Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/572452
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. There are about 14,000 area guestrooms. !,!"!-! One of the 11 lakes that make up the new statewide Alabama Bass Trail might make an ideal setting for an incentive trip for an avid angler or the reunion of a family of fishing enthusiasts. Huntsville's historic park and mansion Burritt on the Mountain has a new meeting facility under construction that will accommodate about 300 people, just right for a small conference or corporate retreat. Mobile is ready to impress visitors with its rich, multicultural history on arrival: The city's welcome center is housed in a recreated 1735 French fort. The National African American Archives & Museum is a great place to learn about the African-American heritage of this Gulf Coast destination. Visitors to Alabama's capital city should be sure to check out the new Freedom Rides Museum, housed in the Montgomery Greyhound Bus Station in the Court Square Historic District. Ol' School music lovers traveling to Tuskegee might get a kick out of seeing stage costumes and other memorabilia on display at the Commodores Studio. Tours are available by appointment only through the Tuskegee Human and Civil Rights Multicultural Center. ")2-).'(!- Birmingham's renowned Civil Rights District is a must-see attrac- tion, home to such historic sites as the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, where the notorious KKK bombing took place; Kelly Ingram Park, where a series of sculptures commemorates the civil rights demonstra- tions held on the grounds; and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. Other area landmarks include the Alab ama Jazz Hall of Fame, located inside the historic Carver Theatre for the Performing Arts; the Fourth Avenue Business District; Alabama Penny Savings Bank, the state's first Black-owned bank; and A.G. Gaston Gardens, a former motel and civil rights meeting space. Several of Birmingham's top visitor attractions offer space for meet- ings and other group events. Unique offsite venues include the Sloth Furnaces National Historic Landmark; the Birmingham Museum of Art; the McWane Science Center; the WorkPlay Theater; and Barber Motorsports Park. The Five Points South district is a popular hangout for dining and entertainment, while the Alabama Adventure theme park serves up a day of family fun. B M & T ••• May/June 2015 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 22 Birmingham's Sixteenth St Baptist Church !2+!.3!3 Pick-your-own fruit farms are cropping up all over the nation, but only in Arkansas can visitors pick their own diamonds — at Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro , which also offers picnic areas and hiking trails. Pine Bluff-Jefferson County Regional Park hosts the popular Smoke on the Water barbecue and music festival every September. Pine Bluff's Southeast Arkansas Arts and Sc ience Center is also located in the park. The spas on Bath House Row in Hot Springs National Park and the Magic Springs/Crystal Falls theme and water parks are just a couple of attractions that make Hot Springs an appealing destination for a business incentive trip, vacation or family reunion. Little Rock's most notable Black heritage attraction is the Central High School National Historic Site, where a landmark U.S. school desegrega- tion case began. A conference room in the Central High School Visitors Center, located near the school, is available for meeting groups. Photo Credit: Greenberg William Jefferson Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, Arkansas. Photo Credit: Anthony Totah &,/2)$! Visitors to the Sunshine State, which is marking its 500th anniversary in 2012, will find plenty of outstanding historical attractions to explore. The home of the famed African-American educator Mary McCloud Bethune is open for tours on the campus of Bethune- Cookman University in Daytona Beach, where another historical point of interest is the Ponce de Leon Lighthouse. Jacksonville's Olustee Battlefield M onument is at the site of a significant Civil War battle waged by the all-Black Massachusetts 54th regiment for the Union. Other local attractions include the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville and the World Golf Hall of Fame & Museum. Along with being home to the historically Black Florida A&M University — and its famous marching band — Tallahassee also is the site of the John G. Riley Center & Museum of African