On the back wall of Fountain Parker Harbarger and Associates Insurance Agency on Holmes Avenue (at…read morethe intersection of Holmes Avenue and Washington Street downtown) you'll find the Galactic Mural! The mural's official name is "Celestial Symphony." The wall of the insurance agency on which it is adorned faces a parking lot shared with the Federal courthouse. It features at least eight aluminum planets and was designed by Alabama artist Ms. Jessie Andrews. The cool aluminum planets are a three dimensional pop out from the flat wall mural behind the art installation. Jessie said it took her a year to come up with the idea, make the planets, and put it all together. She installed the mural in four days. I love Celestial Symphony/Galactic Mural and all the murals Huntsville and North Alabama have! Nice job, Ms. Andrews!

This is the Galactic Mural. Huntsville has many cool Murals all around the place. This is another…read morecool example of the public art scene in Huntsville. I enjoy all the colors and the design of this public art mural. Go check it out in this cool city.

The Welcome to Huntsville mural is part of the Alabama Mural Trail and was created by Gracie…read moreLennox. As Ashley S., said it is a great photo spot and it one of the most photographed pieces of art in Huntsville. It is really simple and pretty in person and resembles a post card. It's in Big Spring Park and in my opinion, it really brightens up the building on which it is painted which is a parking garage if I recall correctly. The Welcome to Huntsville mural is one of over 14 murals that grace various locations in the Rocket City and Madison County! I highly recommend the Alabama Mural Trail, especially in Madison County!

This mural is a staple of the city and located in Big Spring Park not far from the staircase. It's…read morea great photo spot!

This is the Koi Mural. Huntsville has many cool Murals all around the place. This is another cool…read moreexample of the public art scene in Huntsville. I enjoy all the colors and the design of this public art mural. Go check it out in this cool city.

Very Nice People work there It is a FANTASTIC PLACE to study…read moreand to research. It is a good place for students to have a relaxing place to do homework. I know, I was once a student, and did my homework there because it is peaceful there.

Lawdy, we've used HPL since I was a twinkle in my Mother's eye and it was located on Fountain…read moreCircle. Then, they had framed artwork available for checkout and Mom kept those in full rotation at home - pretty cool! I participated in Daughters of the Revolution flag speech competitions in elementary school which were held at the library. It was always a thrill when the bookmobile would park up the street at John's Big Brothers! Yes, I was a serious book nerd, especially as a child. My family purchased numerous memorial materials for departed friends and loved ones and have donated items to HPL consistently over the years. Dewey Decimal System anyone? :) I can't find the date this library was built; however, it's been a while. Before moving out of Madison county, I used the library a lot. I loved the online renewal process and enjoyed their CDs, DVDs, books (of course) and many purchases from the Friends of the Library bookstore (the volunteers there are sooooooo sweet and helpful!). Glancing at their policies, who knew they had a darkroom available for use in 4 hour increments? I've also enjoyed several of the smallish art displays they had inside (not the window displays, which are nice) but a true small artist's exhibit The staff have always been helpful, and their computers do the trick now that the card catalogs are long gone. I live in an adjacent county now and I work in HSV (and own property in Huntsville), and here's the rub: when I last checked because I do not reside in Huntsville proper an HPL card was $50.00/year. S e r i o u s l y. I think that is steep and ridiculous, especially when I own property in HSV! I also have to ding them on the tiny parking spaces and the sketchiness of those who hang out in the parking lot. If you can get past those dings, you will find a vast array of books, sources for geneological research (this section is the Heritage Collection, I believe it is located on the 3rd floor - hard left as you exit the stairs) and an obituary index, local history, additional digital resources such as Rosetta Stone to learn languages, a great selection of current magazines to peruse and CDs galore ranging from Taylor Swift to the Boston Symphony. They have a microfilm/microfiche section that "includes an almost complete run of The Huntsville Times from 1928 - 2015, along with many early Huntsville papers, including The Huntsville Democrat, Southern Advocate, and the Mercury papers." I recall they had decades of Huntsville phone books (a throw back to back when that was a thing) and (I could be wrong about this) church membership directories. Their children's section is fairly expansive too and often had children's artwork on display. Oh, and they do have an after hours drop box. They have ~ 11 branches in Madison county and do a great job of sharing materials, if another branch has what you are searching for, within a few days they will have that item at a branch convenient to your home or work. Reading their COVID policies, it sounds like they are doing a great job with that! Do "check out" the library - "create |explore | connect!"

New to the area? Visiting? A local with time to kill? The food and the people are a break from the…read morearea, so open your mind and walk the 3 floors, look through every studio, open or closed, and sit a while. Appreciate the art, have a snack at the various cafe's and lunch at Fizzy Flapper. They have ice cream, made to order sodas, chili dogs, cookies, and an ambience that is worth the visit. Next door to them is IRONS distillery. have a tasting and buy a bottle! Visit the arcade on the 1st floor on your way out. There are plenty of studios with custom carpets, models, painting, costume clothing, and a cigar box guitar shop. Ask about their classes! There are food vendors outside too. So take an hour and relax at the Mill.

Absolutely love shopping here because it's always something new that you missed the last time you…read morewere here

It was so pleasant to see this painted on the side of an old car wash. It's a beautiful peace of…read moremagical history of what's left of the love in Huntsville Alabama

This is the Love you to the moon and back. Huntsville has many cool Murals all around the place…read more This is another cool example of the public art scene in Huntsville. I enjoy all the colors and the design of this public art mural. Go check it out in this cool city.

I have visited here twice on field trips with my students. I love this museum! There's so much to…read morelearn and if you're into science like me, this is definitely your place. There are self-guided tours, guided tours for groups and hands-on classroom experiences. You can meet an actual NASA scientist, learn about our solar system in the planetarium, and enjoy the various rides that are included with admission. There are other fun things to do but I believe those events/rides cost extra. You can even enjoy lunch under the trees or in the food court area inside. Pro Tip: Plan to visit at least two days to take it all in! It's definitely an out of this world experience!

If you have even the slightest interest in space, this place is a must-see!…read more The U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville is the largest space museum in the world -- and it shows. From the moment you walk in, you're immersed in the story of humanity's journey beyond Earth. The exhibits walk you through our humble beginnings in rocketry, the intensity of the Space Race against the Soviets, the tragedy of Apollo 1, and the evolution of technology that eventually put humans on the Moon. You'll see command modules, landers, rovers, military applications, the role animals played in early testing, quarantine procedures after splashdown, and in-depth looks at International Space Station and Skylab. And then there's the jaw-dropping moment when you enter the massive building housing the fully displayed Saturn V rocket. It's hard to put into words how enormous and impressive it is stretched out above you. Seeing it in its entirety is worth the visit alone. We easily spent five hours here -- arriving shortly after opening and leaving about an hour before closing -- and still felt like we could have spent more time reading and exploring. There are over 1,500 artifacts on display. Every corner has something fascinating. One of my favorite parts? Actual rocket scientists were onsite at the Saturn V exhibit, ready and excited to answer questions. Talking to people who genuinely worked in the field adds a depth you just can't replicate with signage alone. I also highly recommend catching a show in the planetarium. We saw the presentation on the James Webb Space Telescope, and it was incredible. Pro tip: get there about 20 minutes early and line up. The shows are popular, and early arrival means better seats. Bonus -- you can bring in popcorn, candy, soda, or Icees if you're feeling snacky. Parking is huge and well organized. While they cap attendance each day at several hundred visitors, we had no issue getting tickets. The onsite cafeteria looked large with several food options. I noticed vegetarian choices but didn't confirm vegan availability. If I had one small critique, it would be that I wish there were even more actual flown-in-space artifacts. There are some, but many displays are trainers and simulators. That said, I understand that many space-flown items aren't recoverable, so replicas and trainers make sense. I also appreciated that the museum doesn't stop in the past. It brings the story into the present, covering modern space ventures like Blue Origin and SpaceX. Bottom line: this place is absolutely worth the trip. Plan for at least four hours -- five if you really want to dive in. There is so much to read, see, and experience. Space nerd or not, you'll leave inspired.

Carole is a gifted, exceptional, creative visual artist (I recall she is a great photographer,…read moretoo). I took a painting class from her when she had her studio in Athens, AL. Her twin sister is talented, too and they both played tennis for Auburn on scholarship, which is impressive in itself! Each of her pieces isoriginal and unique and must be seen in person to be appreciated. Such exquisite texture and brilliant color and skill!!!! I especially love her paintings of local landmarks such as Burritt Museum, First Methodist Church, Huntsville skyline, Kaffeeklatsch, among many others including still lifes, tableaus, portraits of famous musicians, and famous people in general - all from an extremely unique, fresh, perspective! Looking at her website, it looks like she may have moved to N. Parkway, in Huntsville. Per her website she is offering COVID-friendly classes beginning next month. I highly recommend her as a talented passionate artist and talented, compassionate instructor! Her classes are completely intimidation free and I would recommend visiting her gallery to see her works in person - photographs just do not do them justice! Back to her classes, they are not inexpensive; however do not let that stop you, she has the talent and 29 years' experience to back it up. You should be able to find something in every price range at Carole's - as she offers original paintings, prints, photography, drawings and sketches and a collegiate series featuring both Alabama and Auburn items for sale - so, something for everyone! Here is her gallery information from her website: GALLERY in HC Blake Art & History Center, Huntsville, Alabama: 2007 North Memorial Parkway |Suite O Huntsville, AL 35810| HOURS: MON - SAT 10-2 and BY APPOINTMENT Why not get your creative on in 2021?!?!?!?! :)

Carole is such a great teacher and has helped me find a passion for painting. Her gallery is…read morewonderful and her classes are extraordinary! Everyone should visit her gallery in downtown Athens, AL!

Big fan of Egg Beater Jesus. I came. I saw. I bought the t-shirt. Whisk you were here.read more

The oldest Baptist church in Alabama! There is a historical marker on the front right corner of the…read moresidewalk. You will definitely not miss this church, it's bright and colorful Jesus portrait is sure to draw your attention. Very neat steeple too that looks similar to a rocket.