Alabama Museum of Natural History
University of AlabamaThe Alabama Museum of Natural History is located on the campus of the University of Alabama, near Amelia Gorgas Library and the Quad. Smith Hall, named after Dr. Eugene Allen Smith, the state geologist, has housed the Alabama Museum of Natural History since 1910. The architecture of the building is a mixture of beaux-art and classical revival style with eight large Ionic columns.Through the large pediment stone doorway entrance, the atrium gallery gives a full display of both the beauty and style of the architectural design during the early 1900s. Alabama marble and iron make up the grand staircase leading to the Grand Gallery Exhibition Hall, where natural artifacts are displayed in glass cases in the monumental hall. The Alabama Museum of Natural History is both a beautiful and interesting place to visit while experiencing the history of Tuscaloosa and the state.• Visit Time: Monday through Saturday 10:00 am to 4:30 pm (closed Sundays and UA Holidays)• Admission: $2 for adults, $1 for students (K-12) and senior adults (55+), free for children under the age of 5, and free for University of Alabama students, faculty, and staff. Group tours are available by calling 205-348-6383• Guided Tours: $2 per person (over 10 people), discovery tours are $3 per person, and the discovery lab experiences are $5 per person• Parking Accessibility: Five dedicated parking spots at the rear of the building; more parking is available in the Ferguson and ten Hoor parking decks (visitor parking on the top deck) for $5• Wheelchair Accessibility: One wheelchair accessible entrance, which is located on the left side of the building (when entering from the rear) and on the right side (when entering the front)• Website: https://almnh.ua.edu/• Contact Information: (205) 348-7550, or email them at museum.programs@ua.edu.• Address: 427 6th Ave, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487
Transportation Museum/Queen City Pool
Historic Building MuseumThe Mildred Westervelt Warner Transportation Museum is located next to Queen City Park, right across the street from the Black Warrior River. The building that houses the museum was once the Queen City Pool House, which Mildred Warner built as a memorial to her son who died in a drowning accident. The site was designed and built in 1943 by architect Don Buel Schuyler, Tuscaloosa’s resident architect from 1936 until 1964, and designer of several of the community’s structures. He designed the Queen City Pool House in art deco style, which is characterized by smooth surfaces and curved and stylized geometric motifs. In 1966, the city leased the pool to a private corporation. Although the official reason was that the people of Tuscaloosa were not using it enough to make it profitable, some have suggested that city officials did not want to fund what was to become a racially integrated pool. In 1989 the City of Tuscaloosa closed the site. In 1992, the pool and bathhouse were both added to the National Register of Historic Places. The area remained in disuse until 2005, when a grant from the Alabama Department of Transportation allowed for the pool house to be converted into a museum. The museum opened on December 13, 2011, and traces the history of the City of Tuscaloosa through the development of its transportation networks. The building’s previous function makes for a unique museum layout, and the original pool site remains visible.Open Times: Tuesday-Saturday 10am-4:30pmAddress: 1901 Jack Warner Pkwy, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401Handicap Accessible?: YesPhone Number: (205) 248-4931Website Link: http://www.warnertransportationmuseum.com/Visit Duration: 35-45 minutesParking Availability: SubstantialCosts: Free Admission
Bryant Museum
MuseumPaul William “Bear” Bryant was the head coach of the University of Alabama football team from 1958-1982, during which time he won a record-high six national championships and amassed 323 wins. The Paul W. Bryant Museum opened in 1988 and was originally conceived by the coach himself as a museum that would honor the coaches and players of the teams he led throughout his career. Expanding on that mission, the museum now exhibits both the history and the artifacts of over a century of Alabama football. Some of the highlights of the museum are the Hall of Honor, which memorializes all of Bryant’s teams, and a crystal replica of Coach Bryant’s iconic houndstooth hat. The mission statement of the museum is “to collect, preserve and exhibit items and to disseminate information relating to the sports history of the University of Alabama.”Open Times: Daily 9am-4pmAddress: 300 Paul W Bryant Dr, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401Handicap Accessible?: YesPhone Number: (205) 348-4668Website Link: http://bryantmuseum.com/index.aspVisit Duration: 35-45 minutesParking Availability: Limited on weekdaysCosts: $2 for adults$1 for Seniors +60$1 Children (6-17)Free for Children under 6Tags: Football, Museum Tour, University of Alabama Museums
Jemison-Van de Graaff Mansion
Historic House MuseumThe Jemison-Van de Graaff Mansion was built by Robert Jemison Jr. in 1859. The mansion was used as a home for the Jemison family for nearly seventy years. Jemison was a wealthy slaveholder who owned numerous plantations and businesses in and around Tuscaloosa, served in the Alabama legislature, and was a Senator for the Confederate States of America during the Civil War (1861-1865). The mansion, a beautiful Italianate house, was designed by John Stewart. Stewart, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, along with his partner, Samuel Sloan, designed the Alabama Insane Asylum (Bryce Hospital). Most of the wood and brick used to construct the house came from Jemison’s plantations or businesses. A majority of the construction was performed by Jemison’s skilled enslaved peoples and was finished in 1862. The structure was the first house in Tuscaloosa, and one of the first in the state, to have a fully plumbed bathroom featuring running water, toilets, a hot water boiler, and a copper bathtub. The mansion had its own gas plant to provide gas for illumination. Following Robert Jemison’s death in 1871, the mansion was passed down to his descendants, the most famous of whom was Robert Jemison Van de Graaff. Van de Graaff lived in the mansion during the early 1900s and went on to invent the Van de Graaff Generator, which earned him the nickname, “The Father of Modern Physics.” During the Great Depression the house was divided into 13 apartments and rented to Tuscaloosa residents. On the brink of demolition, the house was bought by Tuscaloosa businessman Victor Hugo Friedman, of the Battle-Friedman House and Gardens. The mansion served as the Friedman Public Library from 1955 to 1979. Once the library was relocated, two national publication companies, Horizons and Antique Monthly, operated within the house. In 1991, the Jemison Van de Graaff Mansion was acquired by the Tuscaloosa County Preservation Society and the Heritage Commission of Tuscaloosa. Today, the mansion is a historic house museum and the main office of the Tuscaloosa County Preservation Society.Phone numbers: 205-758-2906Addresses: 1305 Tuscaloosa StreetParking Available in the lot opening off of 14th StreetWeb Links: www.historictuscaloosa.org
Gorgas House
Built in 1829, the Gorgas House originally served as a multi-purpose building for students on the University of Alabama campus. This building, which was designed by Alabama state architect William Nichols, functioned as a student residence, a hotel for students and staff, and dining hall. However, the students misbehaved so often that the house was converted into a faculty residence in the 1840s. When the Union Army came through Tuscaloosa in 1865, the Gorgas House was one of only four structures to survive the burning of the campus. After the war, the Gorgas House continued its former role as a residence. Josiah Gorgas, a Northern-born Confederate general, was named University president in 1878, serving for one year before health concerns required that he step down. For nearly one hundred years, the Gorgas family lived in the residence. Amelia Gorgas, Josiah’s wife, and daughter of Alabama Governor John Gayle, served as Head Librarian and Post Mistress for the University.Their son, William Crawford Gorgas, was appointed Surgeon General of the United States Army in 1914. He was instrumental in curbing the yellow fever epidemic around the Panama Canal project in the early 1900s, which helped ensure its completion.Hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00 Am-12:00 pm, and 1:00-4:30 pmAddress: 810 Capstone Drive, Tuscaloosa, ALAccessibility: First floor handicap accessible, second floor handicap inaccessible.Contact: (205) 348-5906, https://gorgashouse.ua.edu/Parking: Suggested use of the Ferguson Center Parking Deck, (Fees apply)Admission Cost: Free for students and Alumni, $2.00 for other visitors.
Old Tavern Museum
Downtown Old Tuscaloosa, Historic House TourThe Old Tavern is located in downtown Tuscaloosa and adds a noticeably beautiful building to the area. In 1827, innkeeper William Dunton built the Old Tavern approximately three blocks from its current location. Originally, the Old Tavern was a tavern and hotel for travelers on the stagecoach route that came through Tuscaloosa. As a hostelry, the Old Tavern served state legislators, Confederate soldiers, and was the temporary home for Governor John Gayle during 1831-1835. The Old Tavern shows the old commercial architecture of Tuscaloosa, which is a rare glimpse into a broader history of the city. From 1882 to 1964, the Old Tavern functioned as a private residence.The Tuscaloosa County Preservation Society (TCPS) acquired the deed to the Old Tavern in 1964. The Old Tavern was moved to Capitol Park (the current location) to save it from demolition. Since then, the TCPS has performed extensive renovations in order to restore the building. It serves as a museum that houses historic and rare artifacts including furniture, cooking utensils, and portraits. Today, the Old Tavern boasts a moss garden, as well as an area dedicated to early native plants. Please visit the adjacent Capitol Park and Old Jailhouse.Thank you so much for visiting the Old Tavern and please visit the the many shops and eateries that make up Tuscaloosa's thriving downtown.• Tours Daily at 1:30 Tuesday - Saturday (Tour times subject to change)• Admission: Free• Private tours are available by appointment• Tour Time: The Old Tavern has parking on the right side of the building, as well as the parking spots across the street• The Old Tavern is not wheelchair accessible• Contact Information: http://www.historictuscaloosa.org• Phone Number or Email: 205-758-1998, or email at info@historictuscaloosa.org• The Old Tavern is located on 500 28th Avenue, Tuscaloosa, AL 35405
Murphy-Collins African American Museum
The Murphy family built the Murphy-Collins House in 1923. William J. Murphy was the first black mortician and funeral director in Tuscaloosa. Murphy’s wife, Laura, was principal at 20th Street School. The Murphys hired George Clopton, the first licensed black contractor in the state of Alabama, to build the house. Clopton used salvaged bricks, windowsills, and other materials from the ruins of the Old State Capitol building at Capitol Park (another stop on this tour), to construct the craftsman bungalow-style home, which was popular during the early 20th century.It is the last example of the “Lace Curtain District.” This area earned its name from the lace curtains prominently hanging in the homes of black teachers, doctors, and other affluent community members who resided in the neighborhood. With the construction of Lurleen Wallace Boulevard, many homes in this historic black neighborhood were destroyed, creating a division between Tuscaloosa’s white and black neighborhoods. In 1986, the city of Tuscaloosa purchased the home from Mrs. Collins with plans to exhibit and preserve black heritage. Under the direction of the Tuscaloosa County Preservation Society, the house is now a museum that focuses on accomplishments and contributions the black community has made to Tuscaloosa.•2601 Paul W. Bryant Drive, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401•205-758-2861•http://www.historictuscaloosa.org/properties/murphy-collins-house-murphy-african-american-museum/•Tours – Wednesday-Saturday 1:30-4:30 or by appointment, duration 45 minutes•COST - Free•HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE - Yes•PARKING AVAILABILITY – Street parking
Paul R. Jones Art Gallery
The Paul R. Jones Collection of American Art at The University of Alabama includes one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of 20th-century African American art in the world, amassed over decades by Paul Raymond Jones, who has been described by Art & Antiques magazine as “one of the top art collectors in the country.” Jones donated the 1,700-plus piece collection valued at more than $10.3 million to the College of Arts and Sciences at The University of Alabama in October 2008. An additional 300 works were added in 2013, bringing the total to over 2,000 works. The collection includes art in a variety of media from more than 600 artists.With these gifts, Jones wished to preserve the legacy of artists, especially African-American artists, spark the interest of future art collectors, and help elevate African-American art in the eyes of the art world. Jones also wanted to ensure that this genre of art, an intrinsic part of the history and totality of American art, is never lost or forgotten.The Paul R. Jones Collection is designed to share the works of American artists and their significance with the people of Alabama and beyond and to be used to educate students on the importance of art in life. Works from the collection are on exhibit year-round at the Paul R. Jones Museum in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and are exhibited in galleries and museums on the University of Alabama campus and at other educational institutions and venues. The collection is incorporated into curricula at The University of Alabama, providing students with opportunities to learn and experience the significance of the art firsthand.
