On Red Mountain south of downtown, you will see a statue of Vulcan, the god of the forge. First seen at the 1904 World’s fair, it pays tribute to Birmingham’s roots in the iron and steel industry. (Photo courtesy: Vulcan Park and Museum.)
Birmingham Guide
Menu
Welcome! This site is to help visitors find what’s local to Birmingham and central Alabama. If you can find it outside our little spot on the globe, it’s probably not on Birmingham Guide. Thanks for visiting the Birmingham metro. We hope we can make your stay more enjoyable!
This site is a work in progress, and is quite new. We have a good few holes to fill, and some tweaks to make. Please bear with us.
A little bit about Birmingham’s beginnings:
The Elyton Land Company founded Birmingham June 1, 1871. The area previously contained three farm towns. It was the only place with deposits of iron ore, coal, and limestone – all needed to make iron. Birmingham’s iron industry soon saw massive demand from the nation’s railroads – causing sudden, dramatic expansion of industry and population. The almost magical transformation earned Birmingham the nickname “The Magic City.”