From average weather, 2021 to 2025: days that are warm but not hot, with few rainy days, score highest. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
Arrival day
Before Day 1. You will want a car for the days in Montgomery and Selma, so plan to pick one up on arrival or on the way.Details
Flying in
Most visitors land at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, which is close to the city. A ride or a taxi takes you downtown, and a rental car makes the drive south easy. Check ahead on your flight times and the weather.
By car
Birmingham, Montgomery and Selma are each a drive from the next, on main roads. Check the road and the forecast before each leg, and give yourself a day without a rush at either end.
What to wear
Wear shoes you can walk in, since Day 1 and Day 3 are on foot. In the warm months the heat and the humidity are strong, so carry water and sun cover, and bring a light layer for cold rooms inside the museums.
Respect at the sites
Several places on this trip are working churches, and others are memorials to people who were killed. Keep your voice low, ask before you photograph a person, and follow the rules posted at each site. Day 1 starts in Birmingham, so settle in the evening before.
How much walking? On foot, about 0.3 to 0.8 miles a day, and 136.9 miles by car in all across 5 days. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.
Day 1. Sloss, Railroad Park and the south side and Red Mountain and the ridge
5 stops · 8.9 mi by car
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
1
Morning
Sloss Furnaces
A National Historic Landmark in Birmingham, a blast furnace that made pig iron from 1882 to 1971. It is now a museum of industry with a metal arts program, and one of the first industrial sites in the country to be preserved for public use.
Go whenMorning, with a hat for the yards.
Local tip A blast furnace that ran from 1882 to 1971, now a museum of industry and a National Historic Landmark. Wear sturdy shoes, mind the steps and rough ground, and check ahead on the tours.
Gardens on the side of Red Mountain in Birmingham, on a former piece of unused city land and opened in 1963, with a library, a children's plant area and many gardens to walk through.
Go whenMorning, under the trees.
Local tip Gardens on the side of Red Mountain, opened in 1963. A calm place to walk after the heavy days. Check ahead on what is open.
An art museum in the cultural district of Birmingham, with more than 24,000 paintings, sculptures, prints and decorative arts from Asian, European, American, African and other cultures.
Go whenMidday, as an indoor stop.
Local tip The collection has more than 24,000 works from many cultures. Choose a few rooms rather than trying to see them all, and check ahead on the opening.
A park on the ridge south of downtown around the statue of Vulcan, the Roman god of fire and the forge, a nod to the iron and steel that built Birmingham. The article calls it the largest cast iron statue in the world. It is a short drive from the Civil Rights District, with a view over the city.
Go whenAfternoon into evening (about 6:13 PM), for the view over the city.
Local tip The statue is of the god of fire and the forge, a nod to the iron and steel that built Birmingham. It is a short drive from downtown, and the grounds have a view of the valley. Check ahead on the tower and the museum.
A 19-acre park in downtown Birmingham that opened in 2010, with lawns, water features and a trail along the rails. A place to rest between the heavy stops of the trip.
Go whenLate afternoon (about 6:13 PM), when the heat eases.
Local tip A 19-acre park downtown with lawns, water features and a trail along the rails. A good place to rest between the heavy stops of the trip.
If it rains. Birmingham Museum of Art is covered, so keep it. Move Sloss Furnaces, Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Vulcan Park and Museum and Railroad Park to a dry day if you can.
Day 2. The Civil Rights District of Birmingham and Sloss, Railroad Park and the south side
5 stops · 0.3 mi on foot, 2.7 mi by car
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
1
Morning
16th Street Baptist Church
A Baptist church in Birmingham. In 1963 it was bombed by Ku Klux Klan members, and the bombing killed four young girls. The church is still in operation and is a National Historic Landmark. It is a working church, so keep your voice low, and check ahead on whether visitors may go in.
Go whenMorning, outside the hours of services.
Local tip It is a working church and a place of memory for the four girls who were killed in 1963. Keep your voice low and ask before you photograph a person. Check ahead on whether visitors may go in.
A four-acre park in the Birmingham Civil Rights District, just outside the doors of the 16th Street Baptist Church. It was a central staging ground for large demonstrations in 1963, and sculptures in the park mark what happened here. Walk it slowly and read what is posted.
Go whenMorning, before the other stops of the day.
Local tip Walk the paths and read the signs and the sculptures. The park sits just outside the church, so it is a good place to take in the district before you go indoors.
Lunch
Alabama white sauce chicken
Smoked chicken with a tangy white sauce of mayonnaise, vinegar and pepper, a dish of north Alabama, served with slaw and a slice of white bread.
Local tip The sauce is thin and sharp, so ask for it on the side if you are not sure.
About 2 min walkunder 0.1 mi
3
MiddayIndoor
Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
A museum and educational center across the street from the church. It tells the story of the 1963 Birmingham campaign and its Children's Crusade, and the wider civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Allow time and go at your own pace, since some rooms are hard to see. Check ahead on the opening.
Go whenMidday, as an indoor stop.
Local tip Go through the galleries in order and take breaks. Some of the rooms are hard to see, so go at your own pace, and check ahead on the opening.
A museum in the Carver Theatre in the Birmingham Civil Rights District, about the jazz music of Alabama and the people who made it.
Go whenAfternoon, as an indoor stop.
Local tip A museum in the Carver Theatre in the Civil Rights District, on the music of Alabama. Check ahead on the opening.
About 13 min by car or transit2.7 mi
5
Afternoon
Rickwood Field
A ballpark in Birmingham built in 1910 and said to be the oldest existing professional baseball stadium in the country. It was the home of the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro leagues.
Go whenAfternoon, outdoors.
Local tip A ballpark built in 1910, said to be the oldest existing professional baseball stadium in the country, and a home of the Negro leagues Birmingham Black Barons. Check ahead on whether visitors can go in.
If it rains. Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame are covered, so keep them. Move 16th Street Baptist Church, Kelly Ingram Park and Rickwood Field to a dry day if you can.
Day 3. Downtown Montgomery
4 stops · 0.6 mi on foot, 84.1 mi by car
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
Drive from Rickwood FieldAbout 2 h by car84.1 mi
Where Day 2 ended.
1
MiddayIndoor
Freedom Rides Museum
A museum in the former bus station in Montgomery, the site of a violent attack on participants in the 1961 Freedom Ride. The museum opened in the building in 2011. Check ahead on the opening.
Go whenMorning, as an indoor stop.
Local tip The museum sits inside the old bus station, so look at the building first. It tells the story of the 1961 Freedom Ride and the attack that followed. Check ahead on the opening.
A memorial by Maya Lin, sponsored by the Southern Poverty Law Center. The names of 41 people are inscribed on a granite fountain as martyrs who were killed in the civil rights movement. It is open to the air, so take a moment of quiet by the water.
Go whenMorning, outdoors.
Local tip The names are on a round granite table with water flowing over it, and a wall of water stands behind. Take a quiet moment, and touch the water if you wish.
One meat and three sides on a plate, such as baked chicken with greens, macaroni and cheese, and black-eyed peas, with a square of cornbread.
Local tip Choose your sides by the day, and ask what has just come out of the kitchen.
About 2 min walkunder 0.1 mi
3
MiddayIndoor
Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church
A Baptist church in Montgomery, a National Historic Landmark. Martin Luther King Jr. was pastor here and helped organize the Montgomery bus boycott in 1955. It is steps away from the Capitol. It is a working church, so check ahead on services and on whether visitors may go in.
Go whenMidday, outside the hours of services.
Local tip Martin Luther King Jr. was pastor here from the 1950s. It is a working church, so stay quiet, cover your shoulders, and check ahead on services and on whether visitors may go in.
The state capitol of Alabama on Capitol Hill, a National Historic Landmark since 1960. The marchers of 1965 walked to this building from Selma. Walk up the hill and look at the front, and check ahead on whether you can go inside.
Go whenAfternoon, to end the day on the hill.
Local tip The marchers of 1965 walked up to this building from Selma. Look at the front from the steps and the street, and check ahead on whether visitors can go inside.
If it rains. Freedom Rides Museum and Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church are covered, so keep them. Move Civil Rights Memorial and Alabama State Capitol to a dry day if you can.
Day 4. The Legacy Museum and the memorial and Downtown Montgomery
3 stops · 0.8 mi on foot
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
1
Morning
Rosa Parks Museum
A museum on the Troy University campus in Montgomery, with exhibits and artifacts from the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott, and a reenactment of the arrest of Rosa Parks. Check ahead on the opening.
Go whenMorning, as an indoor stop.
Local tip Start with the bus reenactment and then move through the rooms on the boycott. Take your time, and check ahead on the opening.
The Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration is a museum in Montgomery that displays the history of slavery and racism in America. This includes the enslavement of African-Americans, racial lynchings, segregation and racial bias. Allow time, and take breaks. Check ahead on the opening.
Go whenMidday, as an indoor stop.
Local tip This museum covers hard history, from the enslavement of African-Americans to racial lynchings, segregation and bias. Give it time, take breaks, and plan a quiet hour afterward. Check ahead on the opening.
Collard or turnip greens simmered until soft, with a wedge of cornbread to dip in the broth, and a plain meat on the side, a Southern lunch plate.
Local tip Take the cornbread to the pot likker, the broth at the bottom of the greens.
About 11 min walk0.6 mi
3
Afternoon
National Memorial for Peace and Justice
A memorial to commemorate the black victims of lynching in the United States, founded by the Equal Justice Initiative. It consists of a memorial square with 805 hanging steel rectangles, one for each of the counties where a documented lynching took place. Go quietly, and check ahead on the opening.
Go whenAfternoon, outdoors.
Local tip The memorial is open to the air, so carry water in warm weather and wear shoes you can walk in. Go quietly, read the names, and keep conversation low. Check ahead on the opening.
Slices of unripe tomato dipped in cornmeal and fried until crisp, tart in the middle, with a dipping sauce, served with a simple Southern plate.
Local tip Eat them hot, and ask for the sauce on the side.
If it rains. Rosa Parks Museum and The Legacy Museum are covered, so keep them. Move National Memorial for Peace and Justice to a dry day if you can.
Day 5. Selma
3 stops · 0.7 mi on foot, 41.1 mi by car
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
Drive from National Memorial for Peace and JusticeAbout 1 h 9 min by car41.1 mi
Where Day 4 ended.
1
Morning
Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church
A church on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Selma, and a starting point for the Selma to Montgomery marches in 1965. It was the meeting place of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference during the Selma Movement, and a National Historic Landmark. It is a working church, so stay quiet and check ahead on whether visitors may go in.
Go whenMorning, outside the hours of services.
Local tip The church was a starting point of the Selma to Montgomery marches. It is a working church, so stay quiet. The article notes it needed repair after being unoccupied in the pandemic, so check ahead on whether visitors may go in.
About 10 min walk0.5 mi
2
Midday
Edmund Pettus Bridge
A steel arch bridge across the Alabama River in Selma, built in 1940. It was the site of Bloody Sunday on March 7, 1965, when police attacked demonstrators who were trying to march to Montgomery. The marchers crossed the bridge again on March 21. It is a National Historic Landmark. Walk across with care, and watch for traffic.
Go whenMidday, on foot.
Local tip Walk across with care and watch for traffic. This is where the police attacked marchers on March 7, 1965, known as Bloody Sunday. Stop at the signs and read them.
Raw peanuts boiled in salted water until soft, a Southern roadside snack sold in paper bags and cups, eaten warm with the shell.
Local tip Crack the shell, eat the soft nut, and leave the shell in the cup.
About 5 min walk0.2 mi
3
AfternoonIndoor
National Voting Rights Museum
The National Voting Rights Museum and Institute in Selma honors and records the activists of the events leading up to the 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches and the passage of the Voting Rights Act. Check ahead on the opening.
Go whenAfternoon, as an indoor stop.
Local tip The museum honors the activists of the voting rights movement and the 1965 marches. It stands close to the bridge. Check ahead on the opening.
A sweet pie of pecans in a syrup of eggs, butter and sugar, in a flaky crust, a Southern dessert for the end of the trail.
Local tip A small slice is plenty, since the filling is rich.
If it rains. National Voting Rights Museum is covered, so keep it. Move Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church and Edmund Pettus Bridge to a dry day if you can.
Departure day
After the last day. Selma is a drive from both Montgomery and Birmingham, so leave time for the road.Details
Leaving Selma
Check the road and the forecast the night before, and fill the tank early. Decide whether you fly home from Montgomery or return to Birmingham, and allow time for the drive and for a rental car return.
Take time to think
The sites of this trip are heavy. If you have a free hour, sit in a park or at a table with a notebook, and write down what you saw before the days run together.
Books and reading
Many of the museums and memorials have a bookstore or a reading list. A book by someone who lived these events is easy to carry, and a good way to keep the trip going on the flight home.
Questions people ask
When is the best time to visit Birmingham?
By average weather from 2021 to 2025, March to April and October to November are the most comfortable months for walking around Birmingham. This plan is built for october to November, which is one of the best months. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
How many days does this plan cover?
It covers 5 days in Birmingham, planned for october to November. Each day is built around a small number of stops, with room to rest.
Who is this plan for?
It was planned for most travelers. The pace and the places reflect that, so check it fits how you travel.
Is anything on this plan booked?
No. Places marked "book ahead" need a reservation. Hours, prices and availability change, so confirm before you go.
Can I plan my own days like this?
Yes. Archie drafts a day by day plan for your dates and takes your pace, the weather and who is travelling into account. You can start one from the Archie app.
Can I change this plan?
Yes. It is a starting point you can change to fit your own trip: swap a place, add a day or move the pace.
How much walking is there?
On foot, about 0.3 to 0.8 miles a day, and 136.9 miles by car in all across 5 days. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.
4 days in AtlantaAbout 150 miles awayAn easy add-on
3 days in the North Georgia mountainsAbout 210 miles away
4 days from Faulkner's Oxford to the Delta and NatchezAbout 230 miles away
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