Birmingham Introduction Walking Tour, Birmingham

Birmingham Introduction Walking Tour (Self Guided), Birmingham

Birmingham is Alabama's biggest city and dates back to 1871, making it a Reconstruction-era city. Although initially formed from agricultural communities, the city quickly became a central railroad and industrial hub, with the iron and steel industries accounting for much of the local workforce.

Irish and Italian immigrants, as well as African Americans, made up most of this early workforce. During the early 20th century, Birmingham was often compared to Pittsburgh because of the amount of steel production. The Civil Rights Movement opened up a wealth of new opportunities for the Black community in Birmingham. Today, education, telecommunications, insurance, and banking are some of the largest industries in the city.

This city is filled with monuments and memorials honoring the Civil Rights Movement. Some of these landmarks include Kelly Ingram Park and The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. 16th Street Baptist Church, a prominent Black church that also played a key role during the Civil Rights Movement, is one of the most important historical congregations in the city, along with Cathedral Church of the Advent and Cathedral of St. Paul.

The museums you'll want to put on your list include The Birmingham Museum of Art and The Negro Southern League Museum. Stop by the Alabama Theatre for a bit of 1930s nostalgia or Railroad Park to savor one of the city's most extensive green spaces.

Take this self-guided walking tour to explore some of Birmingham's most popular sights.

Image Courtesy of Eric in SF.

How it works: Download the app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store to your mobile phone or tablet. The app turns your mobile device into a personal tour guide and its built-in GPS navigation functions guide you from one tour stop to next. The app works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

Download The GPSmyCity App

Create Your Own Self-Guided Walks in Birmingham

Map Instructions: (1) Click the "Nearby Sights" button to view the nearby attractions; (2) click a map pin to see sight information.

Guide Name: Birmingham Introduction Walking Tour
Guide Location: USA » Birmingham (See other walking tours in Birmingham)
Guide Type: Self-guided Walking Tour (Sightseeing)
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.8 Km or 2.4 Miles

Sights Featured in This Walk

WalkBuilder (customize this walk)

Use the WalkBuilder tool below to customize this walk to suit your interests. Instructions: click

at the upper right corner in the map above to view other sights in the city. To learn more about a sight, click a map pin. Click the “+” or “–” to add or remove a sight from the walk. To reorder the selected sights, simply drag and move them up or down the list in the left column.

Click here to view route map

Enter a name for your custom walk, along with your email address, in the fields below. You will receive the instructions for retrieving your custom walk in the GPSmyCity app by email. The GPSmyCity app offers turn-by-turn travel directions to guide you from one attraction to the next.
Walk Name*:
Email*:

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I access my walking tour in Birmingham?
Save your walking tour on the website. Then download the GPSmyCity app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and sign in to your GPSmyCity account. Next, download “Birmingham Map and Walking Tours” within the app. Your walk will appear on the Walks screen.

2. How do I view other attractions in Birmingham?
At the upper-right corner of the map above, click the “Nearby Sights” button to show or hide other sights in the city. Click a map pin to view details about a sight. To add a sight to your walk, find it in the right column of the WalkBuilder tool above and click the “+” button next to it.

3. How do I re-arrange the sight order?
In the left column of the WalkBuilder tool, drag a sight to move it up or down the list. Then click “Click here to view route map”. Repeat this process until the route meets your needs.

4. Can I add my hotel to a walking tour?
Yes. You can add your hotel as the starting point, the ending point, or both (creating a loop route). This feature is currently available only in the GPSmyCity app.

5. Can I add my own sights to a walking tour?
Yes. You can add sightss that are not in our database and include them in your walk. To do so, sign in to your GPSmyCity account on the website or use the GPSmyCity app.

6. How many sights can be included in a walking tour?
For technical reasons, the number of sights in a walking tour is currently capped at 20. This limit may be increased over time.

Walking Tours in Birmingham, Alabama

Create Your Own Walk in Birmingham

Creating your own self-guided walk in Birmingham is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Civil Rights Historical Sites

Birmingham, Alabama is the very first destination that comes to mind at the mention of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. Back in the 1950s and 1960s, this city saw a great deal of bloodshed and strife between civil rights leaders, seeking to shed the stigma of centuries-long injustice, and their opponents.

The area of downtown Birmingham, where several significant events in the... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 0.9 Km or 0.6 Miles