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Gulf Shores & Orange Beach earn top spot of Most Visited Tourism Attractions in 2020

2021-05-18

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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