14 landmarks we can’t imagine Alabama without

What’s your favorite Alabama landmark?

Our friends at This is Alabama asked the followers on its Facebook page that very question, and the responses show that our state has a lot of iconic sites and unique points of interest worth seeing.

Some of them are hard to miss, like the big peach water tower in Clanton or Vulcan towering over Birmingham, while others you might have to seek out, like Dreamland in Tuscaloosa, the boll weevil monument in Enterprise and Ivy Green in Tuscumbia, but all of them are landmarks we can’t imagine our state without.

You can see 14 of the Alabama landmarks mentioned in the replies on the This is Alabama Facebook page below, and you can see all of them here.

The Vulcan

Birmingham

When you ask most folks about Alabama landmarks, The Vulcan likely comes to mind for many, and how could it not? Towering over the city of Birmingham from atop Red Mountain since the 1930s, the bearded (and bare-bottomed) Vulcan is the world’s largest cast iron statue. So whether you’ve seen him up close during a visit to Vulcan Park and Museum or just gave him a wave while traveling through Birmingham, it’s easy to understand why so many think of the Vulcan as Alabama’s most iconic landmark.

Bryant-Denny Stadium

Tuscaloosa

For fans of the University of Alabama Crimson Tide, Bryant-Denny Stadium was an Alabama landmark that appeared early and often. Opened in 1929 and capable of housing more than 100,000 people, Bryant-Denny Stadium is one of the nation’s largest on-campus football stadiums and one of the most visited destinations in the state. All that combined with the college’s long history makes it a landmark known by many — regardless of what team they cheer for.

READ MORE: The most beautiful spots on UA’s campus

Ivy Green

Tuscumbia

There are a lot of historic homes in Alabama, but few are as well known throughout the state, and the country for that matter, as Ivy Green in Tuscumbia. The birthplace of Helen Keller, Ivy Green and its grounds is on the National Register of Historic Places and has become a museum visited by thousands each year eager to hear the story of Keller’s life as well as learn more about her upbringing, Anne Sullivan’s teachings and Keller’s successes.

READ MORE: How Ivy Green celebrates Helen Keller

Big peach water tower

Clanton

Chilton County is the state’s largest producer of peaches, so it only seems right that a beloved Alabama landmark located there would be a 500,000-gallon water tower shaped like the fruit. Built at Exit 212 along Interstate 65 in 1992, the 120-foot tower was inspired by a similar one, known as the “Peachoid” in Gaffney, S.C., and was constructed with the goal of being a tourist draw for the county as well as a symbol of the state’s produce industry.

READ MORE: Here’s how Alabama got its giant roadside peach tower

Alabama Theatre

Birmingham

Built in 1927 by Paramount Studios, the iconic and historical Alabama Theatre has become a state landmark for a lot of reasons, but it’s larger-than-life “blade” sign that has been on display above the marquee outside the theatre on Third Avenue is likely the main one. After all, whether you pass the theatre during the day or see it all lit up at night, the sign — which was refurbished in 2019 — is a hard one to miss.

READ MORE: Stunning theaters to visit in Alabama

Samford Hall

Auburn

When you think of Auburn University’s campus, there’s a good chance the first image you conjure up is one of Samford Hall. Since being built more than 150 years ago, Samford Hall — named for former Alabama governor William James Samford, who was from Lee County and was a student at the East Alabama Male College — has served as part of the school’s picturesque campus and has become an icon of Auburn for students, locals and visitors alike in the process.

“Go To Church or the Devil Will Get You” sign

Prattville

Whether you consider it iconic or infamous, everyone in Alabama knows about the “Go To Church or the Devil Will Get You” sign along Interstate 65 near Prattville. The sign, which features a red-tailed devil, first appeared in the 1980s. While it’s not everyone’s favorite, the sign has remained in place — except for when it was taken down for two years in 2016 after being damaged in a storm — ever since, making it a well-known landmark for interstate travelers.

USS Alabama

Mobile

Another Alabama landmark that came up often was the USS Alabama, a retired World War II battleship that now serves as a National Historic Landmark and memorial in Mobile. The ship, which is known as “The Mighty A,” was first launched in 1942 and became the main attraction of the ALABAMA Battleship Memorial Park in 1965. Since then, it has attracted millions of visitors from all over the country, garnering it a spot on this list.

READ MORE: How the state came together to save the USS Alabama

Boll Weevil monument

Enterprise

Sometimes it’s the unexpected that stands out the most, and a monument dedicated to an insect is certainly unexpected. In Enterprise though, that’s exactly what you’ll see thanks to its unique Boll Weevil monument. Built in 1919, the historic monument stands in tribute to the pest’s role in the success of the area’s agricultural industry, as its destruction of many cotton crops prompted farmers to diversify their crops and include peanuts.

READ MORE: Alabama’s most unusual monuments

Desoto Falls

Fort Payne

Alabama is beautiful, and so it makes sense that some of its most noteworthy landmarks would be located within state parks. DeSoto Falls, located within DeSoto State Park in Fort Payne, certainly falls into that category. Whether you come across the 107-foot waterfall during a hike on one of the park’s many trails or enjoy the view from the park’s easily accessed picnic area, it’s not hard to understand why many people feel DeSoto Falls is an Alabama landmark to remember.

READ MORE: Why we love Desoto Falls

The Monroe County Old Courthouse Museum

Monroeville

The Monroe County Old Courthouse Museum in Monroeville has become a landmark to many thanks to its placement in the center of the small town as well as its significance to fans of the beloved novel “To Kill a Mockingbird”. Today, the restored courthouse, originally built in 1904, serves as a museum dedicated to native Harper Lee and her works, including various exhibits as well as the original courtroom that served as the inspiration for the one featured in the 1962 film adaption of Lee’s classic novel.

Hank Williams’ gravesite

Montgomery

The only gravesite to make the list is the final resting place of Alabama native and country music legend Hank Williams in historic Oakwood Cemetery in Montgomery. Williams died on more than 70 years ago, but still to this day, fans often gather at his grave, alongside his wife Audrey’s, to pay their respects to “Luke the Drifter”. Afterward, many go to the Hank Williams Museum, located nearby in downtown Montgomery.

Noccalula Falls

Gadsden

Another natural landmark that stands out in the minds of Alabamians is Noccalula Falls in Gadsden, and if you’ve ever been there, you can probably understand why. Located inside Noccalula Falls Park, the falls cascade over 90 feet into the Black Creek ravine, making for a dramatic and gorgeous view that attracts visitors from all over the country each year. Combine that with the legend of princess Noccalula, whose statue looks to be leaping into the ravine as well, and it’s a sight that’s hard to forget.

Dreamland

Tuscaloosa

Dreamland in Tuscaloosa might be the only restaurant to make the list, but most folks wouldn’t argue that the beloved barbecue spot, which has been feeding the state its world-famous ribs since 1958, is a state landmark. After all, we can all recognize the Dreamland sign regardless of whether we’ve actually been to the original location before. A major bonus to this Alabama landmark is once you see it, you know a good meal is in your very near future.

Saturn V rocket

Huntsville

Another landmark many folks said was their favorite is the Saturn V rocket displayed outside the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville that, thanks to its massive size, is hard to miss. The replica has become an icon of the Rocket City since it was first built in 1999 in honor of the Apollo 11 moon landing’s 30th Anniversary. Plus, once you take in the replica outside, you can check out the center’s display of an actual Saturn V rocket, one of only three on display in the world, at the Davidson Center for Space Exploration at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center.