Rickwood Field's vintage manual scoreboard and outfield wall viewed from field level, Birmingham, Alabama — Birmingham’s Rickwood Field is the oldest professional baseball park in the country. (Caleb Turrentine / The Bama Buzz)

In celebration of America’s 250th Anniversary, Smithsonian Magazine released a list of 250 places that symbolize our nation’s history and culture. Among sites like Independance Hall in Philadelphia and Pearl Harbor, two historic Birmingham landmarks made the list: Rickwood Field and a portion of the Civil Rights Trail.

How the Smithsonian came up with their list of 250 landmarks

The entrance to the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. (Bham Now)

According to the publication, the list was developed by Smithsonian Magazine’s editorial staff with feedback from museum staff and contributing editors. They started the process more than two years ago with a list of 500+ places, eventually whittling down to 250.

The Smithsonian wanted to identify a variety of locations across the country that hold historical + cultural significance. They broke it down into 10 different categories including:

Witness to History
Culture + Community
Museums + Historic Homes
Food
Science + Ingenuity
Sounds of America
Oddball America
Natural World
Architecture + Arts
On the Screen

“We had the idea to identify 250 sites across the country, each a wonder in its own way, and nearly two years ago, we began brainstorming. Our criteria were straightforward: Does this site capture something about the United States or its people worth celebrating?”
Smithsonian

What Smithsonian had to say about Rickwood Field + Civil Rights Trail

16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham at sunset, its brick facade and domed towers silhouetted against a vivid orange sky — 16th Baptist Church at sunset in 2021 (Pat Byington / Bham Now)

One thing we know for sure, the Smithsonian got it right when they named Rickwood Field and the Civil Rights Trail to their list. Both landmarks have left an indelible mark on the U.S.

Rickwood Field, America’s oldest professional ballpark, has hosted nearly 200 Baseball Hall of Famers since it opened in 1910. In June 2024, Major League Baseball played a “Tribute to the Negro Leagues” game between the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants reintroducing Rickwood Field to the entire nation.

The Civil Rights Trail’s three Birmingham sites—the 16th Street Baptist Church, Bethel Baptist Church and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute—are places of remembrance, courage and reconciliation. All three landmarks are part of the National Park Service’s Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument.

Rickwood Field

Where: 1137 2nd Ave W, Birmingham, AL 35204
What Smithsonian said: “The oldest American professional ballpark still in use, Rickwood Field hosted the city’s Black Barons of the Negro Leagues, which counted baseball legend Willie Mays among its ranks. Its history is intertwined not only with the iron city’s rise but also its complicated role in the civil rights movement.”
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Civil Rights Trail

Where: Various locations across central Alabama
What Smithsonian said: “From Birmingham to Selma to Montgomery, eight historic landmarks trace the courage, sacrifice, and strategy that drove one of the most consequential movements in American history.”
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