After the Civil War, Railroads Came to a Place Called Jones Valley in the Foothills of the Appalachian Mountains

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After the Civil War, railroads came to a place called Jones Valley in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. In the mountains, the settlers found rich minerals---coal, limestone and iron ore--- for making iron, and the area began to grow. In 1870, a group of investors used their money to form a company to build a brand new city. They knew the new city would be great because of its big iron industry.

Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau | inbirmingham.com | #INbirmingham They named the new city Birmingham after the city of Birmingham, England, because they both were iron- and steel-producing centers. Birmingham was recognized as a city by the state legislature on December 19, 1871. Some people said the new city sprang up so fast that it was just like magic, so Birmingham became known as “The Magic City.”

Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau | inbirmingham.com | #INbirmingham Richard Arrington, Jr. Since that time, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).

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Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. Visitors come from all over the world to learn about the things that happened here during the Civil Rights Movement. They visit places like the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.

Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau | inbirmingham.com | #INbirmingham People come to visit for lots of other reasons too. They like to climb up the statue of Vulcan and see all around the city from up high. Vulcan is the largest cast iron statue in the world, and he doesn’t wear any underwear!

Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau | inbirmingham.com | #INbirmingham The Birmingham Zoo Birmingham Botanical Gardens are

Do you like motorcycles? Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum has the largest collection of old and new motorcycles in the world. It’s amazing to see hundreds of bikes all in one building.

Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau | inbirmingham.com | #INbirmingham Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark is a cool place to learn about Birmingham’s history in the iron and steel industry. You can walk among the tall stacks and see where the hot iron was poured to make pig iron. Some people say a ghost lives at Sloss Furnaces.

Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau | inbirmingham.com | #INbirmingham Everybody has a good time at Red Mountain Park. You can ride ziplines, climb treehouses and walk across rope bridges. If you want to, you can even bring your dog.

Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau | inbirmingham.com | #INbirmingham Lots of people come to Birmingham just to play golf. Two of the best courses are on the famous Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail that runs through the whole state. You can also have a good time practicing your swing at Topgolf Birmingham.

Cambrian Ridge (Greenville)

Capitol Hill (Prattville/Montgomery)

Grand National (Auburn/Opelika) Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau | inbirmingham.com | #INbirminghamHampton Cove (Huntsville) Highland Oaks (Dothan)

Lakewood Golf Club (Point Clear)

Magnolia Grove (Mobile)

Oxmoor Valley (Birmingham)

Ross Bridge (Hoover/Birmingham) Silver Lakes (Gadsden/Anniston)

The Shoals (Muscle Shoals/Florence) McWane Science Center

Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau | inbirmingham.com | #INbirmingham If there’s one thing people really like to do in Birmingham, it’s eat out. Birmingham has lots of fancy restaurants and lots of places for hamburgers and barbecue, too. Many people call Birmingham the “Dinner Table of theSouth.”

Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau | inbirmingham.com | #INbirmingham