City: Birmingham, AL

Category: Tours & Attractions

Telephone: (205) 324-1911

Description: Sloss Furnaces is not just for adults keen on concerts, festivals, and special events. It offers kids a tactile opportunity to learn about Birmingham’s history as the most powerful industrial center in the south. Walking among the huge blast furnaces and preserved ­century-old machinery of the plant inspires and educates children as they learn about the heavy metal past of Alabama’s largest city. Kids can enjoy a short instructional video about the furnaces and take a self-guided tour through the facility. Since the grounds are extensive and facilities are minimal, this tour might be more appropriate for older children who won’t mind exploring the facility on foot. However, many parents find it a pleasant afternoon when you can let the kids roam about and explore the grounds. Guided tours are available for a fee ($) for groups smaller than 10 on Sat and Sun at 1 p.m., 2 p.m., and 3 p.m. Keep on the lookout for new exciting changes coming, like the new visitor center. For those older kids wanting a fun scare, try Sloss’ annual Halloween haunted attraction, “Sloss Fright Furnace.”