Birmingham’s temperate climate, with warm summers and mild winters, and easy access to beaches, mountains, rivers, hiking trails, and some less-natural beauty make it a shame to stay inside the house.

• The Birmingham Botanical Gardens offer 67.5 acres of plants and sculpture, including a Japanese tea garden, a wildflower garden with more than 400 plants native to Alabama, a fern glade, and the Southern Living plant collection. The Gardens also offer Discovery Field Trips, children’s summer programs, and adult classes, lectures, and workshops.
• Birmingham is in close proximity to plenty of outdoor attractions. Try canoeing on the Cahaba River, caving at DeSoto Caverns, or hiking at Ruffner Mountain or Oak Mountain State Park. Or visit the Alabama Wildlife Center at Oak Mountain, which is devoted to the care and rehabilitation of over 2,500 native birds, mammals, and reptiles. And, there’s Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park, with more than 1,500 acres in three counties set aside for hiking, camping, and outdoor recreation.
• Don’t feel obliged to lace up your hiking boots if a really fantastic pair of Valentino wedges is more your style. The Summit, Riverchase Galleria, WaterMark Place Outlet Center, and more offer plenty of opportunities for shopping excursions.
• If your preference leans toward golf cleats, the Birmingham area features nearly 20 golf courses, including Oxmoor Valley, a stop on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. Oxmoor Valley has two par-72 long courses and one par-54 short course in a scenic Appalachian setting.
• Alabama has more navigable waterways than any other state in the country. Don’t miss boating, canoeing, kayaking, and more on 1,445 miles of river.
• Birmingham is the geographic center for fun in the Southeast, located a mere:
  - 258 miles from the beaches in Mobile
  - 298 miles from the Great Smoky Mountains
  - 351 miles from New Orleans
  - 150 miles from Atlanta
  - 194 miles from Nashville
  - 591 miles from Orlando

The best entertainment for children and teens is that which stimulates and entertains their parents as well. Birmingham offers a wide variety of family-friendly activities that will educate and entertain visitors of all ages.

• McWane Science Center offers more than 9,000 square feet of hands-on education. Parents can have just as much fun as their kids building roller coasters and playing an air harp at ScienceQuest; little ones can enjoy being just mice size at Just Mice Size; and the entire family can enjoy the World of Water aquarium, Challenger Learning Center, and IMAX Dome Theatre.
• The Birmingham Zoo is home to more than 250 animals, including 80 species of birds, 80 species of reptiles, and 60 species of mammals. Encounter butterflies and giraffes, feed sea lions, and meet the zoo’s most famous resident, Babec, a Western Lowland gorilla who received the first-ever gorilla pacemaker courtesy of a medical team that included UAB physicians.
• Families can get fresh air and enjoy high-quality college sports watching UAB’s NCAA Division I Blazers. And don’t forget about the Birmingham Barons, Birmingham’s AA Minor League baseball team, or the Steeldogs, Birmingham’s arena football team. Want to learn more about the history of sports in Alabama? Visit the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, a place where “heroes and their memories live forever.”
• Don’t miss the panoramic view of Birmingham from atop Vulcan’s viewing platform. Birmingham’s 60-ton, 55-foot-tall mascot is the world’s largest cast iron statue and the second largest statue in the nation, next to the Statue of Liberty. Admire the view, learn about the history of industry in Birmingham at the Vulcan Center, or just wander the 10 acres of parkland.