Railroad Park, Birmingham, AL, Bezoekersgids & wat te doen in de buurt

Railroad Park is a 19-acre public park on the southern edge of downtown Birmingham, Alabama, opened in 2010 on a long strip of former rail and industrial land. It turned an empty corridor into the city's central green space, with a lake, lawns, a skate park and walking paths, all within sight of the working tracks that gave Birmingham its start.

The story behind it

Birmingham was founded in 1871 at the point where two railroad lines crossed, and the city grew fast around that junction as an industrial town built on iron and steel. The land that is now Railroad Park lay along this rail corridor, an area of tracks, warehouses and industry rather than a place to relax.

The park opened in 2010 and was designed by the landscape architecture firm Tom Leader Studio. Its rolling ground, planted areas and water were laid out to give downtown a large open space without hiding its railway past. Freight trains still pass along the edge of the park, so the story of the place is still going on around you.

What to look for

• Trains rolling by on the active tracks at the edge of the park, a reminder of why Birmingham exists where it does.
• The lake and the landscaped hills around it, which give you a view back toward the downtown skyline.
• The skate park, usually busy with local skaters and a good place to watch for a few minutes.
• The long looping paths where joggers, walkers and cyclists share the park, which show how much the neighborhood now uses it.

Tips for your visit

• Plan on 30 minutes to an hour for a relaxed loop, longer if you bring a picnic or catch an event on the lawn.
• Entry is open and there is no ticket, but check current opening hours and event listings before you go.
• Late afternoon is pleasant for the light on the skyline, and mornings are quieter for walking.
• Regions Field, home of the Birmingham Barons, sits right beside the park, and downtown restaurants and the Innovation Depot area are an easy walk away.

Explore it on a quest

Railroad Park is a good starting point for seeing the rest of the city on foot. Try one of Questo's self-guided walks in the area: the app leads you from place to place, tells you about each stop as you arrive and sets a puzzle in what is in front of you. Browse the quests in Birmingham, AL and start whenever suits you, with no guide and no group to join.