Best in Huntsville
Rockets, mountain trails, artists' studios and a lively food scene in north Alabama.
See things to do »Welcome to Huntsville
Huntsville is Alabama's largest city and one of the most unusual in the South. It began as a cotton town at a big limestone spring in 1805, became the first incorporated town in what is now Alabama and hosted the convention that wrote the state's first constitution in 1819. Then, in the 1950s, the Army brought Wernher von Braun and his team of rocket engineers to Redstone Arsenal, and NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center followed in 1960. The Saturn V that carried astronauts to the Moon was developed here, and the nickname Rocket City has stuck ever since. Engineers and scientists still make up a large share of the population, which helps explain the city's museums, research park and appetite for good restaurants.
That history is the first reason most visitors come. The U.S. Space and Rocket Center, on the edge of Redstone Arsenal, displays a full Saturn V hung from the ceiling of its Davidson Center, along with rockets, a space shuttle stack and hands-on exhibits, and it is home to Space Camp, which has trained young would-be astronauts since 1982. The Huntsville Botanical Garden is right next door, so the two make an easy day together.
The city has much more than rockets. Downtown, Big Spring International Park surrounds the spring that started the town, with a red Japanese bridge, the Huntsville Museum of Art and walking paths that lead into the Twickenham historic district, where antebellum homes line shady streets. On the west side, Lowe Mill, a 1900 textile mill, is now packed with working artists' studios and galleries, and nearby Campus 805 turned an old middle school into breweries, a pizza place and music venues. MidCity, built on the site of a former mall, has the Orion Amphitheater and a cluster of restaurants and entertainment.
To the east, the city ends abruptly at the wooded ridge of Monte Sano, where a state park with Civilian Conservation Corps cabins, an overlook and miles of trails sits just ten minutes from downtown. To the west, the fast-growing city of Madison has a small historic Main Street and Toyota Field, home of the Rocket City Trash Pandas minor league baseball team. Huntsville International Airport is southwest of the city, with nonstop flights to several hub airports, Nashville is roughly two hours north and Birmingham about an hour and a half south.
This guide divides the area into five sections: downtown and MidCity, the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, Monte Sano, Madison, and Lowe Mill and the arts. Each page has our notes on what to see and, where they exist, bookable tickets and tours. Huntsville has fewer packaged tours than larger cities, so the dining and events pages are where much of the fun is.
Explore Huntsville by Area
Top-Rated Things to Do in Huntsville
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Where to Eat in Huntsville
Huntsville's food scene has grown quickly with the city. Courthouse Square has chef-driven Southern restaurants in historic buildings, a smokehouse in the Lincoln Mill district earned a Michelin recommendation, and a pizzeria overlooks the Japanese bridge in Big Spring Park. On the west side, Campus 805's breweries and Stovehouse's food garden make easy, casual nights out, and Madison's Main Street has a brewery and a cafe set in an old jail.
Festivals and Events in Huntsville
Huntsville's festival year opens in April with Panoply in Big Spring Park, continues with free Concerts in the Park on summer Mondays and Culinary Month in August, and peaks in fall with the Monte Sano Art Festival, the botanical garden's scarecrow trail and the Round Top Folk Festival. The holidays bring the Galaxy of Lights and a Christkindlmarket at the Orion Amphitheater.
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Get free trip quotes »Huntsville — FAQ
Why is Huntsville called the Rocket City?
Huntsville earned the name in the 1950s and 1960s, when Wernher von Braun's team at Redstone Arsenal and then NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center developed the rockets that put Americans in space, including the Saturn V used for the Apollo Moon landings.
How much time do I need at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center?
Plan at least half a day to see the Davidson Center with the Saturn V, Rocket Park and the main exhibits, and a full day if you add a planetarium show, simulators and the Huntsville Botanical Garden next door.
Is Huntsville a good weekend trip?
Yes. A weekend covers the Space and Rocket Center, downtown and Big Spring Park, a hike on Monte Sano and an evening at Lowe Mill or Campus 805, with plenty of good restaurants in between.
How far is Huntsville from Nashville and Birmingham?
Huntsville is roughly two hours' drive south of Nashville and about an hour and a half north of Birmingham, mostly by Interstate 65 and Interstate 565.
When is the best time to visit Huntsville?
Spring and fall are the most comfortable, with mild temperatures for hiking and outdoor festivals such as Panoply in April and the Monte Sano Art Festival in September. Summers are hot and humid, and winter brings the Galaxy of Lights at the botanical garden.