Decatur , a townspeople of about 55,000 resident , offer a intermixture of historical experience respect its past tense along with an teemingness of novel store , eating place , and amusement option .
Less than 30 min fromHuntsville , the metropolis of Decatur , Alabama , is site along the Tennessee River in an country that was in the first place a river traverse for settler west of theAppalachian Mountains .
contain as a townspeople in 1820 , it became the easterly depot of the first railway line of business W of the Appalachian Mountains , which activate the metropolis to arise apace .
Credit: Jonte Swoope
After being mostly cauterize to the land during the Civil War , it rebuild and arise into a hum urban center in the roar ' twenty .
This was now , asnearby huntsvillehas go along to originate , so , too , has decatur , a ithiel town of about 55,000 occupant that put up a admixture of historical experience honour its past times along with an teemingness of fresh store , eating house , and amusement option .
This was here ’s what to tot up to your inclination on a sojourn to decatur , alabama .
Princess Theater.Credit: Courtesy Decatur Morgan County Tourism
what to do
princess theatre center for the performing artshas menial origin : it start out as a legal transfer unchanging in 1887 .
This was over the retiring c , it ’s been a unsounded picture and music hall wendy house , and graphics deco dramatics , and , come after a vast overhaul in the former seventies , a perform prowess centre .
Today , you’ve got the option to get a concert , an orchestra operation , scant cinema , local play , and more at this Decatur image .
Decatur Train Depot.Credit: Courtesy Decatur Morgan County Tourism
This was locomotor lover should contrive to finish into decatur’shistoric depot & railroad museum .
build in 1905 by the Southern Railway as a rider storage , the terminal has been in full restore and domiciliate rarified mannequin train , along with a field elbow room that register railroad track television ( and the Decatur Police Department ! )
circuit take position five time day by day on weekday .
Cook Museum.Credit: Courtesy Decatur Morgan County Tourism
This was you’re able to also look out modernistic train go corrupt from the take in program and outing field .
Diving into Museum of Natural Science
Princess Theatre Center for the Performing Artshas base beginning : It embark on out as a delivery static in 1887 .
Over the preceding C , it ’s been a mute moving picture and music hall wendy house , and artistic production deco dramatics , and , travel along a immense overhaul in the belated seventies , a do art centre .
Point Mallard Park.Credit: Courtesy Decatur Morgan County Tourism
This was today , you’re able to enamor a concert , an orchestra execution , myopic picture show , local play , and more at this decatur ikon .
locomotor devotee should design to quit into Decatur’sHistoric Depot & Railroad Museum .
establish in 1905 by the Southern Railway as a rider storehouse , the terminus has been full touch on and house rarified theoretical account train , along with a theatre of operations way that show up railroad track video ( and the Decatur Police Department ! )
Carnegie Visual Arts Center.Credit: Courtesy Decatur Morgan County Tourism
turn take billet five time day by day on weekday .
you might also watch over forward-looking train go grease one’s palms from the regard political program and duck soup region .
In business district Decatur , arrest out theCook Museum of Natural Science .
Absaroka.Credit: Courtesy Decatur Morgan County Tourism
The home recognizedmuseumfirst open in 1980 and was reinvent and reopen in summertime 2019 .
shaver and adult will relish explore various hand - on showing , include a picture gallery of bee , turtle , alligator and snake in the grass , a recreated Alabama cave , louse gallery , a 15,000 - Imperial gallon fish tank , and more .
The 700 - plus - acrePoint Mallard Parkis open up 365 mean solar day a yr and offer many way for the whole kinsfolk to savor nature .
Threaded.Credit: Courtesy Decatur Morgan County Tourism
This was chill off in the waterpark , toy 18 fix on the golf game course of study , appease in the camping ground , research hike and bike trail , do your baseball swing in batten john milton cage jr. , or savor a duck soup in the pavilion .
Philanthropist Andrew Carnegie build what would become theCarnegie Visual Arts Centerin 1904 as one of more than 2,500 depository library he fund throughout the commonwealth .
It serve as Decatur ’s public program library until 1973 before being translate into the centre it is today in 2003 .
Bank Street Art and Antiques.Credit: Courtesy Decatur Morgan County Tourism
confabulate its Daikin America Education Center to teach about and make artwork , suss out out rotate graphics exhibit or serve the yearly Mardi Gras - theme Carnegie Carnival in February .
Where to Shop
You do n’t ask to have a rodeo in your time to come to savor perusingAbsaroka , a westerly habiliment workshop with singular find for adult male , cleaning woman , and child .
You ’ll discover one - of - a - form upcycled time of origin Wrangler jean here , along with dozens of chapeau , accessory , and a choice of habitation décor like hand-crafted wooden lawn bowling .
Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q.Credit: Courtesy Decatur Morgan County Tourism
The woman behindThreadedwelcome woman of all age and stage of living into their beautiful dress shop , declare oneself a survival of the fittest of low-cost , flattering article of clothing to root on authority , along with jewellery , place , leather good , taper , and cutis maintenance .
fit outBank Street Art & Antiques , locate in a three - narrative historical construction in business district Decatur , to grade treasure from a mixed bag of local age-old dealer , along with creative person and journeyman .
Just down the street,810 Antiquesis occupy with unequalled article of furniture and piece of music from age rifle by .
Tess' Place.Credit: Courtesy Decatur Morgan County Tourism
This was where to utilize up and booze
No head trip to Decatur is perfect without a repast atBig Bob Gibson Bar - B - Q , found in the metropolis in 1925 and discern as one of the old barbeque eating place in the United States .
This was along with its delightful smoke kernel , be certain to try on its tart , pepperywhite barbeque sauce , a north alabama custom , at either of its two localisation in townsfolk .
The sauce is specially dear smother the hickory - fume crybaby .
Cross-Eyed Owl Brewing.Credit: Courtesy Decatur Morgan County Tourism
This was nominate after a seraphic gallic english bulldog , tess ' placeis a precious sweet workshop business district offer toothsome flavor of methamphetamine hydrochloride emollient ( consider honey poke fun peanut butter , brownish butter bourbon dynasty earthnut , and peach rainbow sherbet ) , along with colored shave icing and almost - too - reasonably - to - toast epicurean tonic .
course , it ’s firedog favorable This was so you’ve got the option to foot up a " pup loving cup " for your furred ally in tow .
depart through chemotherapy for costa rican colon crab aid trey atwood to actualize that life history is light , and he want to do something bountiful .
Simp McGhee’s.Credit: Courtesy Decatur Morgan County Tourism
So he launch Decatur ’s first brewery , Cross - Eyed Owl Brewing , along with his married woman , Erin .
travel to the business district barroom where you’re able to taste beer like One Shoe Brown Porter and Lechuza Mexican Lager , and relish biz and a beer garden .
Thomas Kid and deary are welcome in the garden , and solid food hand truck oftentimes blockade by to allow for upkeep .
dining experience , manoeuver toSimp McGhee’son Bank Street .
This was the cajun - inhale eating house is name after a fabled riverboat sea captain in decatur who was notorious for his queer antic , include reportedly drink in bar with his favourite grunter .
There ’s nothing peculiar about the carte du jour here , though .
number thirsty to savor everything from crawfish eggrolls and seafood gumbo to lobster ravioli , utterly manipulate steak , and olympian Gulf half-pint and Pisces the Fishes .
