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The 360-foot-tall Saturn V rocket towering above Huntsville’s skyline is the first indication that this city offers something a little different.

Known as Rocket City, Huntsville, Ala., is home to Redstone Arsenal, a U.S. Army post where work focuses on missiles, aviation and rockets.

Just half an hour south of the Tennessee border, this thriving cosmopolitan city offers a wealth of fun and interesting places to visit, from space-themed activities to a lush botanical garden and interactive historic sites.

1/Claim-to-Fame Attractions
The state’s largest attraction is the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, a hands-on showcase of space technology. 

Visitors can try dozens of interactive exhibits – from experiencing three times the force of gravity in the “G-Force Accelerator” to feeling the G-forces of launch aboard the “Space Shot.”

Next to the space museum is the renowned Huntsville Botanical Garden, a 110-acre site with inviting woodland paths, grassy meadows and flowers ablaze with color from spring through fall. The Nature Center and Children’s Garden complex features the largest seasonal butterfly house in the nation.

The Huntsville Museum of Art in downtown Huntsville’s Big Spring International Park includes seven galleries filled with traveling exhibitions and the work of nationally and regionally acclaimed artists, along with a 2,522-piece permanent collection.

2/Fun for the Family
Burritt on the Mountain – A Living Museum is a must-see stop for families. The 167-acre site overlooking the city is home to a historic mansion, a park with restored 19th-century houses and an animal-filled barnyard. Interpreters demonstrate activities that took place on an 1800s-era farm – blacksmithing, spinning and cooking over an open hearth – and nature trails wind through the woods and around the mountain.

Sci-Quest Hands-on Science Center is another great place for kids to explore. The children’s science center is home to more than 150 interactive exhibits – including a tornado simulator and a giant magnetic pendulum – and a 3D Immersive Reality Theater.

For a change of pace, Monte Sano State Park – just a short drive from downtown – has more than 14 miles of hiking/biking trails and a picnic area on a bluff overlooking a scenic mountain valley.

3/Historical Interests
One of Huntsville’s most popular historic destinations is the EarlyWorks Museum Complex downtown, which includes three interactive museums – Alabama Constitution Village, the Historic Huntsville Depot and EarlyWorks Children’s History Museum. Some highlights include a 46-foot river keelboat, an 1860s-era train depot with locomotives visitors can climb on, and the cabinet shop where delegates stood to sign the Alabama State Constitution in 1819.

The stately Weeden House Museum, built in 1819, is known for its collection of period furnishings and its elaborate design features.

Twickenham Historic District, with early 19th-century homes dating from 1814, is another good place to check out architecture. Visitors can rent or buy a self-guided CD of the district at the Visitor Information Center on Church Street downtown.

4/Good Eats
When you’ve worked up an appetite, take time out to enjoy the city’s diverse restaurants.

The Blue Plate Café is a local landmark that specializes in home-style favorites such as meatloaf, fried pork chops, chicken and dumplings, hash-brown casserole and black-eyed peas.

The Jazz Factory, downtown on Washington Square, serves up San Francisco cuisine in a large dining room with a mezzanine. Open nightly for dinner and brunch on Sundays, this restaurant also hosts live music several nights a week and features an upstairs lounge with pool tables.

Rosie’s Mexican Cantina is a casual, family friendly place known for its spicy barbecued chicken nachos as well as signature chips and salsa.

The upscale 801 Franklin serves creative and elegant dishes prepared with heirloom and organic foods from local farms, and it focuses on a seasonal menu.

Another choice for fancier fare is Dolce Enoteca e Ristorante, a modern, casually elegant Italian restaurant and lounge.

5/Ring It Up
A must-see shopping stop is Harrison Brothers Hardware on the square downtown. Established in 1879, it’s the oldest continuously operating hardware store in the state. Things haven’t changed much inside this store, where shoppers can find old-fashioned candies, marbles by the scoop, cast-iron cookware, oak rocking chairs, bird feeders and other gifts.

Modern-day shopping destinations with a range of retailers and restaurants include Madison Square Mall, Bridge Street Town Centre, Parkway Place mall and Interior Marketplace.

For more information about Huntsville, including a list of attractions and itinerary options, visit www.huntsville.org. 

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Magazine:
Tennessee Home & Farm, Fall 2010 Edition Edition

Headline:
Have a Blast

Summary:
Visitors find a mix of high-tech and history in Huntsville.

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