Montgomery, Ala – More than 580,000 people visited the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville last year, ranking it number one among state attractions that charge admission, followed by the Birmingham Zoo at second with 574,176 and the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at third with 530,678, state tourism officials say.
Five of the state’s Top Ten attractions charging admission showed an increase in attendance over previous years, spokesman Brian Jones said. Attendance figures were collected by the Alabama Tourism Department from local tourism organizations.
The USS Alabama Battleship Park in Mobile placed fourth with 371,229 visitors and the McWane Science Center was fifth with 316,918.
Point Mallard Park was sixth with 246,093. The Montgomery Zoo ranked seventh with 244,178 and the Huntsville Botanical Garden was eighth with 225,000. EarlyWorks Museums in Huntsville was ninth with 189,500. The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute was tenth with 177,055.
The Alabama Tourism Department also released the Top Ten attendance figures for other categories. Beaches of the Alabama Gulf Coast were the number one natural destination in the state, attracting 5.5 million visitors last year. The Birmingham Botanical Gardens attracted 350,000 visitors to make it the most attended free attraction. Almost 800,000 people celebrated Mobile’s Mardi Gras making it the most attended event. Bryant-Denny Stadium was the number one sports destination with 710,538 fans attending University of Alabama home football games.
For more information contact the Alabama Tourism Department or visit www.tourism.alabama.gov.
Top Ten – Admission Charged Attractions 2013
U.S. Space & Rocket Center
Huntsville
256-837-3400
2013 attendance: 584,972
2012 attendance: 572,650
Birmingham Zoo
Birmingham
205-879-0409
2013 attendance: 574,176
2012 attendance: 540,816
Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail
Birmingham
205-942-0444
2013 attendance: 530,678
2012 attendance: 592,021
USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park
Mobile
251-433-2703
2013 attendance: 371,229
2012 attendance: 368,003
McWane Science Center
Birmingham
205-714-8300
2013 attendance: 316,918
2012 attendance: 336,619
Point Mallard Park
Decatur
256-341-4902
2013 attendance: 246,093
2012 attendance: 155,066
Montgomery Zoo
Montgomery
334-240-4900
2013 attendance: 244,178
2012 attendance: 249,951
Huntsville Botanical Garden
Huntsville
256-830-4447
2013 attendance: 225,000
2012 attendance: 235,000
EarlyWorks Museums
Huntsville
205-324-1911
2013 attendance: 189,500
2012 attendance: 192,000
Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
Birmingham
205-328-9696
2013 attendance: 177,055
2012 attendance: 158,742
Top Ten – Free Attractions 2013
Birmingham Botanical Gardens
Birmingham
205-414-3950
2013 attendance: 350,000
2012 attendance: 350,000
Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts
Montgomery
334-240-4333
2013 attendance: 157,609
2012 attendance: 142,046
Alabama State Capitol
Montgomery
334-242-3935
2013 attendance: 122,667
2012 attendance: 117,339
Birmingham Museum of Art
Birmingham
205-254-2565
2013 attendance: 122,345
2012 attendance: 133,917
U.S. Army Aviation Museum
Fort Rucker
334-598-2508
2013 attendance: 95,030
2012 attendance: 101,784
Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark
Birmingham
205-324-1911
2013 attendance: 84,000
2012 attendance: 80,000
Aldridge Gardens
Hoover
205-682-8019
2013 attendance: 82,000
2012 attendance: 83,000
Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament
Hanceville
205-795-5717
2013 attendance: 60,000
2012 attendance: 70,000
Oakville Indian Mounds Education Center
Danville
205-905-2494
2013 attendance: 41,526
2012 attendance: 34,418
Civil Rights Memorial
Montgomery
334-956-8439
2013 attendance: 34,028
2012 attendance: 32,568
Top Ten – Events 2013
Mobile Mardi Gras
Mobile
251-208-2018
2013 attendance: 798,312
2012 attendance: 800,673
Fairhope Arts and Crafts Festival
Fairhope
251-621-8222
2013 attendance: 300,000
2012 attendance: 300,000
Pepper Place Saturday Market
Birmingham
205-802-2100
2013 attendance: 285,000
2012 attendance: 250,000
National Shrimp Festival
Gulf Shores
251-968-6904
2013 attendance: 250,000
2012 attendance: 250,000
National Peanut Festival
Dothan
334-793-4323
2013 attendance: 182,500
2012 attendance: 175,000
Bayfest
Mobile
251-208-7835
2013 attendance: 170,000
2012 attendance: 200,000
W.C. Handy Music Festival
Florence
256-766-7642
2013 attendance: 150,000
2012 attendance: 150,000
Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival
Foley
251-943-3291
2013 attendance: 65,000
2012 attendance: 65,000
National Veteran’s Day Parade
Birmingham
205-942-5300
2013 attendance: 60,000
2012 attendance: 18,000
Gadsden River Fest
Gadsden
256-543-3472
2013 attendance: 47,432
2012 attendance: 45,854
Top Ten – Parks and Natural Destinations 2013
Alabama Gulf Coast Beaches
Gulf Shores/Orange Beach/Fort Morgan/Dauphin Island
251-968-7511
2013 attendance: 5,500,000
2012 attendance: 5,300,000
Gulf State Park
Gulf Shores
251-948-7275
2013 attendance: 1,965,000
2012 attendance: 2,102,000
Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park
McCalla
205-477-5711
2013 attendance: 541,025
2012 attendance: 539,875
Railroad Park
Birmingham
205-521-9933
2013 attendance: 488,000
2012 attendance: 500,000
Oak Mountain State Park
Pelham
205-620-2520
2013 attendance: 433,500
2012 attendance: 445,000
Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge
Eufaula
334-687-4065
2013 attendance: 341,829
2012 attendance: 275,000
Joe Wheeler State Park
Rogersville
256-247-5466
2013 attendance: 265,878
2012 attendance: 236,063
Lake Guntersville State Park
Guntersville
256-505-6632
2013 attendance: 252,917
2012 attendance: 225,378
Monte Sano State Park
Huntsville
256-534-3757
2013 attendance: 209,576
2012 attendance: 236,002
Little River Canyon National
Fort Payne
256-845-9605
2013 attendance: 185,478
2012 attendance: 201,108
Top Ten Sports Destinations 2013
Bryant-Denny Stadium – University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa
205-348-7166
2013 attendance: 710,538
2012 attendance: 712,052
Jordan-Hare Stadium – Auburn University
Auburn
334-844-4750
2013 attendance: 685,252
2012 attendance: 578,521
Birmingham Barons Baseball
Birmingham
205-988-3200
2013 attendance: 396,820
2012 attendance: 204,269
Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega
877-Go2-DEGA
2013 attendance: 350,000
2012 attendance: 350,000
Barber Vintage Motorsports
Birmingham
205-702-8709
2013 attendance: 268,196
2012 attendance: 256,875
Montgomery Biscuits Baseball
Montgomery
334-323-2255
2013 attendance: 258,532
2012 attendance: 244,976
Mobile Baybears Baseball
Mobile
251-476-2287
2013 attendance: 149,675
2012 attendance: 133,062
SEC Baseball Tournament
Hoover
205-967-4745
2013 attendance: 134,496
2012 attendance: 129,112
Huntsville Stars Baseball
Huntsville
256-882-2562
2013 attendance: 123,000
2012 attendance: 130,000
Ladd Peebles Stadium- University of South Alabama
Mobile
251-414-8032
2013 attendance: 95,555
2012 attendance: 100,759