Florence (Alabama)

By car

US Highway 72 which runs from East-West from Chattanooga to Memphis passes through Florence. Most major attractions, hotels,restaurants, etc are located on or near US 72 or Florence Blvd as its known within the City of Florence. US Highway 43 runs North-South from Nashville, TN to Mobile Alabama. It travels the same path as US 72 through Florence.
Florence lies about 48 miles west of Interstate 65 Exit 351 in Athens, Exits 340A-340B Decatur/Huntsville, Exit 310 at Cullman.

By plane

Near Florence, there are a few options for flying in and out. Delta Air Lines has service to Northwest Alabama Regional Airport. More flights can be found leaving from Huntsville, AL; Birmingham, AL; Nashville,TN; and Memphis, TN. Huntsville would be the shortest drive at just over one hour. The others are a little more than two hours drive.

• Northwest Alabama Regional Airport

  phone: +1 256 381-2869
  address: 1729 T. Ed Campbell Drive, Suite A in Muscle Shoals, AL

• Port of Huntsville

  phone: +1 256 772-9395
  address: 1000 Glenn Hearn Blvd, Huntsville, AL

Museums

• Frank Lloyd Wright Rosenbaum House Museum

  phone: +1 256 718-5050
  address: 601 Riverview Dr
  A house built in 1939 and designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The house is open for tours, which last about 45 minutes.

• The Florence Indian Mound & Museum

  phone: +1 256 760-6427
  address: 1028 S Court St
  The Tennessee Valley area's largest domiciliary mound. Features typical workmanship of the Indians who lived in this area before the Cherokees, Chickasaws, and Creeks.

• The Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts

  phone: +1 256 760-6379
  address: 217 E Tuscaloosa St
  Showcases artists from around the Southeast, and offers classes and workshops to people of all ages. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

• Pope's Tavern

  phone: +1 256 760-6439
  address: 203 Hermitage Dr
  This building served as a hospital along the way of many Civil War soldiers from both the North and South. It also served time as a stagecoach stop, a tavern, and an inn. The museum houses Civil War artifacts as well as antiques from the 18th and 19th centuries. This remains one of Florence's oldest standing structures.

• Children's Museum of the ShoalsContains exhibits displaying the history, people, and events that make up the Shoals' history. The museum is designed to promote learning in a hands-on environment. The museum offers educational workshops year-round for children of all ages.

• The Forks of CypressThis was a cotton plantation located in Florence. The remains can still be seen in the form of 24 Greek columns and the Jackson Family cemetery.

Other Sights

• Wilson DamThis 110x600 feet Dam is part of the TVA system. The maximum lift is 100 feet, it is the highest single lift lock east of the Rockies.

Festivals

• W.C. Handy FestivalEnjoy jazz and blues as Florence celebrates its native son.

• Fishing near Wilson DamEnjoy the fishing at the "Small Mouth Bass Capital of the World" at Wilson Dam. This fisherman's favorite is a regular on popular fishing shows.

• Hiking on Wilson Dam's network of hiking and walking paths

• Water Sports

• Florence Renaissance Faire

  address: Wilson Park
  Held in Wilson Park this unusual event draws 30,000 – 40,000 people each year to its site in downtown Florence, Alabama. It is always held on the fourth Saturday and Sunday in October, taking advantage of the fall weather and foliage. Wilson Park hosts a variety of vendors, events, and demonstrations with a medevile theme.

• The Sam Phillips Music Celebration

• The George Lindsey/UNA Film Festival

• Arts Alive

• The Spirit of Freedom Celebration

• Trail of Tears Commemorative Motorcycle RideCommemorates the final point at which area Cherokee Native Americans were shipped off to Oklahoma and the mid-west by the Indian Removal Act of 1830.

• First Fridays in Florence

Books

• Read The Store by T. S. Stribling. This is the 1933 Pulitzer Prize winner that many believe was inspired by Rogers Department Store which closed in 2001.

Sports

• NCAA Division II Championship Game

• Florence Mall

  address: 301 Cox Creek Parkway
  Regional Mall consisting of 4 main Anchors, Sears, JC Penney, Dillards and Belks. Department Stores. Contains most mid price national chains and is the focal point for surrounding shopping centers and big box stores.

• 360 Grille and LoungeAlabama's only revolving restaurant overlooks the city and Tennessee River.

• The Marriott Shoals Hotel & Spa

  address: 800 Cox Creek Pkwy South, Florence, AL 35630
  The Marriott Shoals Hotel & Spa is set in the Tennessee River Valley, offers high-speed internet access, private balconies with stunning river views, two championship golf courses on The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, and a 6,000-square-foot European style spa.

• Emergency NumberCall 911

• Police

• Fire

• Animal Control

  address: 02 East College Street Street

• Huntsville, famous for the U.S. Space and Rocket Center
• Tuscumbia, home to the Alabama Music Hall of Fame and a Moon Tree (a loblolly pine whose seed went around the moon)