An excellent educational location is Moundville Archaeological Park near Tuscaloosa.

Moundville is one of the largest prehistoric Native American settlements in the U.S.  It once the political and ceremonial center of the first people of America during the 11th and 16th centuries.

They offer a small charge for their educational outreach program in which they come to nearby classrooms, or of course, you can go to Moundville and see the mounds and museum.

Explore Moundville’s rich history through one of our guided or self-guided tours. Self-guided tours of the park grounds and the museum usually last two to three hours. Guided tours, which require reservations, last about two hours.

There are two basic tours; an in-depth tour of our newly renovated museum and a brief park tour or a comprehensive park tour and a brief museum tour. Either tour lasts approximately two hours. Other tours include;

Ancient Tools & Weapons – Tour the park and museum focusing on the materials and technologies that Native Americans used to make tools and weapons and visit with a flintknapper as he makes a stone point. A number of different tools and weapon reproductions are displayed and are hands-on for students or visitors. In addition to seeing an arrow point being made, program participants get to practice throwing spears and rabbit sticks. Students get to take home their own small arrow point.

Arts, Images, & Ornaments – Tour our brand new museum exhibits and learn why archaeologists know how Mississippian Indians looked and dressed. You’ll see what the Moundville Indians looked like and find out what researchers think different symbols mean. Then kids can get their faces painted like a Mississippian Indian and make themselves a shell necklace.

Mother Earth & the Three Sisters – The Three Sisters Garden, shaped like a bi-lobed arrow, demonstrates early methods of sustainable agriculture. Tour our nature trails and visit our museum and Indian garden (April through October) while learning about native plants and foods. An expert then shows your class how different plants can be used for tools, weapons, medicine, and food. Visitors will make a fiber friendship bracelet, grind corn, taste Indian tea and sample an authentic Indian trail mix.

Past Time Pastimes, Southeastern Indian Games – Find out how the game of lacrosse evolved and why Southeastern Indians called stickball “the little brother of war.” Participants learn two versions of this game and also play Indian football. Finally, kids make and take their own pieces, playing a bean toss game.

For more information or to book a tour, please contact their education department at (205) 371-8732 or email Lisa Rasco (education assistant) at llrasco@ua.edu.  Website; https://moundville.ua.edu.

For additional in contact Rosemary Judkins, Group Tour Manager, Alabama Tourism Department, rosemary.judins@tourism.alabama.gov