civil rights — Stop by the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. Photo via Bham Now

Rachael Ray in Season magazine listed Birmingham as a favorite, must-see location. Take a look.

The List

There is so much history that runs through Birmingham and Alabama.

Described as the birthplace of the American Civil Rights movement, Birmingham has a lot to offer out-of-towners interested in learning more about one of the most significant social movements in our lifetime.

Here’s what Rachael Ray in Season had to say about the places featured in “The Great American Road Trip” list:

Our country is full of national treasures—wild places, diverse communities with deep histories, birthplaces of culture and the arts. And they’re all just a drive away! We’ve chosen a handful of our favorite routes to inspire your next journey. Pick a trip or trace your own path. Just remember to look, listen, and go slowly.
Rachael Ray in Season magazine

It is great to see that Birmingham is being recognized as a destination in a national magazine. There is so much beauty and history here.

Interested in exploring more Civil Rights around Birmingham? We’ve got your covered:

Birmingham in Alabama Civil Rights Landmarks

selma — View of the Edmund Pettus Bridge from The St. James Hotel – Selma. Photo via The Bama Buzz.

Alabama is home to several Civil Rights museums and monuments. In Birmingham, we pass historic landmarks everyday on our way to work and school, like the 16th Street Baptist Church, Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and Kelly Ingram Park.

Here’s the list of places the magazine recommended, which include historical monuments throughout the state:

Downtown’s Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument
The Gaston Motel
The Carver Theatre
Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame (opening summer 2021)
Anniston Freedom Riders National Monument
Tuskegee Airmen Airfield Museum
Selma to Montgomery National Scenic Byway
Martin Luther King’s Parsonage Museum
Rosa Parks Museum
National Memorial for Peace and Justice

While you’re on your road trip throughout the state, check out the newly renovated Selma’s St. James Hotel. Here’s a link to our website where you can learn more.

Many of the locations shed light on the history of inequality, discrimination, murder and hate crimes in the state.

Although it may sound heavy to some, it is an important part of our history that we should never forget.

“Visitors learn how ordinary people have the power to affect their realities, inspire others to change, and transform the world.”
Barry McNeely, in an interview with Rachael Ray for Season

Want to see who else made Rachael Ray’s magazine list of must-see places in the U.S.? Check out the rest of the story here.

Birmingham Making the News

A.G. Gaston Motel sign lit on March, 10, 2021. Photo is a screenshot from the city of Birmingham Phase 1 completion ceremony.

Rachael Ray isn’t the only publication that has highlighted the Magic City over the past few years. Here is a portfolio of stories that have featured our community.