Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/3108
Black Meetings & Tourism April/May 2009: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 74 BIRMINGHAM Birmingham's largest meeting venue, the Jefferson Convention Complex, contains 220,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space, 60 meeting rooms, and a 10-story Medical Forum. The lodging inventory includes 14,000 guestrooms citywide. A visit to the six-block Birmingham Civil Rights District is not to be missed. The area is home to several notable his- toric attractions. Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, site of the 1963 bombing that killed four young girls, is now a venue for a variety of cultural, educational and civic activities. Kelly Ingram Park, which made news as the site of civil rights demonstrations and for the violence of police dogs and fire hoses attacking the protesters, is now filled with sculptures created to memorialize those events. The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute houses multi-media exhibits that chronicle the human rights struggle in Birmingham and beyond. Other landmarks in the Civil Rights District include the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame, a dedicated space in the historic Carver Theatre for the Performing Arts for honoring great musicians with Alabama ties; the Fourth Avenue Business District, which had its heyday in the early 1900s; Alabama Penny Savings Bank, the state's first Black-owned bank; and A.G. Gaston Gardens, formerly a motel for African- Americans during segregation, as well as a civil rights meet- ing place. The Barber Village Motorsports Museum, Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham Zoo, McWane Science Center, Birmingham Botanical Gardens and Alys Robins Stephens Performing Arts Center — all of which happen to offer after-hours event space — are just some of the other local attractions that might merit a spot on your group's itinerary. For outdoor recreation, the options include the Oxmoor Valley Golf Course, Birmingham's contribution to the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail; Ruffner Mountain, a 1,000- acre nature preserve; and Oak Mountain State Park, which offers golfing, picnicking, tennis, swimming, hiking and a host of other activities. HUNTSVILLE The Von Braun Center, Huntsville's most spacious setting for meetings and conventions, offers more than 130,000 sq. ft. of total space. There are 82,000 sq. ft. of column-free exhibit space and a 20,000-plus sq. ft. lobby and pre-function area in the South Hall, plus more than 50,000 sq. ft. of flexible space in the North and East/West Halls. Home to two historically Black institutions of high- er learning — Oakwood College and Alabama A& M University — Huntsville also showcases its African- American heritage at the Imhotep Art Gallery and the State Black Archives Research Center & Museum. The city's best-known attraction is the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, where a hands-on astronaut train- ing experience for visitors is a popular feature. The Huntsville Botanical Garden is located next to the space center. For those who love to explore history, some notable points of interest include the Twickenham historic dis- trict, the EarlyWorks Children's Museum and Alabama Constitution Village, where "villagers" dressed in period costume guide tours of eight recon- structed buildings. At Burritt on the Mountain, you not only can survey the X-shaped mansion and restored 19th century cabins and farm buildings and roam the nature rails, but you'll also enjoy a great panoramic view of the city below. Montgomery A L A B A M A C O N V E N T I O N & V I S I TO R BU R E AU COURAGEOUS. VISIONARY. REBELLIOUS. 8 0 0 . 2 4 0 . 9 4 5 2 | m e e t i n m o n t g o m e r y a l . n e t When groups meet in Montgomery, BIG things happen. Historic Civil War and Civil Rights Attractions Including the Rosa Parks Library & Museum and Children's Annex, the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church and Parsonage Museum, world-class arts and theatre, unsurpassed southern hospitality and more. All New Meeting Planner for 2009 New Convention and Performing Arts Centre New 4-Star Luxury Hotel & Spa New Alley Entertainment District U.S. Space and Rocket Center Photo Credit: Huntsville CVB