s Zoo and everything in between, the Birmingham Zoo highlights amazing animal care, conservation initiatives, and Species Survival Plans. The zoo is a perfect family-friendly place to visit with activities for kids like the ZooKeeper for a Day and the Night Keeper Experience programs. In addition to animals, the zoo has train rides, a splash pad, a wild slide and a carousel.
Alabama Aquarium/The Estuarium at Dauphin Island Sea Lab
Dauphin Island
The Alabama Aquarium has educational programming for the whole family featuring the habitats of Mobile's estuary: delta, bay, barrier islands and the Gulf of Mexico. Visual displays and interactive exhibits promise engaging educational experiences for all ages highlighting four key habitats found in coastal Alabama: the Mobile Tensaw River Delta, Mobile Bay, the Barrier Islands, and the Northern Gulf of Mexico. There also is a 10,000-square-foot exhibit hall, a 700-gallon Stingray Touch Pool and a Living Marsh Boardwalk.
Gulf State Park
Gulf Shores
Gulf State Park has 6,150 acres with over two miles of sugar-white beaches. There are 496 modern campsites, 31 cabins/cottages (27 of which are on a lake), a brand new Gulf Front Lodge, a state-of-the-art Learning Campus, a beach pavilion with snack bar, a 1,540 ft. fishing pier with a restaurant, picnic areas, group pavilions and nature programs. There are also walking, hiking and biking trails, as well as guided walks and outdoor educational programs.
