Huntsville is internationally known as Rocket City USA, but its antebellum home district, downtown dining scene and historic sites are equally compelling for groups. Bankers and other travel planners attending the Select Traveler Conference are invited to join the Huntsville/Madison County CVB and its partners for a post-tour of the city.
The tour begins at 3 p.m. at the conclusion of the conference on Tuesday, April 1.
Tuesday, April 1
• THE PAST PRESERVED FOR THE FUTURE: Enjoy intriguing stories about the early merchants, bankers and attorneys who built the fashionable brick homes in the Twickenham Historic District, Alabama’s largest district of antebellum homes.
• ALABAMA’S BIRTHPLACE, Alabama Constitution Village: This complex dates to 1819 and is where delegates gathered to forge the way for Alabama’s statehood. Become a part of Alabama’s history as villagers dressed in period clothing take you through eight reconstructed Federal-style buildings.
• PHANTOMS OF THE DEPOT DINNER AND TOUR: Built in 1860 and captured by the Union Army in the Civil War, the Historic Huntsville Depot served as a prison and a hospital. Many of the captured men left their names, dates and drawings on the walls inside. Ghost stories abound there, as many say the prisoners haven’t actually left at all.
• TIME ON YOUR OWN: Spend some time at Bridge Street Town Centre, or head back to the hotel. Bridge Street Town Centre is the premier mixed-use lifestyle center in Huntsville and features over 70 upscale shops, upscale restaurants and the 210-room Westin Huntsville Hotel.
Wednesday, April 2
• HUNTSVILLE MUSEUM OF ART: North Alabama’s leading visual arts center, this facility is located in beautiful Big Spring International Park. The nationally accredited museum fills its seven galleries with a variety of exhibitions, among them prestigious traveling exhibits and the work of nationally and regionally acclaimed artists.
• HARRISON BROTHERS HARDWARE SHOP: The oldest continuously operating hardware store in Alabama, Harrison Brothers is a shopper’s delight that features old-fashioned candies, marbles by the scoop, cast-iron cookware, local art, garden gadgets and bird feeders.
• BURRITT ON THE MOUNTAIN: Huntsville’s first museum, Burritt on the Mountain is located atop Monte Sano Mountain and was the estate of Dr. William Henry Burritt. This 167-acre site contains the Burritt Mansion, a collection of historic 19th-century rural structures, a working farm with livestock and nature trails.
• WHAT’S GROWING ON? There is always something growing at the Huntsville Botanical Garden. Experience the Nature Center, the largest seasonal butterfly house in the nation, where brightly colored butterflies live in their natural habitats.
• VETERANS MEMORIAL MUSEUM: More than 30 historical military vehicles from World War I to the present are on display there, as well as memorabilia dating to the Revolutionary War.
• LOWE MILL ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT: Lowe Mill Arts and Entertainment is the Southeast’s largest center for the arts. With more than 100 working artists, small businesses, restaurants and live performance venues, the huge historic textile mill is now a rising home for music, art and culture.
Delegates will return to the hotel by 3:45 p.m. for their departures on April 2.
For registration details, visit www.selecttravelerconf.com.
