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U.S. Space & Rocket Center was Alabama's most visited tourism attraction in 2016

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U.S. Space & Rocket Center was Alabama’s most visited tourism attraction in 2016
 

Montgomery, Ala – More than 657,000 people visited the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville last year, ranking it first among state attractions that charge admission, state tourism officials said.  The Birmingham Zoo ranked second with 644,667 and the McWane Science Center in Birmingham was third with 388,551.  

Eight of the state’s Top 10 attractions charging admission showed an increase in attendance over previous years, state tourism director Lee Sentell said. 

The USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park in Mobile placed fourth with 294,724 and the Huntsville Botanical Garden was fifth with 276,952.  

Point Mallard Park in Decatur was sixth with 274,703. The Montgomery Zoo was seventh with 238,192 and the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo in Gulf Shores was eighth with 175,000.  EarlyWorks Family of Museums in Huntsville was ninth with 174,000.  Vulcan Park and Museum in Birmingham was tenth with 168,352.  

The Alabama Tourism Department also released the Top 10 attendance figures for other categories.  The beaches of the Alabama Gulf Coast were the most visited natural destination in the state, attracting 6.3 million tourists last year. The Birmingham Botanical Gardens attracted 350,000 visitors to make it the most attended free attraction. More than 1 million people celebrated Mobile’s Mardi Gras making it the most attended event.  University of Alabama home football games played at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa had the highest attendance for sports destinations with 712,747, followed by 695,498 at Auburn University.

Attendance figures were collected by the Alabama Tourism Department from local tourism organizations.    
 
  
 

Top 10 - Admission Charged Attractions 2016
 

#1        U.S. Space & Rocket Center
Huntsville
256-837-3400
2016 attendance:         657,692
2015 attendance:         643,939


#2        Birmingham Zoo
Birmingham
205-879-0409
2016 attendance:         644,667
2015 attendance:         576,974


#3       McWane Science Center
Birmingham
205-714-8300
2016 attendance:         388,551
2015 attendance:         367,995


#4        USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park
Mobile
251-433-2703
2016 attendance:         294,724
2015 attendance:         309,352


#5       Huntsville Botanical Garden
Huntsville
256-830-4447
2016 attendance:         276,952
2015 attendance:         247,000


#6       Point Mallard Park
Decatur
256-341-4902
2016 attendance:        274,703
2015 attendance:        291,016


#7        Montgomery Zoo
Montgomery
334-240-4900
2016 attendance:         238,192     
2015 attendance:         223,315


#8        Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo
Gulf Shores
251-968-5732
2016 attendance:         175,000
2015 attendance:         167,000


#9        EarlyWorks Family of Museums
Huntsville
256-564-8100
2016 attendance:         174,000
2015 attendance:         165,000


#10      Vulcan Park & Museum
Birmingham
205-933-1409
2016 attendance:         168,352
2015 attendance:         160,936
 



Top 10 - Free Attractions 2016
 

#1        Birmingham Botanical Gardens
Birmingham
205-414-3950
2016 attendance:         350,000
2015 attendance:         350,000


#2        Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts
Montgomery
334-240-4333
2016 attendance:         142,919
2015 attendance:         143,209


#3        Birmingham Museum of Art
Birmingham
205-254-2565
2016 attendance:         140,000  
2015 attendance:         132,000


#4      Alabama State Capitol
Montgomery
334-242-3188
2016 attendance:         124,032
2015 attendance:           97,614


#5     Army Aviation Museum
Fort Rucker
334-598-2508
2016 attendance:         100,000
2015 attendance:           95,000


#5      Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament
Hanceville
205-795-5722
2016 attendance:         100,000
2015 attendance:           80,000


#7      Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark
Birmingham
205-254-2025
2016 attendance:           95,000
2015 attendance:           94,000
 

#8      Jesse Owens Museum
Danville
256-974-3636
2016 attendance:           93,468
2015 attendance:           32,500


#9      Aldridge Gardens
Hoover
205-682-8019
2016 attendance:           85,280
2015 attendance:           84,225


#10       Key Underwood Coon Dog Memorial Cemetery
Tuscumbia
256-412-5970
2016 attendance:          80,000
2015 attendance:          70,000


 

Top 10 - Events 2016

#1        Mobile Mardi Gras
Mobile
251-208-2000
2016 attendance:        1,172,000
2015 attendance:        1,011,588        


#2       National Shrimp Festival
Gulf Shores
251-968-6904
2016 attendance:         250,000
2015 attendance:         250,000


#3        W.C. Handy Music Festival
Florence        
256-766-7642
2016 attendance:         200,000
2015 attendance:         200,000
 

#4        National Peanut Festival
Dothan
334-793-4323
2016 attendance:          177,000
2015 attendance:          182,000
 

#5        Gulf Coast Balloon Festival
Foley
251-943-5550
2016 attendance:            130,000
2015 attendance:              70,000


#6        National Veteran’s Day Parade
Birmingham
205-942-5300
2016 attendance:             120,000
2015 attendance:             100,000


#7       Fairhope Arts and Crafts Festival
Fairhope
251-928-6387
2016 attendance:           75,000
2015 attendance:                 n/a


#8         World of Wheels
Birmingham
205-655-4950
2016 attendance:           68,000
2015 attendance:           65,000


#9       Alabaster CityFest
Alabaster
205-994-4236
2016 attendance:           60,000
2015 attendance:           75,000
 

#10        Bridge Crossing Jubilee
Selma
334-875-7241
2016 attendance:           45,000
2015 attendance:         185,000

 

Top 10 - Parks and Natural Destinations 2016
 

#1        Alabama Gulf Coast Beaches
Gulf Shores/Orange Beach/Fort Morgan/Dauphin Island
251-968-7511
2016 attendance:     6,300,000
2015 attendance:     5,900,000


#2        Gulf State Park
Gulf Shores
251-948-7275
2016 attendance:      2,325,000
2015 attendance:      2,235,000          


#3        Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge
Decatur
256-350-6639
2016 attendance:         670,500
2015 attendance:         663,870


#4        Oak Mountain State Park
Pelham
205-620-2520
2016 attendance:         670,000
2015 attendance:         560,000
 

#5        Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park
McCalla
205-477-5711
2016 attendance:          552,331
2015 attendance:          540,672


#6        Railroad Park
Birmingham
205-521-9933
2016 attendance:           478,511
2015 attendance:           548,000


#7        Little River Canyon National Preserve
Fort Payne
256-845-9605
2016 attendance:            462,703
2015 attendance:            248,135
 

#8        Lake Guntersville State Park
Guntersville
256-505-6632
2016 attendance:             325,000
2015 attendance:             320,000
 

#9        Joe Wheeler State Park
Rogersville
256-247-5466
2016 attendance:             245,000
2015 attendance:             245,000


#9        Wind Creek State Park
Alexander City
256-329-0845
2016 attendance:               245,000
2015 attendance:               240,000

 


Top 10 - Sports Destinations 2016
 

#1        Bryant-Denny Stadium – University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa
205-348-7166
2016 attendance:               712,747            
2015 attendance:               712,747
                          

#2        Jordan-Hare Stadium – Auburn University
Auburn
334-844-4750
2016 attendance:               695,498            
2015 attendance:               612,157


#3        Birmingham Barons Baseball
Birmingham
205-988-3200
2016 attendance:              418,361            
2015 attendance:              444,639


#4       Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega
877-Go2-DEGA
2016 attendance:             388,000
2015 attendance:             400,000


#5      Barber Vintage Motorsports
Birmingham
205-702-8709
2016 attendance:            260,670
2015 attendance:            256,989


#6        Montgomery Biscuits Baseball
Montgomery
334-323-2255
2016 attendance:            230,742                        
2015 attendance:            232,466          


#7      SEC Baseball Tournament
Hoover
205-967-4745
2016 attendance:           150,064
2015 attendance:           120,386


#8     Veterans Memorial Stadium- Troy University
Troy
334-670-3832
2016 attendance:           135,203
2015 attendance:             96,993


#9     Huntsville Havoc Hockey
Huntsville
256-518-6160
2016 attendance:           117,298
2015 attendance:           100,381


#10      Mobile Baybears Baseball
Mobile
251-476-2287
2016 attendance:             96,185
2015 attendance:             96,260