Top Capital Cities of the USA States by Destination Deca - Dailymotion

Destination Deca

Watch the playlist Top Capital Cities of the USA States by Destination Deca on Dailymotion

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00:00Imagine wandering through a city where hummingbird gardens glide into mountaintop mansions,

00:05historic brick streets meet futuristic rockets, and studios bursting with creativity sit just

00:10around the corner. That's Huntsville, Alabama, where Southern charm rockets you beyond your

00:16expectations. If you're ready for unexpected detours, local secrets, trip tips that save you

00:23time and money, and stories that bring each location to life, stick around. I'm counting

00:29down the top 10 things to do in Huntsville, plus two bonus spots that will level up your

00:34Rocket City adventure. What's up, explorers? I'm Adam from Destination Decca, and today we're

00:42diving deep into Huntsville, Alabama, one of the South's most underrated travel gems.

00:48Whether you're a history buff, a nature lover, a foodie chasing local flavors,

00:53or a space enthusiast who dreams of stars, Huntsville has something for you.

00:58Over the next several minutes, I'll guide you through 10 must-see spots,

01:02sprinkle in fascinating backstories, share pro trip tips on timing, tickets, and hidden photo ops,

01:09and even reveal two bonus locations that only locals whisper about.

01:14Ready? Let's launch into number 10.

01:18Number 10. Downtown Huntsville, Inc.

01:22We're starting in the heart of the city, downtown Huntsville.

01:26This isn't a single attraction but a vibrant district managed by downtown Huntsville, Inc.

01:32Picture brick paved streets lined with 19th century facades, indie coffee shops roasting beans on site,

01:39breweries pouring craft IPAs next door to live music venues.

01:44Cafés spill onto sidewalks at lunchtime, and art galleries host weekly openings where you can meet local

01:50painters and sculptors.

01:53History and fun fact, Huntsville was Alabama's first territorial capital in 1819, and the original

02:00waterworks building still anchors this district.

02:04Many of these restored structures survived civil war skirmishes and now house everything from southern

02:09bistros to tech startups.

02:12On your walk, you might spot the foundation stones that date back over 150 years.

02:19Trip Tip.

02:20Visit on a Thursday or Friday evening to catch the free art walk, when galleries stay open late,

02:25food trucks line Church Street, and pop-up performances erupt in unexpected corners.

02:30If you plan to shop local, bring in extra tote, boutiques like Retro Rewind Vintage and Paper

02:37plus Plume Stationery have unique finds you won't see anywhere else.

02:42Number 9.

02:44Big Spring International Park

02:46Just a two-minute stroll from Courthouse Square, you stumble into Big Spring International Park.

02:53At its center, a dramatic waterfall cascades into coy ponds, where visitors feed ducks while swans

02:59glide serenely by. Winding footbridges, fragrant magnolias, and shaded benches make it a perfect

03:06urban oasis. History and fun fact. The park is built around the spring that once was Huntsville's

03:14sole water source. In the 1850s, it powered the first municipal waterworks, pumping up to 12 million

03:22gallons a day. Architecturally, the stonework reflects European park design influences brought

03:28by early settlers. Trip Tip! Bring quarters for the coin-operated snack machines selling duck feed.

03:38Plan your visit near sunset. This is when the waterfowl gather en masse,

03:42and the golden light filtering through weeping willows creates unbeatable photo ops.

03:48Number 8.

03:50Huntsville Botanical Garden Spread across 112 lush acres,

03:54The Huntsville Botanical Garden feels like five gardens in one.

03:59You'll wander through the fragrant perennial walk, discover the Japanese garden's koi stream,

04:04and pass through the whimsical butterfly house where over 70 species flutter freely around you.

04:11History and fun fact. Established in 1988 by a group of local horticulture enthusiasts,

04:17the garden now welcomes more than 300,000 visitors annually. Each winter, the galaxy of lights transforms

04:25the grounds into a driving light show featuring two million LED lights choreographed to music.

04:32Trip Tip! During spring bloom season, arrive before 10 a.m. to avoid tour buses,

04:38and don't miss the herb garden's demonstration plots. It's a living library of culinary and medicinal plants.

04:44Number 7. Burrit on the Mountain

04:49Ascend the winding road up Round Top Mountain to Burrit on the Mountain, a mountaintop estate and living

04:54history park. The centerpiece is Dr. William Burrit's 1930s mansion, an eclectic blend of Art Deco,

05:03Tudor, and Renaissance Revival styles. Beyond the house, a recreated 19th century village invites you

05:10to explore log cabins, a working blacksmith forge, and heirloom gardens. History and fun fact. Dr. Burrit

05:19was a local physician who believed fresh mountain air healed. He commissioned this mansion as his

05:25personal retreat, complete with hidden passages and secret lounges. The property fell into disrepair

05:33after his death but was rescued by a coalition of preservationists in the 1970s. Trip Tip! Time

05:41your visit for the annual Burrit Festival in May. You'll see costumed interpreters spinning wool,

05:48demonstrating period cooking in a hearth kitchen, and candle making inside a replica 1830s cabin.

05:55Number 6. Huntsville Museum of Art

05:58Tucked along the southern edge of Big Spring Park, the Huntsville Museum of Art surprises with over 2,000

06:05works spanning American watercolors, southern decorative arts, digital media, and even global

06:11photography. The airy atrium floods with natural light, perfect for admiring rotating exhibitions or

06:19catching an artist talk in the sculpture garden. History and fun fact. Founded in 1970 as a modest

06:27community gallery, the museum moved into its current facility in 1998. Its permanent collection features

06:35more than 200 works by African American artists, making it one of the strongest repositories of

06:40southern black art in the region. Trip Tip! Admission is free on the first Friday of every month.

06:49Pair your museum visit with lunch at Panoply Cafe inside the museum. Order the shrimp salad sandwich or a

06:54seasonal quiche, then take your meal outside to the scenic terrace overlooking the park.

07:01Number 5. Monte Sano Nature Preserve, Bankhead Trailhead

07:06At Number 5. Nature Calls at Monte Sano Nature Preserve's Bankhead Trailhead

07:12Over 2,000 forested acres contain more than 20 miles of trails for hiking, running, and mountain biking.

07:18Expect sandstone bluffs peeking through hardwood forests, shaded creek crossings, and scenic overlooks

07:26with views of Huntsville below. History and fun fact. Monte Sano, translates from Spanish as,

07:34Mountain of Health. In the late 1800s, the cool mountain air was believed to cure tuberculosis,

07:41and several grand hotels once stood on this ridge. Though most are gone, their stone foundations dot the

07:48landscape. Trip Tip! Download the Preserve's official trail map to your phone before you go.

07:55Cell service is unreliable deep in the forest. Beginners should start on the easy meadow loop,

08:02while thrill-seekers can tackle the technical ridgeline single track that winds along the old railroad bed.

08:07Number 4. Alabama Constitution Hall Park. Step into Alabama's past at Constitution Hall Park,

08:16the original site where 44 delegates gathered in 1819 to draft the state's first constitution.

08:24Today, costumed interpreters guide you through log cabins that have been painstakingly reconstructed,

08:30including the very courthouse where statehood was decided.

08:32History and fun fact. Delegates completed Alabama's first constitution in just eight days.

08:42It consisted of 43 articles and established Huntsville as the first state capital until 1820,

08:47when it moved to Cahaba. Trip Tip! Check the park's schedule for hands-on workshops in quilting,

08:55blacksmithing, and candle dipping. Weekends often feature period music performances in the central plaza,

09:02bring a blanket and picnic by the cabins. Number 3. US Space & Amp, Rocket Center.

09:10At number 3, prepare for liftoff at the US Space & Amp, Rocket Center.

09:16This interactive museum is NASA's official visitor center,

09:20home to the world's largest rocket ever flown, the Saturn V.

09:23Walk beneath its gleaming engines, test your g-force threshold in the multi-axis trainer,

09:30and explore immersive exhibits on the Apollo and Space Shuttle programs.

09:36History and fun fact. Opened in 1970, the center was originally a collection of

09:41aerospace artifacts from Marshall Space Flight Center. Space Camp began here in 1982 and has

09:49trained more than half a million campers in rocketry, robotics, and mission simulations.

09:55Trip Tip! Buy your tickets online at least 48 hours in advance to skip the lines.

10:02If you have time, book a half-day space camp orientation. It's an unforgettable way to

10:07experience the astronaut lifestyle. Don't miss the Apollo 11 exhibit's personal artifacts,

10:14including Buzz Aldrin's flight gloves and Michael Collins' lunar module drawings.

10:20Number 2. Monte Sano State Park.

10:25Just a few miles from the preserve, Monte Sano State Park offers a complimentary experience,

10:30rustic cabins, covered bridges, picnic pavilions, and 14 total miles of hiking and biking trails.

10:38The park's bluff trail delivers one of the best sunrise views over the Tennessee River Valley.

10:45History and fun fact. During the Civil War, the park served as a union hospital for wounded

10:51soldiers who sought the mountain's restorative air. Many patients left inscriptions on the walls of the

10:57old hospital foundations. Look closely and you might spot them. Trip Tip! Arrive early to snag one of the

11:05five historic stone cabins, built by the CCC in the 1930s, and wake up to mist rolling through the pines.

11:12Pack a cooler with sandwiches and local craft sodas to enjoy at Burrit Road Overlook, where a shaded

11:20gazebo offers panoramic vistas. Number 1. Low Mill Arts & Amp, Entertainment.

11:28Standing at number 1 is Low Mill Arts & Entertainment, the nation's largest privately owned arts facility.

11:34Housed in a Victorian-era textile mill, this creative incubator hosts more than 200 artists working in

11:42glass, ceramics, metal, wood, paint, and digital media. Galleries, boutique shops, live music venues,

11:51and a taproom filled with four floors. History and fun fact. Built in 1889, Low Mill once churned out

11:59cotton cloth. In the 2000s, local creatives convinced the city to convert it into studios,

12:06turning the mill into a community arts anchor. Today, you can see glassblowers shaping molten

12:13art next to screen printers crafting limited edition teas. Trip Tip! Visit on a third Saturday

12:21Art Studio Tour to meet artists in their studios, watch live demonstrations, and shop direct from the

12:26makers. For dinner, try Pharmacy Burger on-site. Order the Smoky Pimento Cheese Bacon Burger and a

12:34local craft root beer float. Bonus Place Number 1. Early Works Family of Museums

12:41For a bonus detour, head to Early Works Family of Museums, a trio of interactive destinations.

12:48Little ones can clamber through a colonial trading post at the Children's Museum,

12:52Wander historic railcars at the Historic Depot, and explore Huntsville's evolution at the History Museum.

13:00Fun Fact! The Historic Depot houses the original 1870s rail station that was the terminus of the

13:06Memphis and Amp, Charleston Railroad, the south's first east-west line. Trip Tip! Save money with the

13:14all-access passport, granting entrance to all three museums at a 20% discount. Plan for at least three

13:22hours if you want to do everything. Bonus Place Number 2. Ditto Landing and Amp.

13:28The Riverwalk Finally! Wind down at Ditto Landing on the Tennessee River's West Bank.

13:35Rent a kayak or stand-up paddleboard for a sunset paddle, then stroll or bike the nearly 10-mile

13:40Riverwalk Trail. You'll pass scenic overlooks, public art installations, and riverside parks where

13:47turtles sunbathe on rocky shores. Trip Tip! Midweek afternoons are the quietest.

13:55Arrive around 4 pm to catch the golden hour glow on the river, then grab an ice cream from the

14:01trailside concessions. Those are your top 10 can't miss Huntsville adventures, plus two bonus spots to

14:08round out the perfect Rocket City itinerary. If you found this guide helpful, smash that like button,

14:15hit subscribe to Destination Decca, and ring the bell so you never miss an in-depth travel deep dive.

14:22Comment below with your Huntsville must-do or tell me which place surprised you the most.

14:26I'm Adam, thanks for exploring with me, and I'll see you on the next journey.

Top 10 Things to do in Huntsville, Alabama, USA

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