Marc Batson

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.

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.

The dream of flight is something that is almost as old as history itself. Learn about some of man's earliest attempts to become airborne at Birmingham's Southern Museum of Flight. See vintage aircraft, classic instruments, flight gear and more when you go from exhibit to exhibit in this fascinating venue. The many stories of southern aviation are preserved and investigated through the many interesting and creative exhibits that allow history to take flight for every visitor who passes through this entertaining museum.

The Birmingham Barons are an AA Minor League baseball team affiliated with the Chicago White Sox. They play their home games at Regions Park in Hoover. The sports team gained widespread but brief attention in 1994 when Michael Jordan became part of their team after he retired from the NBA.