A Step Back into Bygone Birmingham

Birmingham, Alabama

Friday, May 24, 2019 – Saturday, May 25, 2019

Written October 28, 2025

Traveling from Jackson, Mississippi – Approx: a 3 and ½ hour drive. Part of a longer trip that started in Dallas, TX, then Houston, TX, then Little Rock, Arkansas, then Memphis Tennessee, then Jackson, Mississippi, then Birmingham, Alabama, then Atlanta, Georgia (only spent 10 hours there. some of which was trying to get a new flight arranged.)

Making the Most out of our Short Stay

Our visit to Birmingham was scheduled to be brief. This was partially due to our lack of familiarity with Birmingham or Alabama and partially because it was the tail end of a road trip that encompassed 5 other cities ahead of it. I was unsure what condition we’d be in, so I didn’t want to plan a packed itinerary, to then be disappointed that we were too tired to do any of it.  So, our only planned activity we had for Birmingham was our hotel reservation.

To make the most of our 24 hours, I booked a room at the Redmont Hotel Birmingham. The reason that I chose this hotel was because it’s been a working hotel for close to 100 years. It opened in 1925 and is one of the oldest hotels in the city that has been in operation throughout. It was also one of the first hotels in the area that had a bathroom built for each room. Pretty snazzy for the 1920’s!

The hotel is said to be haunted by one of its former owners. Another historical tidbit, country music singer Hank Williams is said to have spent a night at the Redmont, shortly before his death. The more I read through the reviews and history of the hotel, the more I knew our stay in the hotel would enrich our short stay. It would be exciting to be part of its history, even if I was just passing through for one night.

Photo 1: entrance to Redmont Hotel Birmingham

Photo 2: movie projector as decor in the elevator waiting area

Photo 3: inside the hotel room

We arrived in Birmingham around 8:00PM. Self-parking wasn’t an option, so we pulled our car right up to the valet in front of the hotel. In retrospect, this sort of sets the tone of a bygone era as when we exited the car, it was obvious that the hotel leans into the 1920’s motif. When we walked through the doors, it felt like we were stepping into The Great Gatsby. The foyer and check in area had high ceilings, painted a light color with boldly colored accents along the walls. There was a lot of shiny metal for the bannisters and displays, ie: like brass, silver, or gold. Even the updated amenities blended, so it doesn’t break the spell.

Inside the room the 1920’s decor continued, beige walls and curtains, but accents of dark blue and red. The bathroom was white with black accents. The accommodation felt very warm and lavish. (I looked it up, the décor is art deco).

Once settled, we realized that our late lunch that we had eaten on the road wasn’t sustaining us, we were peckish, and our car snacks weren’t doing it for us. Knowing that we were not dressed or packed properly for the rooftop bar, we headed downstairs to the Harvest restaurant.  The restaurant maintained the 1920’s illusion, and it made for a very immersive experience. To fit in, we indulged in French onion soup and cheesecake. Not the healthiest of options, but ooh so decadent!

With our stomachs content, we returned upstairs to the room and discussed how we wanted to spend our time in the city and what time to head out in the morning. We did not experience any spectral visits or anything out of the ordinary during the night.

Photo 1: slice of cheesecake at Harvest Restaurant Photo 2: view from the room at Redmont Hotel Birmingham

Photo 3: view of the parking lot from the valet station at the front entrance the hotel

An Afternoon of History

We stayed at the hotel until noon, which was check-out time. It was decided that we’d spend the few remaining hours in the city at Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. The Institute is a quick 5-minute car ride away from the hotel. Not only is the institute full of historical information, like photos and displays, but some of the history took place just steps away from where the institute is. So you can learn the history inside but then go outside and view where some of it happened.

Once inside it became clear how much care was devoted to maintaining the institute. All the exhibits I encountered were engaging. Several offered multiple mediums, such as written letters and audio recordings presenting different perspectives of the time. The educators, historians, curators, and everyone who works at the museum must have a genuine passion for preserving and sharing history because it was shown through every room I went through. While there is a strong emphasis on life in Birmingham during the civil rights movement, specifically the separate but equal neighborhoods, the Institute isn’t limited to only teaching about the history of Birmingham. There are also photos and stories about what was happening throughout the country as well as the progress that has been made.

I spent a lot of time in the rooms that explained the elaborate plan to purposely divide the city. The schoolhouses, medical facilities, churches, parks, shopping, and more were separated within the city under the “separate but equal system”. I remember learning about it in primary school, but I didn’t remember that it was for two decades! As I read through each of the postings, I kept trying to remember how far we’ve come as a society.

There were other exhibits that caught my eye, one was how national advertising portrayed stereotypes to sell their products through the years. Another thing that I remember well was being able to walk among the life-sized sculptures in the “Walk to Freedom” room. They weren’t in display cases either, you could stand next to them!

While we spent two hours inside going from room to room, I did not feel that this was enough time to fully absorb and reflect upon everything that I saw and read.  I think if you’ve visited once before, or were familiar with the history, the 2 hours would be fine. Before we left the area, we walked around outside for about an hour and looked over at Kelly Ingram Park. My partner also took a walk to the 16^th Street Baptist Church across the street and took a couple of photos. Both had heavy involvement with the civil rights movement.

Our Birmingham experience lasted until around 4:00PM, at which time we got on the road and headed east to Atlanta, GA.

Photo 1: Birmingham Civil Rights Institute building

Photo 2: Walk to Freedom room

Photo 3: 16th Street Baptist Church

Things I learned from planning this trip: I learned a lot more about the geography of the southeast states in the U.S. Birmingham is only 2-hour drive from Atlanta, GA and there are frequent flights from NYC to Atlanta, well more so than flights from NYC to Birmingham.

Things I learned from attending this trip: Birmingham had a stillness (quietness), which isn’t something I frequently experience in NYC.

Things I keep in mind when organizing a trip for myself: I’d like to return for a long weekend or a couple of days. I’d be game to visit the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute again as well. I’m sure there is a lot that I missed in the few hours that I was there. If I return to the same hotel, I’d like to check out the rooftop bar, I bet you can get great photos from there.

Things I learned from writing this blog post: I found it difficult to stick to my usual format of reporting what we saw and did. My notes weren’t as thorough as I’ve had for other city visits. I think it’s because revisiting the history of the city weighs heavy on my heart.

Some information, such as baseball game information and directions were sought by using ChatGPT or Perplexity.

*I used ChatGPT to review for continuity and re-arranged some of my paragraphs using some of the suggestions. The written words are still mine.

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