[meehan]

I am from upstate NY and liberal and am a teacher. I am wonderng if someone or several people could paint a picture of Tuscaloosa. i am concerned about the education and the fact that I am not form the South. I am wondering about things like children's museums, science centers and programs that are free for families or children. Thanks.

[Bravo35223]

Due to the fact that the University of Alabama is located in Tuscaloosa, you will find plenty of diversity of thought there. It is a campus with 25,000 students and a diverse faculty from across the country. I doubt you are going to find being a liberal will cause you to be a pariah....

Tuscaloosa County's population is about 180,000 people. Much of the cultural activity in the county is driven by the University, which has an excellent School of Music etc.

The Tuscaloosa Arts Council is the main driving force....

home (http://www.tuscarts.org/home.html - broken link)

One of the finest private museums in the world is located in Tuscaloosa...if you are looking for a science museum, you will need to drive 55 miles to Birmingham to the McWane Center. McWane Science Center: Science Museum, Aquarium and IMAX Dome Theater in Birmingham Alabama

Now to schools....honestly to get a good prep level education, I am going to recommend private schools. The public schools there are improving but are not as good as in other areas of the state. While many new high schools have been built and therefore the physical facilities are excellent, the test scores of graduates need to improve....

[Alatex]

I know several northeastern transplants who have lived here and are active in the community.

Like most places, test scores and so forth in the schools are largely along economic lines. No matter how nice the school facilities, students from poor, uneducated households tend to score lower on average. That said, there is tremendous reward in seeing people from such backgrounds "break through" and succeed. There are also some truly outstanding students who come through our supposedly mediocre schools who go on to the pinnacle of success in a variety of fields. A student who applies himself can succeed here or anywhere else. For instance, one of my relatives from a "bad public school" in rural west Alabama went on to earn a PhD from Harvard .

Anyway, a lot of the free family-related activities are church-based. Practically all the major churches have gymnasiums that basically fill the role of civic centers and other government functions in cities in other regions. I'm not saying it's right or wrong, but the church is heavily involved in everyday secular activities of the community to a degree that it might not be in other regions.

For the most part, you'll want to go to Birmingham for large museums (and Birmingham's are indeed very nice - things like McWane Science Center, Vulcan Park, zoo, botanical gardens, and art museum are "can't miss"), but
I would also suggest visiting the rural areas south of Tuscaloosa, like Eutaw, Greensboro, Demopolis, Marion, and Selma. Although the poverty and isolation might be a bit off-putting, there is a wealth of history that could fill a many "real" museums. There are huge, beautiful old mansions in various states of disrepair in seemingly the middle of nowhere.

The best free family amenity in Tuscaloosa is the great outdoors - rivers, lakes, trees, and parks.
I expect you'll also enjoy the amenities available for weekend trips to places like Chattanooga, New Orleans, Gulf Shores, and Atlanta. Birmingham is surprisingly attractive, and its "Southside" area definitely has a lot of northern transplants, liberals, etc.

An area you might like in Tuscaloosa is the group of "historic districts" along Queen City Avenue, between the university campus and downtown. This is probably the most "walkable" area of town, very convenient to everything, and people living there have the wide range of views you'd expect from a university-related neighborhood.

[MullinsCurve]

I can't believe that when she asked about museums, none of you mentioned the Bryant Museum, cultural Mecca of Alabama.

[Threestep2]

Originally Posted by MullinsCurve

I can't believe that when she asked about museums, none of you mentioned the Bryant Museum, cultural Mecca of Alabama.

Now, now - be niiice!
This is serious (no smart remarks please) - what is a liberal and what is the deal with liberal combined with art teacher? Having no little people sometimes puts a blank into my US education. OK, I missed out on 60s and 70s and 80s TV shows as well! Big loss?

[tuxedocat]

It has been mentioned already but I just want to second the recommendation for the Bham zoo -- I don't remember what the admission fee is.
For science and education I think your children will really like it. I love to go there and I'm real old.

[tuxedocat]

Oh yes-- You didn't say how old the children are but the Civil Rights museum in Bham is also definitely worth the visit.

[tuxedocat]

Sorry for another message but I thought of something else. It's a little bit of a drive but the Shakespeare theater might be something they'd enjoy too. I don't remember the admission but I know my children really enjoyed going there when their school had field trips. (I'm not all that old really)