Alabama

Birthplace of the Rocket Age
Huntsville, Alabama, is known as the “Rocket City” for its pivotal role in developing the space program. The Saturn V rocket, which took humans to the moon, was built here.

State Nickname
Alabama is often called the “Heart of Dixie” because of its central location in the Southern United States.

First 911 Call
The nation’s first 911 call was made in Haleyville, Alabama, in 1968, marking a significant development in emergency response services.

Historic Music Scene
Muscle Shoals, Alabama, has been an influential music recording hub since the 1960s, attracting famous artists like Aretha Franklin and the Rolling Stones.

Iron and Steel Industry
Birmingham, Alabama, once the leading iron and steel producer of the South, was known as the “Pittsburgh of the South” due to its industrial prowess.

Boll Weevil Monument
Enterprise, Alabama, is home to the world’s only monument dedicated to an insect, the boll weevil, which ironically helped diversify the region’s agriculture by ending the monopoly of cotton.

The State Insect
The monarch butterfly is Alabama’s state insect, a symbol of beauty and transformation.

U.S. Space & Rocket Center
Home to one of the largest space museums in the world, this center in Huntsville houses an authentic Saturn V rocket and many other space artifacts.

Historical Civil Rights Movement Sites
Alabama was a central stage for the Civil Rights Movement, with key events like the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Selma to Montgomery marches.

Mobile’s Mardi Gras
Mobile, Alabama, is the birthplace of America’s Mardi Gras, predating New Orleans’ famous celebration. It began in Mobile in 1703 and continues to be a major cultural event each year.