Set on the banks of the Coosa River, Gadsden is a historic industrial city on the road that connects Chattanooga with Birmingham. It was established in 1825 as the village of “Double Springs” and the original house of John Riley, an American Indian-European settler, still stands today. By the late 19th century, the town had developed into Alabama’s most important river port.
Things to do in Gadsden
At the Gadsden Museum of Art, you’ll find changing exhibitions by local and regional artists. In addition to group and solo shows, the museum displays historical artefacts and decorative objects that are of significance to the area. Contemporary artworks are for sale at the nearby Walnut Gallery while vintage treasures can be found at the Gadsden Variety Antique Mall.
Travelling with kids? Visit Imagination Place, a children’s museum packed with interactive and hands-on exhibits. It forms part of the Mary G. Hardin Center for Cultural Arts and includes a kids’ sized medical clinic, construction site and grocery store to explore. Upstairs is a sunken pirate ship and a train station where children can ride the “Imagination Express”.
A short drive north of Gadsden is Noccalula Falls Park, which is named after a young Cherokee woman who plunged to her death over the 27-metre-high cascade. In addition to a statue of Noccalula, the park features a pioneer village clustered with hand-hewn log buildings. Explore the country store, smokehouse and blacksmith shop, then stroll through the picturesque botanical gardens.
Getting around Gadsden
Gadsden is around one hour’s drive from Birmingham and Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, which has flights to destinations across the United States. Regular buses connect to Gadsden and the city centre is compact enough to explore on foot.