Huntsville, Alabama is a great city for a day trip or weekend getaway. There are so many cool places to eat and things to do. Whether you’re a nature lover, a science geek, or a foodie, Huntsville has something for everyone!
Here are some of my favorite things to do in Huntsville, AL!
Shopping
Bridge Street Town Centre is an outdoor mall with tons of great shops and places to eat. In fact, we ate lunch at this mall at Pieology, which is a pizza restaurant. If you’ve never been there, you should try this build your own pizza place.
Usually, when I’m traveling, I like to try new or local restaurants, so chain restaurants aren’t usually on my list. But trust me when I tell you that this was the best pizza I’ve ever had!
If you are looking for some dessert, I recommend trying Maggie Moo’s Ice Cream. After you choose an ice cream flavor, they hand-fold in any kind of candy, nuts, or other toppings right there in front of you!
There are also plenty of other places to eat and the stores have something for everyone!
Not really into the typical shopping malls? Downtown has some interesting places to shop, including Railroad Station Antiques.
Housed in the Lombardo building built in 1922, this 3-story antique store has just about anything you could ask for. I’m usually not much for antiques, but I’m always up for looking for vintage cameras.
If antique shopping is something you’re into, you could easily spend hours here!
Stovehouse
Looking for somewhere unique to eat and hang out? Try the Stovehouse!
This stove factory built in 1929 has been turned into a campus of restaurants, offices, shopping, live music, and more!
Check out the Food & Leisure Garden for several delicious food options. You can sit in the courtyard, on the rooftop, or indoors while you eat and listen to live entertainers.
We tried Bark & Barrel BBQ which was great! I got the wings (which have several different sauce options to choose from), and my friend Brittney got the pulled pork. Can’t go wrong with the classics!
U.S. Space and Rocket Center
I’ve always wanted to visit the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, but I was afraid it would be geared more towards kids. Well, I was wrong about that. Yes, it has some great activities for kids, but there is so much to do here that everyone will find something appealing!
There are tons of interactive exhibits, a rock-climbing wall, and they even have a few rides that we tried out. (If you want to rock climb, make sure to bring closed-toed shoes!) My friend Yuanting tried the Space Shot ride, but I chickened out of this one. Maybe next time I’ll be more adventurous!
Probably the coolest part for me was the life-size models of the rockets, but even cooler was the real Saturn 5 rocket inside the Space center!
Lifesize model of Saturn 5 rocket outside Space center
Real Saturn 5 Rocket inside the Space center
This place is definitely a must-see for science enthusiasts or anyone who is interested in space!
The Moon Bakeshop
If you want a snack to satisfy your sweet tooth, check out The Moon Bakeshop downtown. This adorable bakery has some amazing treats!
Everything looked good and I wanted to try it all, but I settled on a Cruffin. This is a croissant rolled in sugar, shaped like a muffin, and filled with almond pastry cream.
Apparently, Cruffins sell out pretty regularly, and I can see why! I’m not a big croissant fan, but this was great!
Huntsville Botanical Gardens
Before we lost too much light, we drove to the Huntsville Botanical Gardens. There are so many beautiful flowers and trails!
We spent most of our time taking pictures and walking around. There is so much gorgeous scenery, and we even saw a few animals!
Definitely bring a camera and comfortable shoes for walking.
They have different events and different flowers to see depending on the time of year. You can see my favorite photography gear here!
I’ve visited in both March and April. It depends on the weather, but fewer species were in bloom in early March than on my April trip.
However, March was not a disappointment! The daffodils were everywhere, and if you visit at just the right time, you can see the tulip tree in full bloom!
After a day or 2 of food, flowers, and flight simulators, your visit to Huntsville is sure to be amazing! This Alabama city is worth the trip!
There is so much more to do in this beautiful city, so if you have any ideas that I didn’t mention, leave them in the comments below! And don’t forget to subscribe for more travel and photography content!
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