May 18, 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Gulf Shores & Orange Beach earn top spot of Most Visited Tourism Attractions in 2020
(Montgomery, AL) Gulf Shores & Orange Beach claimed top spot of Most Visited Tourism Attraction in 2020. According to state officials, 6.1 million people visited Alabama’s coastal destination.
Little River Canyon National Preserve logged 802,374 visitors while Oak Mountain State Park reported 800,268 guests, rounding out the top three Parks and Natural destinations.
The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail claimed the number one spot on the list of paid attractions with 441,000. Coming in second on attractions that charge admission was the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville with 302,796 visitors, followed by the Birmingham Zoo in third with 262,1111. Huntsville Botanical Gardens was fourth with 221,279 visitors, followed by Noccalula Falls at fifth with an estimated 200,000 and the U.S.S. Alabama battleship at sixth with 188,652. Filling out the Top 10 were Bellingrath Gardens and Home at 119,932, National Memorial for Peace and Justice with approximately 100,000, Huntsville Museum of Art with 89,649 and Point Mallard Park with 87,693.
Birmingham’s Railroad Park held the top spot of free attractions with 561,536 visitors, followed by the Land Trust of North Alabama with 309,579 tourists and Hoover’s Aldridge Gardens with more than 114,000 guests.
Prior to the onset of the pandemic, more than an estimated 1.2 million people attended Mobile’s Mardi Gras making it the most popular event in 2020.
The tourism department’s 2020 “Year of” campaign centered on Alabama’s Natural Wonders, highlighting some of the unique characteristics of the state landscape including gulf beaches, Mount Cheaha and Cathedral Caverns. Visitors experienced each of these points of interest in one of Alabama’s State Parks where they are protected public lands.
“We know our parks offer some of the most beautiful natural scenery anywhere in the world,” said State Parks director Greg Lein. “We’re also proud that our parks offer activities and attractions that promote safe recreation while social distancing. That’s a unique blend that explains why so many people visited the parks in 2020, and we hope it continues in 2021 and beyond.”
The Alabama Tourism Department also released attendance figures for other categories. Attendance figures were collected from local tourism organizations.
Top 10 Admission Charged Attractions 2020
Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail
1-800-949-4444
2020 attendance: 504,000
2019 attendance: 577,338
U.S. Space & Rocket Center
Huntsville
256-837-3400
2020 attendance: 302,796
2019 attendance: 1,050,958
The Birmingham Zoo
Birmingham
205-879-0409
2020 attendance: 262,111
2019 attendance: 577,338
Huntsville Botanical Garden
Huntsville
256-830-4447
2020 attendance: 221,279
2019 attendance: 376,526
Noccalula Falls Park
Gadsden
256-549-4663
2020 attendance: 200,000
2019 attendance: 180,000
USS ALABAMA Battleship Memorial Park
Mobile
251-433-2703
2020 attendance: 188,652
2019 attendance: 451,601
Bellingrath Gardens and Home
Theodore
877-462-3342
2020 attendance: 119,932
2019 attendance: 102,759
National Memorial for Peace and Justice
Montgomery
334-386-9100
2020 attendance: 100,000
2019 attendance: 500,000
Huntsville Museum of Art
Huntsville
256-535-4350
2020 attendance: 89,649
2019 attendance: 104,691
Point Mallard Park
Decatur
256-341-4900
2020 attendance: 87,693
2019 attendance: 258,185
Top 10 – Free Attractions 2020
Railroad Park
Birmingham
205-521-9933
2020 attendance: 561,536
2019 attendance: 514,721
Land Trust of North Alabama
Huntsville
256-534-5263
2020 attendance: 390,579
2019 attendance: 0
Aldridge Gardens
Birmingham
205-682-8019
2020 attendance: 114, 528
2019 attendance: 81,021
Tuscaloosa Farmers’ Market at the River Market
Tuscaloosa
205-248-5259
2020 attendance: 68,859
2019 attendance: 96,545
5 Rivers Delta Resource Center
Spanish Fort
251-625-0814
2020 attendance: 45,000
2019 attendance: 68,000
Market at Pepper Place
Birmingham
205-490-3176
2020 attendance: 42,000
2019 attendance: 250,000
Alabama State Capitol
Montgomery
334-242-3188
2020 attendance: 35,952
2019 attendance: 152,994
U.S. Army Aviation Museum
Ft. Rucker
334-598-2508
2020 attendance: 34,156
2019 attendance: 100,000
Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts
Montgomery
334-625-4333
2020 attendance: 27,318
2019 attendance: 95,546
Gadsden Museum of Art
Gadsden
256-546-7365
2020 attendance: 20, 973
2019 attendance: 37,000
Top 10 – Events 2020
Mobile Mardi Gras
Mobile
251-208-2000
2020 attendance: 1,028,614
2019 attendance: 1,011,356
Trail of Tears Commemorative Motorcycle Ride
Madison
256-527-9001
2020 attendance: 65,000
2019 attendance: 45,000
32nd Annual Jubilee Festival
Fairhope
251-928-6387
2020 attendance: 12,000
2019 attendance: 15,000
4th of July Fireworks
Prattville
334-595-0851
2020 attendance: 10,000
2019 attendance: 7,000
Alabama Cotton Festival
Eclectic
334-541-3581
2020 attendance: 10,000
2019 attendance: 12,000
Orange Beach Festival of Art
Orange Beach
251-981-2787
2020 attendance: 8,000
2019 attendance: 12,000
Mardi Gras Parade and Celebration
Prattville
334-595-0851
2020 attendance: 6,000
2019 attendance: 6,000
Christmas on the River
Demopolis
334-289-0270
2020 attendance: 5,000
2019 attendance: 15,000
Harvest Festival
Headland
334-696-3303
2020 attendance: 5,000
2019 attendance: 8,000
St. Elias Lebanese Food and Cultural Festival
Birmingham
205-251-5057
2020 attendance: 5,000
2019 attendance: 8,500
Top 10 – Parks and Natural Destinations 2020
Gulf Shores & Orange Beach
2020 attendance 6,113,934
2019 attendance 6,296,533
Little River Canyon National Preserve
Fort Payne
256-845-9605
2020 attendance: 802,374
2019 attendance: 649,985
Oak Mountain State Park
Birmingham
205-620-2520
2020 attendance: 800,268
2019 attendance: 422,487
Wind Creek State Park
Alexander City
256-329-0845
2020 attendance: 319,000
2019 attendance: 255,000
DeSoto State Park
Fort Payne
256-845-5380
2020 attendance: 289,000
2019 attendance: 184,000
Monte Sano State Park
Huntsville, AL
256-534-6589
2020 attendance: 276,000
2019 attendance: 209,000
Lake Guntersville State Park
Guntersville, AL
256-571-5444
2020 attendance: 258,489
2019 attendance: 277,719
Cheaha State Park
Delta, AL
256-488-5111
2020 attendance: 245,000
2019 attendance: 210,000
J.D. & Annie S. Hays Nature Preserve
Huntsville
256-564-8077
2020 attendance: 211,700
2019 attendance: 200,000
Lakepoint State Park
Eufaula, AL
2020 attendance: 182,747
2019 attendance: 198,943
The Alabama Tourism Department works to inspire consumers and facilitate travel to and within Alabama while leveraging increased involvement by the private sector. An appointed board of industry advisors connects the department with tourism businesses and organizations throughout the state. Tourism is a key sector of the state’s economy, historically attracting 28 million tourists who spend $16.8 billion in leisure and hospitality sales and employing more than 200,000 full and part-time workers. The industry represents 7 percent of Alabama’s private sector employment. Leisure and hospitality also generates in excess of one billion dollars of the state’s sales tax revenues.
Contact: Andi Martin, Public Relations Manager
Alabama Tourism Department
Andi.Martin@tourism.alabama.gov, 334-242-4537
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