Experience Birmingham - The Historic Highlights

Overview

Discover the rich history of Birmingham, Alabama, on a guided tour that takes you through the city’s most iconic landmarks. Visit Arlington House, our only remaining plantation house in the city limits. The Alabama Theatre, a beautifully restored 1927 movie palace, and the Lyric Theater and learn about its role in the city’s cultural history. Explore the Civil Rights District, where pivotal events of the Civil Rights Movement took place, including the 16th Street Baptist Church and Kelly Ingraham Park. Finally, marvel at the beautiful architecture of the Vulcan Park and Museum, home to the world’s largest cast iron statue.

Please note that this tour does not include the interior of the 16th street Baptist Church or The Alabama and Lyric Theaters.

This 3 – 4 hour tour gives the best overview of the history of the Magic City.

City: Birmingham

Wed 14 May

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $100.00

Make a reservation

Wed 14 May

Starting at $100.00

Make a reservation

New York City Tours

Unique Activities (21) Transfers & Transportation (175) Tours, Sightseeing & Cruises (252) Entry Tickets (96) Sporting Events (4) Good for Small Groups (27) Seasonal & Holiday Tours (113) Walking Tours (705) Outdoor Activities (48) Limitied Availability Tours (29) LGBT Friendly Tours (9) Family-friendly Activities (8) Wildlife Activities (6) Solo Travelers' Tours (147) Food & Drinks (96) Travelers recommend (174) Good for Groups (32) Top Activities (75) Guided Audio Tours (10) Art, Culture & History (406) Attractions to explore (43) Sustainable Tours (1) Limousine Transfers (5) Donut Walking Tour (2) Virtual Experiences (1) Additional fees (7) DSA non-compliant (17)

What's Included

Air-conditioned vehicle

We always carry premium, ice chilled bottles of water for our guests

All Fees and Taxes

This tour includes a stop at the Alabama Peanut Company, with complementary tastings of freshly roasted and boiled peanuts. We also provide Local potato chips for those who might have allergies.

Additional Info

Service animals allowed
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

What To Expect

Heaviest Corner on Earth

The Heaviest Corner on Earth is a promotional name given to the corner of 20th Street and 1st Avenue North in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, in the early 20th century. The name reflected the nearly simultaneous appearance of four of the tallest buildings in the South, the 10-story Woodward Building (1902), 16-story Brown Marx Building (1906), 16-story Empire Building (1909), and the 21-story American Trust and Savings Bank Building (1912).

Five Points South

We pass through this ever evolving area (and the center of Birmingham's Foodie revolution) and discuss how our city is becoming a MAJOR food destination

Vulcan Park and Museum

We will see the largest Cast Iron statue in the world, get a great view of the city and learn about the moon that never sets

Arlington Antebellum Home and Gardens

Our only remaining Southern Plantation House

Rickwood Field Park

The Oldest Ballpark in America - home to both White and Negro League teams and site of several movie locations Currently undergoing renovations for a major League game in 2024 and closed to visitors

Civil Rights District

This area is the center of the Civil Rights Struggle that defined Birmingham in the 60's (and continues to do so even today)

16th Street Baptist Church

The very moving site of the bombing that slaughtered 4 children and cemented the Civil Rights Act of 1964

Show 4 more stops

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (25)

Mominchina

Oct 2024

David was amazing! My head was spinning with his phenomenal knowledge of the Birmingham area! I cannot say enough good things about his tour. My husband and I got a real "feel" for the city, got to see the highlights of the city and even had a great lunch at the "Garage". I felt thoroughly spoiled after he dropped us off at our hotel! One of the things that impressed me the most is that David actually LOVES Birmingham and is a vibrant resident of the city. We've traveled extensively and this is a very unusual quality!

Lafy56

Sep 2024

This was such an interesting tour. My husband and I had never been to Birmingham. We saw most of the main areas of the city. Our guide was extremely knowledgable about the city’s founding, growth, cholera epidemic, rebuilding, and civil rights movement. He was able to give us lots of interesting information about everything we saw (or drove past). The tour starts at Vulcan Park which was beautiful. It sits high on the mountain and overlooks Birmingham. Our guide personally took us through the museum there and we learned about the city’s history of mining and iron smelting as well as the Vulcan statue. The highlight for us was the Negro Southern League (Baseball) Museum. We are baseball fan’s and loved it. Our guide was knowledgable about every exhibit there. Four hours was not nearly long enough, but we felt like we got a great foundation in Birmingham’s history to do more exploring on our own. Well worth the time and cost.

Innovation007

Sep 2024

I loved my highlights tour with David. He was so informative and engaging. He gave me a better understanding of the city and some of its facets: food (I did not know about white barbeque so will have to try), the history of the negro league, civil rights and architecture. Will have to return to try the other tours like the ghost walk with my posse to celebrate my birthday. What a find!