This historical marker is appropriately enough in Ingalls Harbor and it remembers Robert Ingalls…read moreand his shipyard, which he opened in 1937 to build dredges, towboats and barges for coastal and river service. With World War II approaching, Ingalls Shipyard realized they were too small here and relocated to Pascagoula, Mississippi.

I love the Cambron Covered Bridge! Located atop beautiful Green Mountain on the Green Mountain…read moreNature Trail, it was built in 1974. This bridge is named after Joe E. Cambron, who was the Madison County Bridge Foreman from 1958-1974. Starting at the pavilion and hiking around, the bridge is located near the end of the 1.5 very easy trail. The Green Mountain Nature Trail is recognized as a Treasure Forest by the Alabama Forestry Commission, and it is also considered a Wildlife Sanctuary. The bridge is rustic as one would expect with numerous windows from which you can take some beautiful photographs of the lake and the park. It's especially pretty when we have beautiful fall colors!

Nice covered bridge in a peaceful setting…read more.. Covered bridges are scattered all around North Alabama and we had a glimpse of this bridge that took us back in time, when life was simpler. It's pretty cool... When we got to the bridge there was a kid fishing from one of the windows. Cambron Covered Bridge was built in 1974 and is located in Huntsville in Madison County AL. We walked on the wide gravel path that led to the bridge. The trail crosses the Cambron Covered Bridge surrounding Sky Lake. Entrance to the park is free, open to the public from 7a until 30 minutes prior to sunset. There are three large windows on each side of the bridge letting natural light in so it isn't so dark inside when you cross the bridge. Just below the windows are wooden benches. The bridge is picturesque and makes for great pictures, especially the black and white effect. I don't normally come across covered bridges too often... in fact, this may be my first time seeing one in real life (the covered bridge from the movie, The Bridges of Madison County, doesn't count). Review #1858

Come here for the Annual Somerville Celebration Festival, Fri., 1 May 2015! (Rain date Fri., 15…read moreMay 15.) We showed up here in April, and the building was "closed to the public due to safety issues with the floors." Stop by here sometime if you live in the vicinity of Morgan County, or have an interest in its history. This old county courthouse is just a couple of blocks north of Alabama hwy 67.

Couldn't find the review for the entire Square, so I'll post here. The exterior of the Courthose is…read moredefinitely more interesting than the interior. Nice to know the clock tower works, and the Methodist Church nearby is nice. I am sure there are many perks to this place, and the cowboy/pioneer statue was neat...but The Square, itself, didn't have much going for it. Heritage Park behind it is nice. I am sure there is more to it than at 10:30am....but everything is closed at that time? I hear they have a good pie shop. I gave it 3 stars because it looks like there were more positives than our experience, but casual walking and viewing, there wasn't really much to see. Glen Rose, as a town is nice, though. This just isn't one of the high points. Visit the Historic Granbury Square not too far away. Nice dining, shops, and entertainment. It won't disappoint.

We had been wanting to stop at this place and visit for awhile now. We never see any cars here, so…read morewe weren't expecting much. We quickly found that this place is amazing. We didn't expect to be so big, but the memorial just kept going and going. It eventually leads to the Huntsville Depot Museum, if you want to check out some old train cars and steam engines or if you want to keep walking it leads to the Gateway Greenway walk path. This is one of the best memorials I have seen outside of DC. I highly recommend you visit. *I threw in a couple pictures from the Huntsville Depot Museum that's located at the end of the memorial.

This is a beautiful peaceful memorial on the north cusp of downtown near the Depot…read more Mom and I have walked around it several times and when my sister comes to town, she likes to visit it, too. We have purchased pavers in memory of lost beloved Veterans and the process is easy and the people are very professional and prompt. One purchased recently should be installed by the 4th of July. When you order one you get the option of having a certificate mailed to the family of the honored Veteran. I highly recommend this. The certificate is of good quality and comes with a brochure of the memorial and I think, the general location where the brick will be. So happy my hometown honors our beloved Veterans and our great nation with this memorial. There is a lot to see here, so you can stay and learn and walk through all the displays or just get the main gist where the flags and the fountain are. Do check it out - you won't be sorry!

This is a quaint glimpse of what Madison, Alabama was like until the population and growth…read moreexplosion that hit this particular area. Main Street is a quiet and definitely has that small town feel to it. Like I said, Madison, Alabama has exploded in growth and population and I would consider the area around the stadium to be the new main area of Madison. Still, this is a very cool place to check out and I would definitely recommend here and I give it five stars overall. If you find yourself anywhere in the area, I would definitely recommend checking this glimpse into the past out.

Main Street is a small block or two in old Madison. It was the commerce hub when Madison was…read moredeveloped in the 1850s around a stop of the Memphis & Charleston Railroad. Main Street is home to the Main Street Café (which is the former site of a local prison and features a jail cell you can dine in) and Old Black Bear Brewery, Madison (which also has an Athens, AL location). Other Main Street-area businesses currently are Holtz Leather (store front is Sullivan Street), Murphy Homes, and the Lanier House Tea Room and Private Venue. Main Street is surrounded by unique 1800s period architecture including homes on Church Street. The gazebo and surrounding historical markers on Main Street are worth a stop, albeit brief, to check out! I agree with yelper John M.'s review! And, honestly, one can drive right by Main Street Madison, AL without noticing it. Since the Town Madison development has come into play, the area around the Toyota Stadium now offers many entertainment, dining, and housing options and is considered "Madison" also. Of course, Town Madison does not have the old school charm and coziness of Main Street, Madison.

Delicious food & great customer service. Healthy options were available. Will be back next time I'm…read morein town.

In Decatur, there are four buildings that survived the Civil War, including The Old State Bank. I…read morehad really intended on just snapping a picture but it happened to be open late that day for high school seniors taking pictures so the old judge/tour guide ushered me in. Such a neat building and the guide was full of good information. The tour is free, doesn't take long and you get to see the vault used as a hospital in the Civil War, as well as the bankers apartment upstairs. Beautiful house. The second floor apartment area is furnished with antiques from the 1830's, and gives a glimpse into life in the early Tennessee Valley. The coolest part to me was seeing the big dents in the columns out front where canon balls hit and bullet holes from the CIVIL FREAKING WAR! Never would have known that without the guide! This bank was one of three banks authorized by The Alabama General Assembly in 1832. Few structures can boast as varied a past as the Bank. Since its construction, the building has weathered two depressions and a Civil War, and has served as a hospital guardhouse, bank, and dance hall. Named to the National Register of Historical Places in 1972, the Classic Revival architecture of the Bank is symbolic of the period in which it was built. The building is decorated with antique pieces from the Federal and Empire period. It's the oldest standing bank in Alabama. In the early 1800's the settlement of Decatur was virtually unknown. The placement of the state bank in Decatur gave the area a new significance and aided in its transition to established town. In addition to establishing Decatur's importance in the state, the bank also heralded a new era in which banking played an increasingly important role in developing state economy. The decision to locate a branch of the state bank in Decatur was one of the first events in the town's early history to lift Decatur from relative obscurity and give it a special role in the state. Several previous attempts to institute a state banking system had failed, but the legislature would again pass a bill in 1830 to establish a state bank. Branch bank locations were established in Mobile, Montgomery and Decatur; with the Decatur bank opening on July 29, 1833. The Decatur bank reported a profit of $84,028.22 in its first year of operation. A spirit of optimism surrounded the banks and is evidenced by the legislature's decision to run the sate government from the bank profits and abolish direct taxation. Unfortunately, the good times were short-lived, as a nationwide depression in 1837 and other factors contributed to the decline of the state banks. Despite attempts to improve and reform and improve the state banks, the Decatur bank franchise was revoked by 1845. Though the banking experience ended in failure, it showed the importance of banks in a developing state economy, and the need for a safe and stable bank system. On a local basis, the bank would serve as a catalyst for Decatur's transition from "frontier village" to "town." Architecturally, the Old State Bank played a significant role in the influence and development of architectural style in Alabama for several decades. By combining elements of the Federal style with the Greek Revival style, the Old State Bank introduced a new look and influenced building style in Alabama until the Civil War.

The guides are fantastic. Tons of information on the history of Decatur. The model train set is…read morereally something to see. Tour is free. Seriously go see the model train setup. The models of the local houses are incredible.

Now restored!! Drive by and check it out. The City of…read moreDecatur has bought this historic depot, and completed a $2.5 million major restoration. The south part of the depot will be a museum. It will house a theater, and there will be a large model train layout of the city of Decatur. The museum should be complete about Spring of 2017. I hope to update my review then, and add another star or two! The north part of the building will be used as office space by the Decatur civilian police department.

I couldn't quite figure out what to place this under so I chose Landmarks & Historical buildings…read morebecause it is housed in the old Tenn.Valley Bank, built in 1927 and has a little museum upstairs on the 3rd floor. But this is the Morgan County Archives which houses huge tomes of records, genealogical papers and a most interesting display (with original documents/photos) of the Scottsboro trial. I initially went in to ask about the Garth cemetery which lies untended in the thickets behind Rose Lawn Cemetery and had a fascinating conversation with John Allison, their archivist who gave me a more detailed study of the families buried there. One of the more interesting things displayed on the first floor was original documents, court papers and photos of the Scottsboro trial where eight young African American men were put on trial for raping two white women (One later recanted her story). I have seen a documentary on this farce of a trial and it was intriguing reading excerpts from the actual trial. Upstairs on the third floor is a conference room/museum that Mr. Allison is working on. It has a confederate soldiers complete uniform, WWII uniforms and military items donated, household utensils, several weaving looms, old cameras and office machines. This is definitely a hidden gem in the Old Decatur section and worth stopping by. They normally open around 8 a.m. but are closed on holidays.