Things to Do in Huntsville, Madison and North Alabama
Rockets and Space Camp, a working artists' mill, concerts under the stars, minor league baseball, historic downtowns and shopping districts. Here is what there is to do, where it is, and the neighborhoods close by.
Huntsville is known for rockets, but most people who move here are surprised by how much else there is. You can tour a Saturn V in the morning, walk artist studios in a 1900 textile mill in the afternoon and catch a concert or a Trash Pandas game at night, and most of it is within a 20-minute drive of everywhere else.
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Space, Science and Gardens
U.S. Space & Rocket Center
Alabama's state-owned space museum and the home of Space Camp, with one of the world's largest collections of rockets and space artifacts.
- Opened March 17, 1970, and owned by the State of Alabama.
- A Smithsonian Affiliate and the official visitor center for NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center.
- The Davidson Center for Space Exploration houses a Saturn V test vehicle that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily except major holidays. It sits at Exit 15 on I-565, next to the Botanical Garden.
Where: One Tranquility Base, Huntsville, AL 35805 · Official site · Homes near the Space & Rocket Center
Huntsville Botanical Garden
A 118-acre garden next to the Space & Rocket Center with themed gardens, a seasonal butterfly house and a holiday light show.
- 118 acres, officially opened in 1988.
- Highlights include the Purdy Butterfly House (spring through fall), the Bush Azalea Trail and the Damson Aquatic Garden.
- Seasonal events include FestiFall in the fall and Galaxy of Lights over the holidays.
- Admission is charged and the garden is cashless.
Where: 4747 Bob Wallace Avenue, Huntsville, AL 35805 · Official site · Homes near the Botanical Garden
Art, History and Museums
Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment
A 1900 textile mill in west Huntsville turned into artist studios, galleries and performance space that is free to explore.
- More than 150 working studios for over 200 artists in a 190,000 sq ft building.
- Free to visit, open Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Built in 1900 and 1901 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011.
- Free parking, except during special events like Concerts on the Dock.
Where: 2211 Seminole Dr SW, Huntsville, AL 35805 · Official site · Homes near Lowe Mill and Campus 805
Huntsville Museum of Art
Downtown Huntsville's art museum, set in Big Spring Park.
- Moved into its Big Spring Park building in 1998.
- Fourteen galleries and a permanent collection of more than 3,000 works.
- Open Tuesday through Sunday; closed Mondays.
Where: 300 Church Street SW, Huntsville, AL 35801 · Official site · Downtown neighborhoods
Burritt on the Mountain
A mountaintop history museum on Monte Sano with a 1930s mansion, restored 19th-century farm buildings and nature trails overlooking the city.
- Built around the 14-room, X-shaped mansion of Dr. William Henry Burritt, insulated with 2,200 bales of wheat straw.
- A historic park of restored farm buildings shows rural Alabama life in the 1800s.
- Open Tuesday through Sunday; closed Mondays. Admission is charged.
Where: 3101 Burritt Dr SE, Huntsville, AL 35801 · Official site · Homes near Monte Sano
Twickenham Historic District
Huntsville's oldest neighborhood, just southeast of the courthouse square, with Alabama's largest collection of antebellum homes.
- Huntsville's first local historic district, designated in 1972, and on the National Register since 1973.
- More than 65 homes built before the Civil War.
- The 1819 Weeden House Museum is in the district.
Where: Southeast of the courthouse square, Huntsville, AL 35801 · Official site · Historic homes for sale
Concerts and Game Nights
Orion Amphitheater
A city-owned outdoor amphitheater in MidCity that hosts touring concerts from spring through fall.
- Opened in May 2022.
- Holds about 8,000 people.
- Owned by the City of Huntsville.
Where: 701 Amphitheater Drive NW, Huntsville, AL 35806 · Homes near MidCity
Von Braun Center
Downtown's arena, concert hall and convention center, next to Big Spring Park.
- Opened in 1975 and owned by the City of Huntsville.
- Propst Arena seats about 9,000.
- The Mark C. Smith Concert Hall is home to the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra, and Mars Music Hall hosts smaller shows.
Where: 700 Monroe Street, Huntsville, AL 35801 · Downtown neighborhoods
Toyota Field
The minor league ballpark at Town Madison and home of the Rocket City Trash Pandas.
- Seats about 7,000 and is owned by the City of Madison.
- The Trash Pandas played their first home game there on May 11, 2021.
Where: 500 Trash Panda Way, Madison, AL · Homes near Town Madison
Shopping and Dining Districts
Where people go to eat, shop and meet friends, from the big new mixed-use districts to the historic downtown squares.
MidCity District
An entertainment, dining and shopping district on University Drive, built where Madison Square Mall used to stand.
- The mall closed in 2017, and Topgolf opened as the first big venue that December.
- Other names include REI, Dave & Buster's, Trader Joe's and High Point Climbing and Fitness.
- Home of the Orion Amphitheater.
Where: 5901 University Dr NW, Huntsville, AL 35806 · Official site · Homes near MidCity
Bridge Street Town Centre
An open-air shopping, dining and hotel center in Cummings Research Park, built around a lake.
- Opened in November 2007 at I-565 and Research Park Boulevard.
- Includes a two-level Belk, a Cinemark theater and a Westin hotel.
- About 5 acres of the original lake remain.
Where: 365 The Bridge St, Huntsville, AL 35806 · Homes near Bridge Street
Downtown Huntsville
The historic core around the courthouse square and Big Spring Park, with restaurants, bars, the Von Braun Center and the art museum.
- Big Spring Park covers 12.5 acres on the west side of the square.
- Big Spring is the largest limestone spring in North Alabama.
- The park's red Japanese friendship bridge was dedicated in 1977.
Where: Big Spring Park, Huntsville, AL 35801 · Downtown neighborhoods
Campus 805
A former school campus in west Huntsville turned into breweries, restaurants and music venues.
- A 13-acre campus that served as S.R. Butler High School and later Stone Middle School until 2009.
- Straight to Ale and Yellowhammer were the first breweries.
- The Stone Center and the Student Union hold restaurants, bars and event space.
Where: 2620 Clinton Avenue West, Huntsville, AL 35805 · Official site · Homes near Lowe Mill and Campus 805
Town Madison
A large mixed-use development along I-565 in Madison, anchored by Toyota Field.
- About 563 acres with more than 2.5 miles of interstate frontage.
- Home of Toyota Field and the Rocket City Trash Pandas.
- Hotels, restaurants and shops continue to fill in around the ballpark.
Where: Zierdt Road and I-565, Madison, AL · Homes near Town Madison
Downtown Madison
Madison's original Main Street, which grew up around an 1850s railroad depot.
- Growth began in 1858 with the first depot on the Memphis and Charleston Railroad.
- Part of the Madison Station Historic District, on the National Register since 2006.
- Main Street includes the 1859 Robert P. Cain Mercantile store.
Where: Main Street, Madison, AL 35758 · Homes near downtown Madison
Village of Providence
The town center of the Village of Providence neighborhood off U.S. 72, with shops, restaurants, offices and hotels around a square.
- Planned in 2001 by DPZ, the firm behind Seaside and Rosemary Beach.
- One of Huntsville's designated arts and entertainment districts.
- The north section of the Indian Creek Greenway starts here.
Where: Providence Main St NW, Huntsville, AL 35806 · Village of Providence homes
Clift Farm
A mixed-use development on a former six-generation family farm along U.S. 72 in Madison.
- The Clift family farmed the land starting in 1850.
- Publix opened in October 2020, followed by restaurants.
- Plans call for shops, homes, a pond, greenways and walking trails.
Where: U.S. 72 between Wall Triana Hwy and Balch Rd, Madison, AL · Clift Farm new homes
Parkway Place
An enclosed mall on Memorial Parkway in central Huntsville.
- Opened in 2002, replacing a 1957 shopping center on the same site.
- Anchored by Dillard's and Belk.
Where: Memorial Parkway, Huntsville, AL · Central Huntsville neighborhoods
Valley Bend
A large open-air shopping center in Jones Valley in south Huntsville.
- Stores include HomeGoods, Dick's Sporting Goods, Hobby Lobby, Marshalls and PetSmart, with a SuperTarget next door.
- Home of the AMC Valley Bend 18 with IMAX.
Where: Jones Valley, Huntsville, AL · Jones Valley neighborhoods
Athens Courthouse Square
The historic shopping square around the Limestone County Courthouse in downtown Athens.
- On the National Register as a commercial historic district since 1997.
- The courthouse was built in 1919.
Where: Courthouse Square, Athens, AL 35611 · Athens homes
Bank Street in Decatur
A historic shopping and dining street in Old Decatur.
- Part of the Bank Street-Old Decatur Historic District, on the National Register since 1980.
- The brick storefronts were rebuilt after an 1877 fire.
- The 1833 Old State Bank is now a museum.
Where: Bank Street NE, Decatur, AL 35601 · Decatur homes
Outdoors and Golf
Homes Near the Places You Will Go
Sports and Recreation
If your weekends are more about practices and meets than museums, see the Sports and Recreation guide for summer swim and dive, youth sports and ball fields and hockey and skating.
Questions
What is Huntsville best known for?
Space. Huntsville is home to NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, where visitors can see a Saturn V and kids can attend Space Camp.
What is there to do in Huntsville at night?
Concerts at the Orion Amphitheater and the Von Braun Center, Trash Pandas games at Toyota Field, breweries at Campus 805, and restaurants and bars downtown, at MidCity and at Bridge Street.
Is Lowe Mill free?
Yes. Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment is free to explore Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., with free parking except during some special events.
Want to live close to the things you love to do?
We are a local, family-owned brokerage. Tell us where you want to spend your weekends, whether that is downtown, Bridge Street or a ballpark, and we will send homes that fit your commute and your budget.
Search homes for saleCall or text (256) 808-6861Sources: U.S. Space & Rocket Center; U.S. Space & Rocket Center (Wikipedia); Huntsville Botanical Garden; Lowe Mill: Visit; Huntsville Museum of Art; Burritt on the Mountain; Twickenham Historic District (Wikipedia); Orion Amphitheater (Wikipedia); Von Braun Center (Wikipedia); Toyota Field (Wikipedia); MidCity District; MidCity District (Wikipedia); Bridge Street Town Centre (Wikipedia); Campus No. 805: Our Story; Madison Station Historic District (Wikipedia); Parkway Place (Wikipedia); Big Spring International Park (Wikipedia).
Details come from the official sources listed on this page as of October 2026. Hours, prices, tenants and events change often, so check with each place before you go. Distances are straight-line miles. Listing information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Wyze Realty is not affiliated with any business, venue or organization named here.