When German rocket scientist Wernher von Braun came to Huntsville in 1950, the town was little more than a tiny military outpost. Von Braun was sent to be part of the U.S. Army's new missile research program at nearby Redstone Arsenal. Later he would become one of the prime movers of the U.S. space program as head of the Marshall Space Flight Center, where the Saturn V rocket that blasted men to the moon in 1969 was developed.
Huntsville became known as "Rocket City" after that. If you're interested in the history of space flight, a visit to Huntsville is as big a must as a trip to Cape Canaveral or Houston.
As result of its direct connection to one of the greatest achievements in human history, Huntsville became a high-tech boom town and grew rapidly. Today you'll find a small metropolis in the Appalachian foothills of northern Alabama that is still a major hub for NASA and, surprisingly, has many notable historical sites predating the space age by a long shot.
Don't miss
Twickenham Historic District
The Union army occupied Huntsville for much of the Civil War, so it was spared the destruction that many other Southern towns experienced. As a result, its Twickenham Historic District contains one of the South's largest concentrations of antebellum homes. Adjacent to downtown and bounded by two other historic districts -- Old Town and Five Points -- most homes are of the Federal, Greek Revival and Italianate styles. The Weeden House Museum (300 Gates Ave.), birthplace of artist and poet Maria Howard Weeden, was built in 1819 and is the oldest house museum in Alabama open to the public.
U.S. Space & Rocket Center
A pet project envisioned by von Braun during the halcyon days of the Apollo program in the late 1960s, the center opened in 1970 to showcase the hardware that made the moon mission possible. Since then it has grown into a destination worthy of Smithsonian Institution Affiliate status. Full mock-ups of the Saturn V rocket and the space shuttle are on display and visitors can play astronaut, experiencing G-forces and brief weightlessness on rides such as the Space Shot.
The center is also home to traveling exhibits and a domed IMAX theater. Driving into town on I-565 it's impossible to miss the center, as the rocket mock-ups are the tallest structures for miles around. You'll see the top of the Saturn V long before you reach it.
Harrison Brothers Hardware
A living museum and working hardware store, Harrison Brothers was founded in 1879 and has been operating in the same location on the square downtown since 1897. If you want to experience what a hardware store might have been like in the 19th century, this is the place.
Take in the pot-bellied stove, high wooden shelves reached by a rolling ladder, an old cash register and invoices from last century stacked on the desk. Plenty of modern and throwback gifts are on sale at the store, an ongoing preservation project staffed and operated by the nonprofit Historic Huntsville Foundation.
Mooresville
For another step back in time take a short side trip a few miles west of Huntsville to Mooresville. This tiny town off Exit 2 on I-565 was incorporated in 1818, when Alabama was still a territory. Mooresville has been using the same wooden cabin as a post office since 1840. It is one of the oldest continually operating post offices in the country and contains post boxes that predate the building itself. Nearby is the the Stagecoach Tavern, built in the early 1820s, currently serving a dual purpose as a museum and town hall. Two historic churches are also located in Mooresville.
EarlyWorks Museum Complex
Three different museums make up this downtown attraction, which spreads over many city blocks. The EarlyWorks Children Museum is a hands-on history museum geared toward younger kids, who are encouraged to touch the exhibits, including a General Store where they can trade wares and try on 1800s-era garb. The Depot is a historic train station (circa 1860) where you can see graffiti scrawled on the walls by soldiers during the Civil War. Constitution Village is where Alabama's first constitutional convention convened in 1819; today costumed guides re-create life as it was when statehood was established.
Stay
For a place with so many historic houses, you'd think there would be plenty of B&Bs in Huntsville, but that's not the case. An abundance of chain hotels are in the area, but independently-run inns are a rarity. Dogwood Manor is a bed-and-breakfast located on 3.5 acres of land a few miles from downtown. Rates start at $99. 707 Chase Rd., Huntsville. 256-859-3946, www.dogwoodmanorbandb.com.
Eat
801 Franklin. Fine dining near downtown with a seasonal menu featuring local foods and an extensive wine menu. Small plates start at $12, large plates at $25. 801 Franklin St., Huntsville. 256-519-8019, www.801franklin.net.
Happy Tummy. This eatery is located on the first floor of one of Huntsville's newest and hippest arts and cultural destinations, Lowe Mill. The historic, renovated textile mill also houses artist studios, galleries, shops and is worth a visit even if you don't eat. The menu changes weekly but standards include wraps, sandwiches, burgers and dogs, $3-$9. 2211 Seminole Drive, Huntsville. 256-348-8132, www.mmmhappytummy.com.
Visitor info
Huntsville/Madison County Visitor Center. 500 Church St., Huntsville. 256-533-5723, www.huntsville.org.
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