Birmingham Museum of Art
Birmingham Museum of Art (2000 Rev. Abraham Woods Jr. Blvd., Birmingham. 205-254-2565, artsbma.org), next to I-20 downtown, is a real find for art lovers. Admission is free and so is parking, making it one of the best deals in the city. Show your appreciation by dropping some money in the donation box in the entrance hall of what has been recognized as one of the finest regional museums in the United States. And there's plenty to appreciate in the galleries, with the museum's permanent collection featuring works of art from ancient to modern times and an ever rotating roster of special exhibitions.
Alabama Shakespeare Festival
One of the largest Shakespeare festivals in the world, Alabama Shakespeare Festival (1 Festival Drive, Montgomery. 1-800-841-4273, asf.net) is a 2½ hour drive from Atlanta. What began in the early 1970s as a summer-stock theater program in a high school auditorium has grown into a year-round professional repertory company in a large performing arts complex on 250 acres of scenic parkland. ASF now draws visitors from around the globe to its high-caliber productions each year, which include other stage classics beyond Shakespeare.
Panoply Arts Festival
Big Spring Park in downtown Huntsville is the site each spring of the Panoply Arts Festival (Arts Huntsville, 700 Monroe St. S.W., Huntsville, Ala. 256-519-2787, artshuntsville.org). The park's lagoon, lined with Yoshino cherry trees, provides a scenic backdrop for this family-friendly event. The panoply of art on display includes paintings, live music, dance and theater performances on stages throughout the festival grounds, including one stage devoted to children's entertainment. The 2016 festival will take place April 29-May 1. Tickets are $10 per day; kids 12 and under get in free. The Huntsville Museum of Art also is located in Big Spring Park, with a permanent collection that places an emphasis on Southern art.
