Crazy in Alabama – Getting Weird in Birmingham

Many have heard of Birmingham, Alabama, but what most do not know is that this city has some really interesting attractions that are worth a short stay. Depending on where you come from, you may consider these attractions to border on strange or you may consider them something else. For me, I find them quite interesting and worth a mention.

The first place to visit is the Sloss Furnaces. These industrial ruins are a National Historic Landmark and were used in the production of Pig Iron from 1882 to 1971. Where many Pig Iron furnaces around the country had gone out of commission much earlier, this one was still going strong.

Despite the fact that some believe the site to be haunted (SyFy’s Ghost Hunters and the Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures have investigated the site), it is the site of a nationally-recognized metal arts program, a barbeque cookoff, a fire show, and hosts concerts and festivals. Every year around Halloween, the site hosts the Sloss Fright Furnace for those looking to be intentionally frightened.

When finished here, a visit can be paid to an African Village replica in the Middle of America can be found. It’s Joe Minter’s African Village in America. Joe Minter’s yard is filled with totems and shrines to Africa. It’s a rather fascinating site, especially since Joe built everything with whatever he could find from pots and pans to hubcaps.

There are also some more famous sites, such as the Statue of Liberty replica. It is amongst the largest Statue of Liberty replicas in the U.S. because it stands at 36 feet tall. There is also the Racist Dogs Sculpture that replicates a time in which civil rights marchers were assaulted by water cannons and the dogs.

And then there is the Vulcan Iron Man, which is one of the most famous statues. The statue keeps watch over the heart of Birmingham. Vulcan is the Roman God of Fire. The statue stands at 52 feet and was at one time the largest statue in the United States. Vulcan is a rather breathtaking site. Vulcan can be found on the Summit of Red Mountain, which was not the original placement, but had to be moved to its current location due to repairs that needed to be made.

I have found that Birmingham just offers a taste of what Alabama has to offer. The entire state is an adventure in itself with a lot of history that goes back a long way. For those interested in the civil rights movement, Alabama is a state to visit in order to learn a lot and to see some of the sites that hold places in our history books.