Decatur, Alabama

Wheeler Wildlife Refuge spans 35,000 acres along the banks of the Tennessee River and provides a significant wintering and migrating bird habitat for species such as Canada geese and red-tailed hawks.

The refuge, which was named in honor of Major General Joseph Wheeler, was established in 1938 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and is jointly administered today by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, who oversees the refuge’s Redstone Arsenal area.

More than 700,000 annual visitors partake in outdoor activities at the refuge such as fishing, hunting, and wildlife watching.

Five hiking trails are offered throughout the refuge, along with six boat launch sites, a wildlife observation tower, and several spotting scope stations. Annual events at the refuge include a youth fishing rodeo, a southern wildlife festival, and summer youth day camps.

3121 Visitor Center Road, Decatur, AL 35603, Phone: 256-350-6639

Point Mallard Park is located along the border of Wheeler National Refuge in Alabama, spanning more than 500 acres along the shoreline of Flint Creek. The multi-use recreational park is best known for its J. Gilmer Blackburn Aquatic Center, which was opened in 1970 and showcases a European-style wave pool, 10-meter diving tower, lazy river attraction, and two high-speed water slides.

Sporting facilities within the park include the 18-hole Point Mallard Golf Course, the baseball-focused Bill J. Dukes Athletic Complex, the Jimmy Johns Tennis Center, and the Point Mallard Ice Complex, along with a golf driving range and batting cages.

Indoor courts, a game room, and exercise facilities are offered at the T.C. Almon Center, while a permanent outdoor stage is located within the Ronald Reagan Spirit of America Fields area. Other facilities include a 210-site campground, an 80-seat prayer chapel, and a covered picnic pavilion seating groups of up to 500. Annual events held at the park include the September Skirmish Civil War Reenactment, held every Labor Day. More info

2901 Point Mallard Dr SE, Decatur, AL 35601, Phone: 256-341-4900

What to do if you are traveling with kids:

Cook Natural Science Museum was the vision of Cook’s Pest Control president John R. Cook, whose private natural sciences collection grew from a supplemental collection used for pest control technician training into a world-class natural history collection.

The museum has a privately-owned collection of more than 2,000 specimens and exhibits, ranging from mounted birds and wildlife to extensive displays of minerals, rocks, and coral.

Notable exhibits include a Tennessee Valley Lake Exhibit showcasing the region’s native flora and fauna and one of the only displays in the United States to feature both bald and golden eagle taxidermies.

133 4th Ave NE, Decatur, AL 35601, Phone: 256-351-4505

Delano Park is Decatur’s oldest public park, developed in 1887 as part of a master plan to reinvent the city following the American Civil War.

The park was named in honor of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and has recently been extensively redeveloped to include attractions such as a children’s splash pad play area that features a large-scale map of Alabama’s cities and rivers on its floor.

Its Delano Rose Garden reconstructs the historic rose gardens that were planted with the park’s initial development, while its iconic concrete bridge, relocated in the 1930s, remains a popular spot for photographs and reflection.

Further redevelopment plans include the addition of historical trails throughout the facility connecting the park’s western and central portions.

825 Gordon Dr SE, Decatur, AL 35601, Phone: 256-341-4930

The Old Decatur Historic District spans 116 acres within the city’s Albany and Old Decatur historic areas, showcasing the state’s largest collection of preserved Victorian-era homes and buildings. The district centers around the city’s historic Bank Street, the home of the Old State Bank building, which served as the city’s major commercial hub in the 19th century due to its riverboat, wagon, and railway access.

Though many of the district’s original historic buildings were destroyed during the American Civil War and a major local fire in 1877, the structures that were rebuilt in the late 19th century are considered among the most significant Victorian and Italianate structures in the region.

Four buildings from the pre-Civil War-era remain, including the Todd House, located on Lafayette Street. In 1985, the district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and today, its buildings are accessible via walking or driving tours.

Bank St. NE & Gordon Dr. SE, Decatur, AL 35601, Phone: 256-350-2028

Montgomery is 2.5 hours from Decatur.

Activities and Attractions for Couples and Singles:

Carnegie Visual Arts Center is housed within the historic 1904 Carnegie Library, which served as the city’s public library facility for more than seven decades.

Today, it houses the region’s first art museum and arts education center, which showcases more than 4,000 square feet of exhibit, workshop, and studio space. Eight to 10 public art exhibitions are showcased in the facility’s main level galleries annually, including national touring exhibits and presentations of the works of local and regional artists.

A permanent collection of Alabama folk art is also displayed, featuring works by artists such as Jimmy Lee Sudath and Mose Tolliver. Its basement-level Daikin America Education Center presents workshops and courses for community members of all art skill levels, including children’s summer camps.

207 Church St NE, Decatur, AL 35601, Phone: 256-341-0562

Decatur is 3.5 hours from Huntsville.

The Princess Theatre is a historic performing arts venue that was originally constructed in 1887 for use as a livery stable prior to its 1919 conversion into a vaudeville and silent film theater. In 1941, it was renovated with an Art Deco-style facade and neon marquee, featuring interior design elements such as glow-in-the-dark murals and a terrazzo floor map of the state of Alabama.

Following its purchase by the City of Decatur in 1978, the theater was renovated into a live performing arts venue and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today, the 677-seat theater hosts more than 60,000 annual visitors to its public performances, which include concerts by national touring artists and stops of Broadway touring shows. Local performing arts groups also present regular performances, including children’s theater groups and dance troupes.

The Princess Theatre, 112 2nd Ave NE

Wheeler Lake is the second-largest lake located along the Tennessee River, spanning a length of nearly 60 miles and a surface area of over 67,000 acres.

The man-made impoundment was created by the Tennessee Valley Authority in the late 1930s for hydroelectric power generation and regional flood control and has become a popular recreation site in the Decatur region today.

More than four million visitors attend the lake annually, partaking in seasonal outdoor activities such as boating, fishing, hunting, wildlife watching, and water sports. A visitor center is offered, along with areas for overnight camping and picnicking. Wheeler Lake is located adjacent to the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, which also offers a variety of outdoor activities for the whole family.

P.O. Box 1010, SB 1H-M, Muscle Shoals, AL 35662-1010, Phone: 256-386-2560

Gadsden is about 2 hours 15 minutes away.

Morgan County Archives was created in 1995 by the Morgan County Commission as a permanent repository for the region’s inactive government and community records. It maintains the community’s major records dating back to 1819, including marriage, census, and court records, and is considered one of the most prominent collections of archival materials documenting the city’s civic history today.

The archives are most noted as the only public viewing site of original copies of the Decatur Daily and Harstelle Enquirer local newspapers.

They are open to the public on weekdays as a genealogical and community research resource, offering public computer workstations, library volumes, and microfilm access. Small exhibits of specialized collections are displayed periodically, including exhibits related to the city’s Civil War history and notable historical figures.

624 Bank Street N.E., Decatur, AL 35601, Phone: 256-351-4726

Decatur is about 4 hours from Tuscumbia.