Tuscaloosa travel guide

Tuscaloosa, United States

By the Travel Wiki editorial team

Tuscaloosa

Introduction

Tuscaloosa sits in west-central Alabama on the Black Warrior River, at the point where the Gulf Coastal and Piedmont plains meet. Long known as Tuskaloosa until the early 20th century, the city carries the nickname "the Druid City," earned from the water oaks that have lined its downtown streets since the 1840s.

Before you go

Tuscaloosa is generally a safe metro area, but you should take extra care in the southern and eastern parts of the city, including the Alberta City area, which see more crime than elsewhere. Plan your route and where you stay with that in mind, especially at night.

Getting there

Most travellers reach Tuscaloosa by air through Birmingham, whose airport is the closest with commercial service and sits about an hour's drive north-east of the city (closer to an hour and a half if you keep to the speed limit). It's Alabama's largest airport and handles a wide spread of arrivals and departures to and from major US cities every day. Tuscaloosa Regional Airport is much nearer downtown but has no scheduled services, so it won't work for a normal trip.

Getting around

Tuscaloosa is a sprawling Southern city rather than a dense, walkable one, so plan around a car first and treat buses, trolleys and taxis as supplements. Driving is the most flexible way to link downtown, the University of Alabama campus and the outlying commercial areas, and it is the default choice for reaching the city from the interstate. Walking works well within individual districts — the compact downtown core and the campus/Strip area — but not as a way to cover the city as a whole.

Where to stay

Most of Tuscaloosa's lodging clusters along the McFarland Boulevard corridor and the Interstate 20/59 exits on the east side, where you'll find the bulk of the city's chain hotels. Several properties sit close to the University of Alabama campus, including the Hotel Capstone on Paul Bryant Drive and a Hampton Inn on Harper Lee Drive adjacent to both the campus and D.C.H. Regional Medical Center. A Microtel and a Holiday Inn Express on Veterans Memorial Parkway are also convenient to campus. If you're arriving from the interstate, the Country Inn & Suites and a Ramada sit near exit 73, while a SureStay and a Hampton Inn are farther east near exits 76 and 77.

Expect the standard range of chain amenities: complimentary breakfast at most properties, outdoor pools at many, fitness centers at some, and in-room coffee makers, microwaves and refrigerators at the larger hotels. A Best Western in Northport offers a seasonal outdoor pool and allows small pets at the manager's discretion, and the SureStay charges a pet fee and requires you to sign a pet policy on arrival. Business travelers will find meeting rooms at the Hotel Capstone, the Country Inn & Suites and the Courtyard by Marriott, among others.

Food & drink

For burgers, Hooligans on 15th Street is a bargain, and it also turns out Mediterranean plates like gyros, wraps, hot wings, hummus and babaganoush. Mugshot's is a restaurant bar and grill known for its hamburgers, and Buffalo Phil's, on the Strip next to campus, has been serving buffalo wings and chicken fingers for more than twenty years. On the Strip you'll also find Thai Basil Sushi II, a Thai restaurant and sushi bar, Lai Lai for take-out Chinese and authentic specials with bubble tea, and Swen for Chinese food. A small kiosk in front of Publix on the Strip concentrates on Greek food such as lamb, falafel and hummus, and stays open very late.

Barbecue is a local staple: Full Moon off 15th Street serves fried green tomatoes and baked potatoes the size of a small football, while the original Dreamland BBQ is known nationwide and keeps it simple with ribs, slices of white bread and banana pudding. Across the river in Northport, City Cafe lets you pick your vegetables and your meat — fried green tomatoes, okra, yams, barbecue, beef stew — with sweet tea flowing freely; expect a long lunchtime line and be ready to claim a table when one frees up. For something more polished, The Cypress Inn near the Black Warrior River serves fresh fish, steaks, pastas and homemade desserts, with an open-air porch overlooking the landscaped entrance and the water.

Many of the popular bars are really restaurants that serve more alcohol and less food as the night goes on, so people under 21 may be allowed in but are typically turned away after 10pm. The Strip, along University Drive just off campus, is geared toward University of Alabama students and includes The Houndstooth, a sports bar, and Gallete's, which has no sign on the front. Downtown, the scene clusters around 4th Street and 23rd Avenue, with Rhythm and Brews and Mellow Mushroom, and a block southwest around 6th Street and Greensboro Avenue you'll find Mugshots, Innisfree Irish Pub and Catch 22.

What to see and do

Start on the University of Alabama campus, where you can climb Denny Chimes, see the President's Mansion and the Gorgas House, and visit the Alabama Museum of Natural History, whose exhibits trace the state's natural diversity from the Age of Dinosaurs through the Coal Age and Ice Age and include the Hodges meteorite. Sports fans should head to the Paul W. Bryant Museum for Crimson Tide football photographs, uniforms and memorabilia, and to Bryant-Denny Stadium. On game day, the Quad fills with crimson-clad fans and the smell of hamburgers, hotdogs and barbecue drifting from the tents; shout "Roll Tide" into the crowd and you'll likely get an enthusiastic response.

South of town on Highway 69, Moundville Archeological Park is a National Historic Landmark with prehistoric Indian mounds, nature trails, an Indian village and a museum of Mississippian-era artifacts; free self-guided tour handouts are provided, and a full tour takes a few hours. In Tuscaloosa County you can tour the Mercedes-Benz U.S. International factory and its visitor center. For the outdoors, Lake Lurleen State Park northwest of town offers camping, picnic areas, a beach with a bathhouse, hiking trails and canoes, fishing boats and paddle-boats for use on the lake. River Road Park East and West, linked by the Riverwalk Path, overlook the Black Warrior River and have grills, picnic tables and benches, plus an overlook pier, a fishing pier and a gazebo. Golfers can head to The Links at Tuscaloosa or the University of Alabama Golf Course and its lighted driving range.

When to go

Tuscaloosa has a humid subtropical climate with four distinct seasons, and warm, moist Gulf air drives much of the rain and stormy weather throughout the year. Winter runs from mid-December to late February, when lows drop to or below freezing on many days and rain is abundant, with January and February the wettest months on average. Measurable snow is rare and most years see none, and ice days are very infrequent. Spring usually lasts from late February to mid-May and becomes drier as it goes on, but it is one of the severe weather seasons, when clashes between warm Gulf air and cooler northern air can bring damaging thunderstorms, hail, and occasionally tornadoes.

Summer lasts from mid-May to mid-September and is hot, with dozens of days reaching the highest temperatures of the year; most rain comes from afternoon convectional storms rather than fronts, and the later part of summer tends to be drier. Autumn spans mid-September to early December and is similar to spring in temperature and precipitation. Like spring, it is a severe weather season, with the strongest interactions between air masses bringing the risk of damaging storms.

Three days in Tuscaloosa

Day one: Start downtown in the Druid City, where Greensboro Avenue gives you your first look at the city's historic core. Walk the downtown streets and take in the Black Warrior River, which shapes much of Tuscaloosa's character. If you arrive by air, Tuscaloosa Regional Airport is your entry point; by bus, Greyhound serves the city, and the Tuscaloosa Transit Authority's Intermodal Facility Terminal connects you to local routes. In the evening, head toward the Strip near the University for a lively student-oriented atmosphere.

Day two: Give the day to the University area. Walking is the best way to take in the campus and its surroundings, and the University Shuttle and Trolley help you cover ground. Browse along University Blvd and stop at University Mall if you want a break from the heat. The Strip is close by for lunch and people-watching. Note that the region sits where the Gulf Coastal and Piedmont zones meet, which gives the landscape its rolling feel.

Day three: Explore beyond the center. Alberta City has its own local flavor and is worth a wander. If you're continuing your trip, Amtrak's Crescent links New York City and New Orleans, and Birmingham is a nearby major city for connections. Driving is the easiest way to reach the outlying areas. Before you leave, return to the river for a quiet final look at the Black Warrior.

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