Eatmybeats, Inc.

While the name may echo the classic television show Star Trek, there's nothing otherworldly about the Vulcan, the world's largest cast-iron sculpture. This visually compelling structure was created to pay tribute to the city's early iron industry. It weighs over 60 tons, stands over 55-feet-tall and was originally constructed for the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. Today the attraction stands next to an observation tower in the center of Vulcan Park that allows a somewhat closer look at this fascinating piece of history.

While getting to the Bama Flea Mall and Antique Center may be a bit of a drive (it is in Leeds, Alabama), it is most definitely worth the extra effort! There are over 400 dealers who offer their wares in a shopping area that stretches out over 57,000-square-feet. The market is open seven days a week and vendors are constantly bringing in old and new items on a daily basis. Find everything from guns, knives, collectibles, jewelry, sporting items, antiques and lots more.

Birmingham's natural beauty, as well as the natural beauty provided by some of the most beautiful plants and flowers, shines brightly at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. You will be breathlessly enchanted by the gardens of roses, camellias, wildflowers, ferns that flourish in this truly serene and calming setting. Other highlights include a Japanese garden and teahouse as well as the largest greenhouse in the Southeast. Forget the stress of your day and come and breathe in the beauty of the floral attractions in bloom at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens.

As far back as 1882, Birmingham's Sloss Furnaces produced iron which was a key factor in the establishment and development of the city of Birmingham. The furnaces produced iron for more than 90 years, and that industrial past is now preserved at the Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark. When you experience a tour of this remarkable facility, you will be struck by the intricate web of pipes and tall smokestacks constructed. Your guide will give you details on how it all worked, and how the eventual production of iron not only shaped the future of Birmingham, but of the whole country as well.