City: Birmingham, AL

Category: Tours & Attractions

Telephone: (205) 202-4146

Description: While most large cities in Alabama—Montgomery, Mobile, Huntsville—have museums or attractions that tell a narrative of the city’s history, Birmingham has been late to the show for a variety of reasons. Visitors generally have to visit a variety of sites, museums, and attractions to piece together the full Birmingham story. In 2008 Birmingham businessman Thomas E. Jernigan Jr. pledged $750,000 to establish the Birmingham History Center for 10 years. Opening in the historic Young & Vann Supply building two years later, the museum’s mission is to “collect, preserve and present the comprehensive history of the Birmingham region.” Accordingly, the history center possesses more than 4,000 objects that recount the story of Birmingham in what the center hopes will just be a temporary space. Displays include Birmingham during the Great Depression, local inventors, and the World War II era. The museum serves to protect an assortment of documents, books, clothing, photographs, machinery, and other historic items of significance to the city and surrounding communities. The majority of the museum’s holdings are donations generously provided by local residents. It’s early days yet, but the fruits of the excellent Birmingham-Jefferson Historical Society appear to be paying off.