Want to come back from your Alabama vacation with a fountain of knowledge? Then add some of the coolest museums in Huntsville, AL, to your itinerary! Alabama’s largest city is dripping with educational opportunities on everything from local history to the wonders of science.
During a day in Huntsville, you can explore the galaxies at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center or stick to life on Earth at the Cook Museum of Natural Science. Explore the area’s creative side at the Huntsville Museum of Art and Huntsville Art League. Huntsville also has some beautiful pieces of local heritage to explore, including the Huntsville Depot Museum and the incredible Burritt on the Mountain.
Not sure where to nerd out at first? This complete Huntsville museums guide will help you get started!
Looking for more ideas for your trip? Check out our Alabama Travel Guide for more tips & recommendations on when to visit, where to go & what to do on your vacation!
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U.S. Space & Rocket Center
Explore the furthest corners of the galaxies at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. Visiting this world-famous institution is your chance to see a huge collection of rocket and space hardware worth tens of millions of dollars. In fact, it’s the largest U.S. manned spaceflight hardware museum in the world!
During your visit to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, you’ll discover exhibits of epic proportions. Marvel at the Saturn V rocket, once used for Apollo missions to the moon. Gaze up at towering rockets like Redstone, Atlas, and Titan II. There’s also a full-scale mockup of the Space Shuttle.
But it’s not just the big stuff that makes the U.S. Space & Rocket Center one of the coolest places to visit in Huntsville, AL. Immersive experiences bring the magic of space travel to life. In a projection-mapped dome, you’ll travel across the solar system—and even watch a sunset on Mars!
Huntsville Museum of Art
See the city’s creative side at Huntsville Museum of Art, offering an incredible collection of 3,200 works. Located in the heart of Downtown Huntsville, AL, the museum focuses on American art from the 19th and 20th centuries and the Southeast, as well as the African, Asian, and European art that was influential for American artists.
Delve into people’s lives and passions from around the world at the Huntsville Museum of Art. Admire the intricacy of flowing glass and silver works or striking examples of modern photography. Delve into complex themes with a collection focused solely on female artists. You’ll also get a feel for local culture with a collection devoted to regional works.
Huntsville Museum of Art also has a fun side. The interactive exhibits help all ages develop a lifelong passion for the visual arts. Get the lowdown on art history in A Walk Through Time. You’ll gain an understanding of art’s most important moments by taking part in fun challenges.
EarlyWorks Children’s Museum
Sometimes, getting your kids excited about a museum visit is hard. You won’t have this problem at EarlyWorks Children’s Museum! Plenty of hands-on activities offer a chance to plant an interest in STEM subjects and history into their brains.
Even as adults, history can seem a little dry. But not at the EarlyWorks Children’s Museum! Families can learn about Native American cultures from a magical talking tree or pull up the sails on a 19th-century keelboat. Through colorful murals and interesting musical instruments, your children can grasp an understanding of African-American history.
You won’t be stuck in the past at the EarlyWorks Children’s Museum, either. Kids and adults alike can also experience the wonders of science. Build colorful sculptures in the light lab and watch objects appear from the incredible 3D printers. Children can immerse themselves in society, dressing up as firemen and even taking a trip to the dog groomers.
North Alabama Railroad Museum
Got someone in your travel group who loves trains? Choo-choo your way down to the North Alabama Railroad Museum. Immerse yourself in locomotive mania and learn all about the history of railroads in Alabama. The museum offers a fun collection of trains and railroad parts—and who knows?—maybe you’ll get to hop on one for yourself!
Start your visit to the North Alabama Railroad Museum with a self-guided walking tour. It’ll take you through all the trains on the site. Check out the impressive collection of steam locomotives, once raced across the country, hauling goods and opening passengers up to a whole new world of travel. You can hop aboard some of the historic trains and imagine what life was like in this exciting new world.
The North Alabama Railroad Museum also offers regular vintage train rides. Sit back in the antique carriages and take in historic sites as you glide across the dreamy Alabama landscape.
U.S. Veterans Memorial Museum
Pay tribute to our nation’s heroes at the U.S. Veterans Memorial Museum. It’s a celebration of the men and women in the US military and all of their phenomenal achievements. Their biggest focus is on the survivors who fought in WWI.
Fascinating exhibits take you through the history of American war and conflict. Using memorabilia like uniforms and military equipment, you’ll go on a journey from the American Revolution to the present day. The U.S. Veterans Memorial Museum is great at making the stories of war tug at your emotions, with lots of personal accounts and donated personal artifacts.
One of the coolest things at the U.S. Veterans Memorial Museum is its collection of 30 historical military vehicles spanning from World War I to the present. The staple in the collection is the Ford Pygmy, the oldest surviving military jeep. There are also helicopters and motorcycles, perfect for getting young kids excited about American military history.
Huntsville Depot Museum
Get more train mania at Huntsville Depot Museum, one of the oldest depots left in the United States. The historic building dates back to 1860 and was once a local transport hub and a headquarters for the headquarters of the Memphis & Charleston Railroad.
The Huntsville Depot Museum was an active station until 1968, making the quaint yellow building an atmospheric place to learn all about Alabama’s railway history. You’ll get to step inside some antique locomotives and learn local train stories from Andy Barker. He’s a robotic ticket agent—and he’s super chatty!
There are lots of other little pieces of history spread throughout Huntsville Depot Museum. Climb the ladder of Huntsville’s first firetruck and admire graffiti from Civil War soldiers.
The museum is temporarily closed, but there’s still a pretty park, a picnic pavilion, and a train for everyone to enjoy.
Constitution Hall Park
Step back into 1819 at Constitution Hall Park. Located on the site where Alabama’s constitution was signed, this living history museum gives you the chance to understand the state’s heritage and what becoming a state meant for local communities. It’ll throw you into all aspects of life in the 1800s with immersive exhibits and cool things to see and do.
At Constitution Hall Park, you’ll get a sense of everything that went into a working society in 1819. Informative staff will help you understand the history and architecture of the area. Learn about unique themes like how early Alabama approached mapmaking. You’ll get to see a live printing press demonstration, explore the historic Neal house, and visit the Post Office.
There are often fun demonstrations happening at Constitution Hall Park. Watch performances, performed in period dress, showing how wool was spun and find out how different tools were made in the blacksmith shop.
Weeden House Museum and Garden
The Weeden House Museum and Garden is a grand property built in 1819. It’s provided a home for important figures in Huntsville’s history, including Bartley M. Lowe; Maria Howard Weeden, a famous artist and poet; and John McKinley, an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Now you have a chance to tour the historic building, full of interesting art and vintage furniture.
The idyllic white façade of the Weeden House Museum has pretty shutters and a lovely arched glass entrance, showcasing a great example of 19th-century Federal-style architecture. Step inside and admire the sweeping spiral staircase, wooden piano, and original Weeden artwork adorning the walls. Take a guided tour to get more insight into the house’s residents, local architecture and craft, and life in Antebellum society.
But you shouldn’t just stick to the interior of Weeden House Museum and Garden. Head outside to explore the spectacular gardens, full of palm trees and blooming flowers.
H.C. Blake Art & History Center
For an intimate local experience, head to H.C. Blake Art & History Center. Their mission is to preserve the history and fine arts of Northern Alabama. With lots of unique and interesting displays, you’ll get to see Alabama’s heritage from various perspectives.
Exploring H.C. Blake Art & History Center is like stepping into Aladdin’s cave. Spend hours wandering through the emporium of photography, paintings, and rare artifacts. You’ll spot a painting of Nat King Cole and works by local artist Carole Foret.
The stories you learn at H.C. Blake Art & History Center give you a genuine look at life in the area over the years, from tales passed down generations to preserved items from 100 years ago. The Huntsville Revisited exhibition highlights African-American contributions to music, art, and culture that previously went unacknowledged.
Huntsville Art League
Get an extra creative fix at Huntsville Art League. The non-profit artist cooperative is committed to igniting passion for art and culture in the local community. It’s home to a wonderful collection of artists showcasing an exciting variety of media.
The artists also work shifts at Huntsville Art League, so there’s always a local artist to guide you through the work on offer. From stylish pieces of stained glass to vibrant watercolors, it’s a wonderful way to familiarize yourself with up-and-coming artists.
If you want to work on your own artistic skills, the gallery offers regular workshops and classes. Master the world of watercolors and acrylics, understand the basics of color theory, or get messy with paint pouring.
Huntsville Art League is located in Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment, a former textile mill that’s been reimagined as a cultural center. Take some time afterward to check out other artwork, buy products from local makers, and watch fun performances.
Burritt on the Mountain
Burritt on the Mountain offers an epic day trip from Huntsville, AL, for the whole family and is one of the city’s top museums. It’s on the top of Round Top Mountain, giving you sweeping views across the city. The 167-acre site once belonged to William Burritt, who was a local physician with three wives and a love for homeopathic medicine.
Burritt on the Mountain has six different 19th-century homes to explore. You’ll learn all about what life was like here back then, with staff in period dress available to answer all your burning questions. Live a typical day on a farm in the 1800s, or head to The McCurdy Barnyard and meet some furry residents.
If you want a break from learning, spend some time exploring the beautiful grounds. There are picturesque hiking trails that’ll take you all the way around Round Top Mountain. Spot wildflowers and native birds, or try out geocaching.
Cook Museum of Natural Science
The Cook Museum of Natural Science is around 30 minutes from Huntsville. If you want to experience the wonders of zoology, geology, and paleontology, it’s worth the short drive. Interactive exhibits will get you face-to-face with the wonders of our natural world.
At the Cook Museum of Natural Science, you’ll get to meet an incredible variety of creatures on Earth. Meet live bees, turtles, and alligators and learn about the huge role insects play in our ecosystem. Discover exotic birds and carnivorous plants in the forest, or head underwater and explore the world of coral reefs and jellyfish.
You’ll be shocked by how interconnected our world really is. Experience the similarities between the desert and the Arctic and delve into the habitats in freshwater rivers. You can even check out the inside of a beaver lodge.
After your visit, you can check out the adorable city of Decatur. Packed with Victorian homes, beautiful parks, and authentic local restaurants, Decatur is a great counterweight to Huntsville’s big-city vibes.
