Overlooking the city of Birmingham is
Red Mountain. The site where most of this iron was
excavated. It is here you will find the statue of Vulcan (the Roman god of fire).
The statue
including its 124 foot pedestal stands 180 feet above Red Mountain as a symbol of these
iron making days. Vulcan itself is 56 feet tall. The statue was built as an exhibit for the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair to advertise Birmingham to the nation as a leader in iron production. He is the world's largest cast metal statue and the largest statue ever made in the
US. His height was originally planned for 50 feet, but when Birmingham learned
that a pagan Buddha in Tokyo stood 52 feet tall, they made Vulcan
six feet taller. A massive statue which head alone was
made from six tons of iron.
AL, Birmingham, Red Mountain, the iron statue of Vulcan is acclaimed as one of
the two most impressive sculptures in the US. The other being the Statue of Liberty.
Red Mountain also has an observation
deck which takes visitors high above the city for a
panoramic view of Birmingham and Red Mountain's
fountains, floral gardens, and exhibits.
Other nearby attractions include the
100 acre woodland zoo. One of the South's largest
with 800 rare and exotic animals from Central and South
America, the southern regions of the United States, and
Africa. The majority of animals being subtropical species
that are at home in Alabama's hot summer weather. They
include elephants, zebras, giraffes, and rhinos.
For NASCAR enthusiasts, the Talladega
Superspeedway comes alive for two major events the
first Sunday in May (Winston 500) and the last Sunday in
July (Diehard 500). The 2.5 mile track is located 40
miles east of Birmingham on I-20.
AL, Birmingham, Talladega Superspeedway
- Red Mountain, 1421 22nd Street (205)
933-4153.
- Birmingham Zoo, Admission $5.00 Adults, $2.00 children and Seniors (over 65) 2630 Cahaba Road 35223, (205) 879-0409 www.birminghamzoo.com
- Birmingham Civil
Rights Institute, 520 16th St. N., 35203 (205) 323-5219. Take the 3rd Ave N exit off I-65 and turn right onto 3rd Ave then left onto 16th Street.
- Talladega Superspeedway, (256) 761-4705 www.talladegasuperspeedway.com/index.shtml
