Sightseeing
History BuffUSS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park
Under $25Climb aboard the World War II battleship USS Alabama and the submarine USS Drum, then tour a pavilion of military aircraft.
Photo: Altairisfar, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.
Sport & OutdoorDate NightFamily Favorite
Bellingrath Gardens & Home
12401 Bellingrath Gardens Rd · Theodore, AL
Why you should go…
Walter Bellingrath, an early Coca-Cola bottler, bought this Fowl River property in 1917 as a fishing camp, and his wife Bessie turned it into gardens that opened to the public in 1932. You walk 65 cultivated acres, including an Asian garden, with azaleas in spring, roses in summer and chrysanthemums in fall. The 10,500-square-foot home, finished in 1935, can be added to a garden ticket. Magic Christmas in Lights fills the grounds on evenings from late November into January.
- #botanical garden
- #historic home
- #azaleas
- #christmas lights
Good to know
General sport & outdoor guidance
Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.
Weather calls the shots
Check the forecast the morning of and keep an indoor backup in your pocket for the day it turns.
Shoes, water, sun cover
The three things that decide whether you last the whole outing or cut it short after an hour.
Parking and launches fill early
On a nice weekend, lots and trailheads are often full by mid-morning.
Daylight shrinks in shoulder season
Spring and fall visits need an earlier start than the same trip in July.
What's around here?
The closest stops to Bellingrath Gardens & Home, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.
