Free & Affordable Activities in Alabama

Birmingham Botanical Gardens span 67.5 acres at the southern edge of gorgeous Red Mountain, located adjacent to Birmingham's Lane Park. The gardens are one of Birmingham's top free-admission attractions, drawing over 350,000 annual visitors each year. They were opened to the public in 1963, overseen by the Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens nonprofit organization. More than 12,000 types of plants are showcased throughout its 25 unique garden spaces, which are also home to over 30 lovely works of original outdoor sculpture. Lovely garden spaces include four glasshouse conservatories and gorgeous landscaped spaces like a formal rose garden, old-fashioned Irish rose garden, Japanese garden and tea house, and hosta walk.

2612 Lane Park Rd, Birmingham, AL 35223, Phone: 205-414-3950

The Alabama State Capitol is the National Register of Historic Places-listed state capitol building of the state of Alabama, located atop Capitol Hill in Montgomery. The current capitol building sits on the site of a former capitol building lost to fire, reconstructed in its present state in 1851. It briefly served as the Confederate Capitol during the American Civil War, following the state's secession from the United States in 1861. More than a hundred years later, it became infamously known as the site of the third Selma to Montgomery March during the American Civil Rights Movement, which directly led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Visitors can tour the gorgeous Greek Revival-style building throughout the year as part of self-guided tours and explore its spectacular domed interior and landscaped grounds designed by famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted.

600 Dexter Ave, Montgomery, AL 36131

The United States Army Aviation Museum holds the world's largest museum helicopters within its impressive military aviation history collections, which contain over 160 aircraft connected to a variety of American army conflicts and operations. The free-admission museum, which is located on the grounds of Fort Rucker near Daleville, showcases a collection of more than 3,000 aviation artifacts, including 50 aircraft on display to the public throughout the year. Major aircraft showcased includes a replica of the Model B military biplane constructed by the Wright Brothers to modern aircraft like a Crutiss SE-5A and an AH-64 Apache used in Operation Desert Storm. Visitors can explore the museum's lovely exhibits throughout the week, including its Vietnam Memorial and Army Aviation Hall of Fame exhibits. Guided tours are available with advance reservation through the museum's volunteer docent program.

6000 Novosel St, Fort Rucker, AL 36362, Phone: 334-598-2508

Recommended Activities for Families

The Bartram Canoe Trail traverses the gorgeous Five River Delta, created by the confluence of the stunning Spanish, Apalachee, Blakely, Tensaw, and Mobile Rivers as they flow into Mobile Bay along Alabama's southern coastline. The delta is the second-largest of its kind in the United States, only to the majestic Mississippi River Delta as it flows into the Gulf of Mexico. Visitors can explore the lovely 200-mile canoeing trail, which is named in honor of explorer and naturalist William Bartram and is one of the nation's longest and most scenic aquatic trails. Most explorers split their adventures into multi-day journeys, traveling southward from Boatyard Landing and exploring areas like the 6.8-mile Globe Creek Trail and the 16-mile Spoonbill Sandbar. Estuarine marsh, bottomland hardwood, and cypress-tupelo swamp habitats are showcased along the way, along with native wildlife such as American alligators and black bears.

The Alabama Booksmith is one of Alabama's most unique bookstores, opened to the public in September of 1990 by lifelong bookseller Jake Reiss. The bookstore has sold only signed copies of books since its 2012 renovation, creating a unique business model where every book sold is a collector's item. With the exception of a few rare and out-of-print titles, all books are sold at standard publisher's price, in the same manner as if it were a non-signed standard edition. Visitors can peruse the bookstore's unique collections at its brick-and-mortar showroom during regular business hours Mondays through Saturdays during the morning and afternoon hours. More than a thousand writers have graced the bookstore's in-store event areas since its opening, showcased as part of free book signing, reading, and author meet-and-greet events throughout the year.

2626 19th Pl S, Homewood, AL 35209, Phone: 205-870-4242

The Birmingham Museum of Art showcases one of the finest art collections in the American Southeast, highlighting over 24,000 works of art across a variety of media created by artists around the world. The museum, which was founded in 1951, is home to a lovely collection of paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures, and decorative art pieces representing the cultures of Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas, including pre-Columbian and indigenous North American cultures. Its Asian art and Vietnamese ceramics collections are considered to be among the finest in the United States. Special collections include an Art of Alabama exhibit, a folk art exhibit, and an outdoor sculpture garden. The museum is free and open to the public throughout the week, though some special rotating exhibits may require a ticketed upcharge.

2000 Reverend Abraham Woods Jr Boulevard, Birmingham, AL 35203, Phone: 205-254-2565

Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge is a gorgeous 7,157-acre national wildlife refuge stretching across five units throughout Alabama's Mobile and Baldwin Counties on the Fort Morgan Peninsula. The refuge serves as an important habitat for migrating birds in the region, protecting one of the largest undeveloped tracts of land along the Alabama coastline. It was established in 1980 and named for the French term for "safe harbor," a nod to its protection of natural sand dune, fresh and saltwater marsh, scrub forest, freshwater swamp, and upland habitats. More than 50,000 annual visitors explore the refuge for its outdoor recreational opportunities, including chances for hiking, camping, and viewing up to 400 native bird and animal species throughout the year.

12295 AL-180, Gulf Shores, AL 36542, Phone: 251-540-7720

For Nature Enthusiasts

Cane Creek Canyon Nature Preserve is a lovely 413-acre nature preserve that was opened to the public in 1986 by married duo Faye and Jim Lacefield. Today, the refuge is privately operated and open to the public for free throughout the year, showcasing over 15 miles of peaceful nature hiking trails for visitors to explore. More than a dozen stunning waterfalls are showcased throughout the property, including an immense 60-foot falls that drops over a natural rock shelter into a narrow canyon. Trails showcase natural landmarks such as Red Rocks Ridge and Devils Hollow, which are home to rare native flora such as yellowwood trees. Other natural features include gorgeous wetland, stream, cliff, and glade areas that are lined with beautiful wildflowers throughout the spring and summer months.

251 Loop Rd, Tuscumbia, AL 35674, Phone: 256-381-6301

Cheaha Mountain is the highest mountain peak in the state of Alabama, rising 2,407 feet above sea level over the gorgeous terrain of Talladega National Forest. The mountain, which is named for a Creek indigenous word for "high place," was stripped of much of its natural beauty throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries as a result of extensive logging and farming activity in the area. Following the creation of the surrounding national forest in 1936, it returned to its natural beauty and is now known as one of the state's most picturesque natural wonders. Visitors can travel to the mountain's summit and enjoy stunning panoramic views from Bunker Tower, which was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1934 and serves as a visitor center today. The highest point of the mountain's summit is marked by a United States Geological Survey benchmark that sits directly in front of the tower.

Delta, Alabama, 36258