Welcome to Gadsden, a charming city situated in proximity to the Coosa River and the northeastern part of Alabama. Back in the 19th century, the city used to be a major economic hub and shopping center for steel, rubber, and tire industries in the region. While the remains of all these industries can be seen and felt even today, Gadsden is now more famous for its beautiful scenic beauty, gardens, lakes, parks and a welcoming atmosphere. If you are planning to go for a vacation with your children, Gadsden is an excellent destination. After all, the city has plenty of places where your kids can enjoy including performing arts, outdoor pursuits, and museums. Gadsden is also a great city for discovering local history and indulge in outdoor activities. Also, if you are traveling to the Deep South, the city is just a short drive from places such as Atlanta and Birmingham. Now, let us explore the best things to do in Gadsden, Alabama, so that you do not miss out on any of its key attractions.
1. Enjoy the various works of art at The Walnut Gallery
Posted by The Walnut Gallery on Saturday, May 8, 2021
The Walnut Gallery is a contemporary art gallery and school for fine arts that offers an open forum for the cultural exchange of ideas. The gallery also hosts several events, public lectures, art exhibitions, poetry readings, independent film screenings, concerts, and many more.
Working closely with the Alabama State Council on the Arts and the city of Gadsden, the gallery aims to be a cultural resource of Northeast Alabama and guarantees you a great time in all the events that it hosts.
The Walnut Gallery
Address: 806 Walnut St, Gadsden, AL 35901, United States
Website: The Walnut Gallery
Opening hours: Mon - Fri: 3pm -5pm (closed on Sat & Sun)
2. Go shopping at Gadsden Variety Antique Mall
Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing
Located in the heart of downtown, Gadsden Variety Antique Mall features a variety of antique stores that sell items like furniture, art pieces, live ferns, and silk flowers. Experience the shopping of the olden days as you walk through the mall’s old creaky wooden floors. There is also a cafe that you can relax in after shopping or browsing around the mall.
Customers praise the variety of items on sale with one stating that the prices are more reasonable than most antique stores.
Gadsden Variety Antique Mall
Address: 422 Broad St, Gadsden, AL 35901, United States
Opening hours: Mon - Sat: 10am - 5pm (closed on Sun)
3. Delve into local history at Gadsden Museum of Art
Founded in 1963, the Gadsden Museum of Art is situated on Broad Street. However, it was only in 1965, two years later, that the museum opened its first exhibit. The museum relocated many times in the past before finding its present house in Downtown Gadsden. The Gadsden Museum of Art comprises three art galleries. The gallery on the first floor conducts exhibitions and huge shows. The gallery on the second floor is referred to as the Grand Gallery. It hosts exhibitions frequently showcasing objects from the permanent collection of the museum. The third floor includes photographs, artifacts, and other items that are associated with local history.
Gadsden Museum of Art
Address: 515 Broad St, Gadsden, AL 35901, United States
Website: Gadsden Museum of Art
Opening hours: Tue - Sat: 10am - 5pm (closed on Sun & Mon)
4. Stroll along Etowah Memorial Bridge
Coosa River Bridge, also known as Etowah Memorial Bridge has been constructed over the Coosa River. The bridge was constructed in 1927 and has been dedicated to all those martyrs who sacrificed their lives during the First World War. The concrete arch bridge has a monument and a memorial plaque at the entrance. You can enjoy some stunning views of the cityscape from this bridge. So, make sure that you do not forget to take your camera to capture those vistas forever.
Etowah Memorial Bridge
Address: Gadsden, Alabama
5. Unwind at Chief Ladiga Trail
Chief Ladiga Trail is America’s longest continuous rail-trail. The trail opens an hour before the sunrise and closes an hour after the sun has set. It is the perfect spot for a wide range of outdoor activities including inline skating, hiking, jogging, or cycling. Outdoor enthusiasts can walk or bike through the woods, pass the wetlands full of wildlife, and travel through the farmland. Motorized traffic is not allowed along the trail so that visitors can enjoy the natural beauty of Alabama in complete peace while weaving through Calhoun and Cleburne counties. The trail is dotted with many streams and is an ideal spot to enjoy a picnic. Simply, relax, sit back, and enjoy the beauty of the countryside.
Chief Ladiga Trail
Address: Chief Ladiga Trail, Alabama, USA
Website: Chief Ladiga Trail
6. Tour the Back Forty Beer Company
In case you would wish to savor award-winning and top-notch quality craft beer, Back Forty Beer Company can be an excellent choice. The brewery is set in a red-brick warehouse that dates back to the 1940s. Its name refers to an ancient agricultural term denoting the most fertile land. The brewery offers imaginatively named ales like “Truck Stop Honey” and “Naked Pig”. You can not only relish craft beer here but can also munch on to some delightful delicacies at Back Forty Test Kitchen. Back Forty Beer Company will always welcome you warmly and encourage you to make new friends here.
Back Forty Beer Company
Address: 200 N 6th St, Gadsden, AL 35901, United States
Website: Back Forty Beer Company
Opening hours: Tue - Thu: 5pm - 9pm; Fri - Sat: 11am - 9pm; Sun: 11am - 5pm (closed on Mon)
7. Treat your eyes to the view at Noccalula Falls Park
Noccalula Falls Park is one of the most beautiful spots in the city. Perfect for the entire family, the park features lovely gardens and rocks with plenty of flowers and shrubs. These can be viewed when you enjoy your ride on a miniature train or while walking along the paved walking trail of the park. Your kids can enjoy being close to the Petting Zoo’s Pioneer Village. The park also offers a souvenir shop, a playground for the kids, and picnic pavilions.
Noccalula Falls Park
Address: Noccalula Falls, Gadsden, AL 35904, USA
Website: Noccalula Falls Park
Opening hours: 9am - 5pm (daily)
8. Spot animals at Tigers For Tomorrow
A non-profit preserve for wild animals, Tigers for Tomorrow has more than 170 tigers, bears, black leopards, and African lions. The non-breeding preserve provides a permanent home for several predatory animals that were earlier a great threat while left loose in the wild. The goal of this sanctuary is to cement the gap between animals and human beings through education and conservation. Educational group visits and private tours can be arranged so that the visitors can catch glimpses of cougars, wolves. and more in the scenic park situated in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.
Tigers For Tomorrow
Address: 708 Co Rd 345, Attalla, AL 35954, United States
Website: Tigers For Tomorrow
Opening hours: Fri - Sun: 9am - 5pm (closed from Mon - Thu)
9. Tap into your creative side at Mary G. Hardin Center for Cultural Arts
Operational from 1990, Mary G. Hardin Center for Cultural Art is a non-profit center for arts in the city of Gadsden. Situated inside an ancient departmental store, which has been remodeled, the building is easy to spot. Its entrance has a tri-color cylinder and the building features a triangular rooftop. This stunning center conducts a wide variety of visual performances and displays and traveling art exhibitions. During April to September, visitors can sit back and enjoy many concerts in its courtyard.
Mary G. Hardin Center for Cultural Arts
Address: 501 Broad St, Gadsden, AL 35901, United States
Website: Mary G. Hardin Center for Cultural Arts
Opening hours: Mon - Sat: 10am - 5pm; Sun: 1pm - 5pm
10. Explore recreational opportunities at Neely Henry Lake
The lake allures anglers from different parts of the United States of America with its deep water and hundreds of miles of shoreline. Neely Henry Park is full of a wide variety of fish including catfish bluegill, and bass. Also, anglers have the choice of fishing from the shore or taking a boat out in the lake. Visitors who are not interested in fishing and go for a leisurely tour of Neely Henry Dam, or indulge in bird-watching for a while at Ten Islands Historic Park. Adrenalin junkies and outdoorsy travelers can take a mountain bike on rent and explore the expansive forest trails and pathways on the way.
Neely Henry Lake
Address: Alabama 36271, USA
Website: Neely Henry Lake
11. Soak in some culture at Mort Glosser Amphitheatre
Constructed in 1935, Mort Glosser Amphitheater was built using locally-sourced sandstone that gives it a distinctive look. This outdoor theater has a seating area shaped like a half-hexagon and features a club room, stone arch, and timber frame. The amphitheater was used during World War Two for entertaining servicemen from neighboring camps. Thereafter, the theater has been hosting live music events, boxing matches, political rallies, and summer plays. During the summer season, free concerts are held every first Friday of the month.
Mort Glosser Amphitheatre
Address: 90 Walnut St, Gadsden, AL 35901, United States
Website: Mort Glosser Amphitheatre
12. Visit the legendary Noccalula Falls
The iconic Noccalula Falls is located inside the city’s Noccalula Falls Park. You can enjoy the best view of these falls during winter and spring when water is available in abundance. However, the falls simply look stunning no matter when you visit the spot. The falls were so named after the Native American Princess called Noccalula. There is also a statue of the princess along the trails of the park. If you want to catch the best views, take a stroll across the bridge that crosses the falls. You can enjoy 360-degree vistas of these falls as well as the lush surrounding parkland from this bridge.
Noccalula Falls
Address: Noccalula Falls, Gadsden, AL 35904, USA
Website: Noccalula Falls
Opening hours: 9am - 5pm (daily)
13. Play a round at the Silver Lakes Golf Course
Silver Lakes Golf Course is situated between Gadsden and Anniston in Northeast Alabama. Located on a rolling terrain, the golf course offers magnificent vistas of the neighboring Appalachian foothills. A devastating tornado caused massive havoc to this golf course in 2011. However, the golf course underwent extensive renovation projects and now sports a transformed look. The renovated golf course with its original trail clubhouse and the lake is perhaps the finest golf course on the trail and features 36 holes.
Silver Lakes Golf Course
Address: 1 Sunbelt Pkwy, Gadsden, AL 35905, United States
Website: Silver Lakes Golf Course
Opening hours: 7am - 5pm (daily)
14. Walk through the buzzing Downtown Gadsden
You just cannot afford to miss exploring Downtown Gadsden, which is a great spot for shopping, visiting museums, and dining with your loved ones. Irrespective of whether you wish to purchase a special present for your dear one, enjoy events on “First Friday” with the locals, or discover local artwork, it is an ideal place to explore. As you might have guessed it, “First Fridays” happen on every month’s first Friday in Downtown Gadsden’s Broad Street. Shop here till the sun sets, dine, dance, or make some new friends.
Downtown Gadsden
Address: Broad Street, Gadsden, AL 35901, United States
Website: Downtown Gadsden
15. Browse through the exhibits of Imagination Place
A museum for children, Imagination Place is situated on Broad Street and is a part of the city’s Mary G. Hardin Center for Cultural Arts. The museum has been specifically designed for the little ones aged two to ten years and offers fun activities to them but with valuable educational experiences. In case you are in pursuit of a fun place for the little ones in Gadsden, it can be an excellent spot to explore. The permanent exhibit of the museum is called KidsTown USA that offers scaled versions of a grocery store, a farm, a construction pit, a medical clinic, and a pirate ship among others.
Imagination Place
Address: 501 Broad St, Gadsden, AL 35901, United States
Website: Imagination Place
Opening hours: Mon - Sat: 10am - 5pm; Sun: 1pm - 5pm
16. Travel back in time at Central Carver Legacy Museum
If you are interested to know about the African-American history in detail, make sure to visit and explore the Central Carver Legacy Museum at Gadsden. Some of the major activities here include training, guided tours, special exhibits, and insightful seminars. It also encourages the participation of the alumni in certain special events like monthly observances, local school events, and art exhibits among others. Central Carver Legacy Museum is situated in the same location where the Carver High School was earlier located.
Central Carver Legacy Museum
Address: 1030 Tuscaloosa Ave, Gadsden, AL 35901, United States
Website: Central Carver Legacy Museum
17. Spend some family-bonding time at The Factory
Set in Gadsden’s Thomas Drive, The Factory started as a real factory back in the 1980s featuring pieces of machinery and tools. The building was eventually purchased by the owner’s son in 2013. He remodeled the factory into a huge play center for adults and kids. Some of the activities you can indulge in here are “Open Jump”, “Flight Simulator”, where the players get an opportunity to control a simulated aircraft, and Si-Fi Safari Galactic Laser Course". The last one is a high-technology laser tag game. The Factory also hosts birthday bashes and field trips and special events such as “Munchkin Jump” and “Teen Night”.
The Factory
Address: 100 Thomas Dr, Gadsden, AL 35904, United States
Website: The Factory
Opening hours: Wed - Thu: 3pm - 9pm; Fri: 3pm - 10pm; Sat: 11am - 11pm; Sun: 1pm - 7pm (closed on Mon & Tue)
18. Go bird watching at James D. Martin Wildlife Park
Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing
James D. Martin Wildlife Park is situated along Neely Henry Lake’s backwaters. The park offers the chance of observing the locality’s wildlife by following a beautiful walking trail that stretches along the line of the shores and an array of boardwalks, which have been constructed over the lake’s surface. All these boardwalks allow the visitor to visit some wooded islands situated at the Black Creek’s mouth. The area comprises wetlands and mudflats, which are homes to a huge variety of wildlife in general and birds in particular. You can watch birds like bald eagles, osprey, and different types of herons and egrets.
James D. Martin Wildlife Park
Address: 998 S 6th St, Gadsden, AL 35901, United States
Website: James D. Martin Wildlife Park
Opening hours: 6am - 6pm (daily)
19. Spend an eventful day at Gadsden Bingo Center
An excellent way of relieving your stress is to play bingo at the city’s Gadsden Bingo Center, You can also make new friends, meet interesting people and win a lot of bucks. Also, it is possible to play here for just 6 USD for the entire night. In case you are looking for something exciting and new to do in the city, look no further. Not only adults but even kids aged 12 and above are welcome here. The center supports local charities from the proceeds here.
Gadsden Bingo Center
Address: 1206 Alabama Ave, Gadsden, AL 35901, United States
Website: Gadsden Bingo Center
Opening hours: 5pm - 10pm (daily)
20. Shop till you drop at Gadsden Mall
Shopaholics will love to explore the Gadsden Mall, which is set at the interchange of U.S, Route 411 and Interstate 759. Located in the city’s southern section, the mall offers a variety of interesting stores. While the shopping mall is not a big one, its Book-A-Million store has quite an impressive stock. There is a string of fashionable clothing stores in the mall to take your pick from. If you feel famished after your shopping spree, relax at the food court and savor some delicacies.
Gadsden Mall
Address: 1001 Rainbow Dr, Gadsden, AL 35901, United States
Website: Gadsden Mall
Opening hours: 10am - 9pm (daily)
21. Watch a secluded tournament at Coosa Landing Boat Launch
Northern Alabama is dotted with streams, lakes, and rivers making it a paradise for the anglers. Every year, the Coosa Landing hosts several interesting national, regional, as well as, local fishing tournaments. There is a parking facility to accommodate around 125 trailers/boats/trucks along with the availability of overflow parking. There is a bait shop that can supply all that one needs for fishing such as both artificial and live bait, fishing licenses, and refreshments, The bait shop also features restrooms for the convenience of the visitors.
Coosa Landing Boat Launch
Address: 200 Lake St, Gadsden, AL 35903, United States
Website: Coosa Landing Boat Launch
Opening hours: 7am - 7pm (daily)
22. Gorge on seafood at Top O' the River restaurant
Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing
If you are fond of succulent seafood, Top O’ the River is an excellent restaurant for you. It has been operational in the city for over two decades. The restaurant serves generous portions of food, which are specifically cooked to order. All the food items are prepared fresh daily. The unique items on its menu such as mustard greens and fried dill pickles make this eatery truly special and distinctive. Customers visiting this restaurant can always expect quality food, friendly and cordial ambiance, value for their money, and great service quality. The catfish served here are grain-fed and farm-raised in the state of Mississippi.
Top O' the River restaurant
Address: 1606 Rainbow Dr, Gadsden, AL 35901, United States
Website: Top O’ the River restaurant
Opening hours: Mon - Thu: 5pm - 9pm; Fri: 5pm - 10pm; Sat: 4pm - 10pm; Sun: 12pm - 8pm
Enjoy a great vacation in Gadsden, Alabama
The city of Gadsden has all it takes to attract travelers from far and near including scenic beauty, golf courses, museums to shopping malls, dining facilities, and art galleries. Make sure that your itinerary includes all our recommended best things to do in Gadsden. Alabama to have a fun-filled time with your loved ones.
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