alabama state tourism office

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Alabama Tourism Department

Headquartered in Montgomery , the department's director and assistant director are appointed by the governor. Sixty-three merit-system employees staff eight divisions, with managers overseeing the personnel, marketing, media, publications, financial services, mail, communications, and welcome-center divisions.

The ATD operates from Alabama's General Fund, with an annual appropriation by the state legislature supplemented by a percentage of the State Lodging Tax charged for hotel and motel rooms and campground sites. The department promotes tourism nationally and internationally through advertising in print media, radio, television, and online sites. Most of this advertising budget is spent promoting tourism among southeasterners, because studies have shown that 85 percent of the tourists traveling to Alabama live within a 500-mile radius. State law prohibits the bureau from purchasing advertising inside Alabama. ATD employees write and produce tourism-related materials as well as travel-related articles and press releases. They also distribute press kits and organize press trips for members of the media, tour operators, and travel agents.

Working with its advertising agency, a private company chosen by the director and an advisory committee made up of tourism professionals and industry leaders from around the state, ATD plans and organizes special year-long marketing campaigns that focus on a central theme. For instance, 2004 was "The Year of Alabama Gardens" and 2106 was "The Year of Alabama Makers." The department provides support to individual travel writers who wish to produce print or broadcast stories about Alabama destinations.

Each year's crowning achievement for the department is the Official Alabama Vacation Guide, which offers readers a tourist's view of the state from the mountains of northeast Alabama to the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. Highlights across the state include Space Camp at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville ; Ivy Green , Helen Keller 's home in Tuscumbia ; the statue of Vulcan in Birmingham ; Bellingrath Gardens near Mobile ; and the Troy University Rosa Parks Museum in Montgomery.

In 2017, ATD launched its three-year celebration of Alabama's 200th anniversaries as the Mississippi Territory, the Alabama Territory, and statehood . Events and content produced for the celebration were divided into three themes, one for each year: Discovering Our Places, Honoring Our People, and Sharing Our Stories. The department produced, in collaboration with private companies, a mobile app and book, The Alabama Bicentennial PastPort, that allowed participants to map out significant locations in the state and "check in" when they visited. Events took place all over the state and included a kickoff party in Mobile, a dedication at St. Stephens , a reenactment of even surrounding the first constitution in Huntsville, and a parade and concert finale in Montgomery. A series of bronze plaques celebrating notable moments and periods in state history were commissioned and erected in the newly created Bicentennial Park across the street from the state capitol in 2020 and unveiled at the finale. Additionally, the Alabama Constitution Hall Historic Park and Museum were renovated and reopened in a celebration that included the reenactment of Pres. James Monroe 's surprise visit to the constitutional convention in 1819.

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Wayne Greenhaw Montgomery, Alabama

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Alabama Travel Council

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Advocacy. Education. Networking.

Tourism is big business in Alabama and the Alabama Travel Council is the private sector voice for the industry. We bring attractions, accommodations, destination marketing organizations and our multitude of travel-related businesses, along with public sector leadership, together to support and grow out industry.

Twenty-eight million tourists spent a record $16.8 billion while vacationing in Alabama in 2019 and for the first time, guests paid more than one billion dollars in taxes to state and local governments.

The travel and hospitality industry employs more than 200,000 workers with 140,705 direct jobs and 67,918 indirect jobs.  The Alabama Travel Council supports the businesses and the people powering this important economic sector. Won’t you join us?

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Thank you for stopping by! At Visit Tuscaloosa, we are individuals who want to help you create legendary experiences. Contact us directly with any questions you have regarding your upcoming trip to Tuscaloosa, the heart of West Alabama.

Need a Visitor’s Guide?

Our Visitor’s Guide is a wonderful resource to help plan your visit, especially as we upgrade our digital experience. Whether it’s hotels, restaurants, attractions, or entertainment, this guide is a great place to begin. For your convenience, you may view a digital copy by submitting this form . While the digital and hard copies are identical, we would be glad to mail a copy if a mailing address is provided.

Looking for a place to stay during your visit?

See our hotel list, which includes virtual tours for many of our properties, to get all of the information you need for your stay in Tuscaloosa.

About Our City

Located in the heart of West Alabama, Tuscaloosa is a vibrant community that’s filled with legendary history. Home to the renowned University of Alabama and located along the Black Warrior River, you’ll find a walkable Downtown that’s complete with live music, outdoor spaces to explore, and local restaurants to meet every palate. Not too big. Not too small. It’s how we roll.

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Join us as Druid City Social transforms into a vibrant hub of German Culture and festivity. Delight in a day of family-friendly fun, live music, activities and contests, good food, and of course… beer.

Upcoming Events

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The 15 best things to do in Alabama

From delicious eats to cultural activities, these are the best things to do in Alabama, a true hidden gem of a state

Alabama is often overlooked – and sometimes given a bad rap – as a tourist destination, but visitors are pleasantly surprised by the variety of things to do. From authentic, bluesy juke joints to civil rights history and one of the country’s best restaurants (according to the two James Beard awards it won in 2018), Alabama is a great place to start getting to know the South. The key to getting the most out of your trip to the Yellowhammer state is to diversify: chill at the beach, visit a museum, follow the barbecue trail, see some art, then get outdoors at a state park. Here’s your guide to ‘Bama culture.

Done something on this list and loved it? Share it with the hashtag #TimeOutDoList and tag @TimeOutEverywhere.

Find out more about   how Time Out selects the very best things to do all over the world .

Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.

Best things to do in Alabama

1.  orange beach.

What is it?  Alabama may not immediately come to mind when you think ‘beach’, but the state’s southern border features 32 miles of coastline hugging the Gulf of Mexico, where white sand beaches meet clear coastal waters in towns like Orange Beach.

Why go? Beyond the sun and sand, the area is known for its nature preserves, golf courses, and fishing expeditions. Enjoy building sand castles, play in the waves, bask in the sun and enjoy all the beachy glory.

2.  Unclaimed Baggage Center

What is it? Unclaimed Baggage Center in Scottsboro is the only place in the country where they buy unclaimed baggage from airlines and sell the contents.

Why go? Shopping at the Unclaimed Baggage Center is an experience like no other. Around 7,000 items arrive each day, mostly clothes, jewelry, sporting goods, and electronics (though they’ve found everything in people’s luggage from a shrunken head to a 5.8-carat diamond ring). You never know what treasures you’ll pick up.

3.  US Space & Rocket Center

What is it? Huntsville is home to the world’s largest space flight museum, where the Saturn V was developed to put the first man on the moon. The US Space & Rocket Center houses 1,500 space-related artifacts and traces the evolution of the space program.

Why go? Anyone with an interest in history and space travel will want to see the Mercury and Gemini capsule trainers, the Apollo 16 capsule, and one of the few V-2 rockets in the nation.

4.  Gip’s Place

What is it? In Bessemer, not far from Birmingham, one of the country’s last authentic juke joints still operates every Saturday night out of Herman “Gip” Gipson’s tin-roofed garage. Juke joints were popular throughout the segregated South and provided a place where African Americans could enjoy drinking, dancing, and music, usually in someone’s home.

Why go? 98-year-old Gip still runs weekly events in his off-the-beaten-path blues mecca. It might be tricky to find this house strung with Christmas lights, but it’s a once in a lifetime cultural experience in the American South. Bring your own food and drink.

5.  Auburn

What is it? Auburn is a quintessential Alabama college town, home of the Auburn Tigers sports teams. You’ve never seen so much school pride, with locals often sporting Auburn gear (‘War Eagle’ is a football fan’s cry) and throwing epic football tailgating parties. It’s the perfect place to experience a slice of university life.

Why go? Toomer’s Corner has legendary lemonade, J&M Bookstore is the place to pick up Auburn swag, and take a stroll through the Donald E. Davis Arboretum or visit the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art. Slurp local oysters at The Depot, sip a beer at The Hound, brunch at Acre (who’s had a James Beard nomination), and then hike it off at Chewacla State Park.

6.  Birmingham Brewery Tour

What is it? Red Clay Tours does walking tours stopping at three different Birmingham breweries, with a beer flight at each.

Why go?  To work your way through IPAs, porters, sours and other tipples created by expert brewmasters. Birmingham is experiencing a craft beer renaissance at breweries like Avondale, Trim Tab, Good People, and Cahaba. A walking tour with a local is a good way to sample the best of the B-ham beerscape.

7.  The F Scott & Zelda Fitzgerald Museum

What is it? F Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, America’s iconic jazz age authors, were known for living to the hilt. They defined an era, enjoying glamourous lives in Paris and beyond, but their story began in Montgomery, Alabama. The home in which they lived and wrote in 1931 and 1932 is the only museum in the world dedicated to their legacies.

Why go? Not only can visitors to the museum explore the cultural significance left by the Fitzgeralds on American literary history, but the house is available as an Airbnb rental , so you can actually stay the night in a place steeped in times gone by.

8.  Town of Spectre

What is it? Tim Burton’s 2003 movie ‘Big Fish’ was filmed on Jackson Lake Island, a privately owned island in Millbrook. In the film, the main character goes back to the (made-up) town of Spectre at different points in his life. The buildings constructed for the movie set were left standing and can be visited by tourists.

Why go? Visiting an abandoned movie set resembling a dilapidated town is fun enough, but guests can also camp, fish, and boat right there on the island for just $10. (Go ahead and throw your shoes on the line!)

9.  Mobile Carnival Museum

What is it?  The Carnival Museum in Mobile, a port city on the Gulf Coast, takes you through the history of Mardi Gras, via costumes, flamboyant floats and photographs dating back to 1886.

Why go? Mobile was the first capital of French Louisiana and the location of the New World’s first Mardi Gras (known locally as Carnival) in 1703. Uncover a pocket of antebellum life and follow the parade right up to the modern day.

10.  Birmingham Museum of Art

What is it? The Birmingham Museum of Art has one of the best art collections in the South-east. Its 24,000 works cover Asian, African, European, American, Pre-Columbian and Native American art.

Why go?  The museum has comprehensive collections of Asian art (especially Vietnamese ceramics) and is also known for its collection of renaissance and baroque paintings. It’s also worth checking out the eighteenth-century European decorative arts collection and the outdoor sculpture garden.

11.  Alabama BBQ Trail

What is it? Barbecue in Alabama is such serious business that the state’s tourism board created a handy app guide. It provides the best restaurants, sends you alerts when you’re near places you’ve been wanting to try, then allows you to check off places you’ve visited and earn badges as you rise up the ranks from piglet to ‘BBQ king’.

Why go? The world of Alabama barbecue is all about bone suckin’ secret sauce and finger lickin’ techniques passed down through families, so exploring the world of ‘meat and three’ (that’s your choice of meat and three sides) is a must. Pro tip: discover the state’s unique Alabama White Sauce, and don’t forget the serviettes.

12.  Highlands Bar & Grill

What is it?  In the food world, there’s no higher honor than a James Beard Award. In Birmingham you’ll find the restaurant the foundation has deemed best in the country: Highlands Bar & Grill.

Why go?  The daily changing menu is heavily influenced by local produce and classic French cooking: think game and root veg in winter and soft-shell crab in summer. The pastry chef, Dolester Miles, was also named best in the country this year.

13.  Montgomery Civil Rights Trail

What is it? Montgomery is home to the Rosa Parks Museum, the Dexter Parsonage Museum (where Martin Luther King Jr was pastor and lived), the Civil Rights Memorial, the Museum of Alabama, the First White House of the Confederacy, and the newly appointed National Memorial for Peace and Justice.

Why go?  From slavery to civil rights, Alabama has a gut-wrenching past for African Americans. Montgomery is the birthplace of the United States’ civil rights movement, a fascinating and key facet of US history.

14.  Alligator Alley

What is it? Alligator Alley was created to provide a natural habitat for 450 of the rescued reptiles. The guided adventure begins on a raised viewing platform and includes holding a baby gator or participating in a feeding.

Why go? This is more than just an alligator-watching experience – you get a real feel for local flora and fauna on a nature walk with viewings of turtles, bullfrogs, osprey, owls, and more.

15.  Explore Alabama’s State Parks

What is it? Alabama is full of beautiful state parks that offer hiking, camping, boating, fishing, swimming, biking, ziplining, and more. Cathedral Caverns and Rickwood offer cave tours, Meaher has a path through wetlands, and Oak Mountain is home to the Alabama Wildlife Center.

Why go? Alabama’s ecological diversity is a wonder, from lakes to caves to hills. Grab a picnic lunch and go explore the great outdoors.

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Alabama Tourism Department

The official site for industry professionals, meet director lee sentell.

Lee Sentell Alabama Tourism Director

Lee Sentell, reappointed by Governor Kay Ivey in 2022 as director of the Alabama Tourism Department, has overseen tourism revenue growth in the state from $6 billion in 2003 to $22 billion in 2022.  This is his sixth term in the Alabama Governor’s Cabinet.

Under his leadership, the department has pioneered yearly campaigns spotlighting such diverse themes as small towns, the arts, barbecue, natural wonders, birding and the Alabama Bicentennial celebration, winning the national industry’s coveted Mercury award six times in 12 years.  Most recently, their U.S. Civil Rights Trail campaign received the International Travel and Tourism Award for best regional promotion at the World Travel Market in London, becoming the U.S. state tourism agency to be honored.

Previously, he was the first director of marketing at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville and recruited the first 100,000 students to Space Camp.

Sentell has served as a board member at the Alabama Historical Commission, Alabama Humanities Foundation, Alabama State Council on the Arts, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Rosa Parks Museum, Encyclopedia of Alabama and the space museum in Huntsville.

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Minimum Wages for Tipped Employees

July 1, 2024

Historical Tables

Some states set subminimum rates for minors and/or students or exempt them from coverage or have a training wage for new hires. Some local governments set minimum wage rates higher than their respective state minimum wage. Such differential provisions are not displayed in this table.

1 Other additional deductions are permitted, for example for meals and lodging.

2 Minnesota. A large employer means an enterprise whose annual gross revenue is not less than $500,000. A small employer means an enterprise whose annual gross revenue is less than $500,000.

3 New Jersey. An employer is eligible to apply a tip credit against the full state minimum hourly wage only if the tipped employees have been informed in advance of the amount of the cash wage that is to be paid; the amount of the tip credit claimed by the employer; that all tips received must be retained by the employee, except in case of a valid tip pool arrangement limited to tipped employees; and of the requirements of the relevant New Jersey regulations. There is a minimum wage of $13.73 per hour for seasonal and small employers who employ fewer than 6 people.

4 North Carolina. Tip credit is not permitted unless the employer obtains from each employee, either monthly or each pay period, a signed certification of the amount of tips received. Employers must notify employees in advance of the amount of cash wages they will be paid and the amount that wages will be increased using the tip credit.

5 Ohio. For employees of employers with gross annual sales of less than $385,000, the state minimum wage is $7.25 per hour.

6 Oklahoma. For employers with fewer than 10 full-time employees at any one location who have gross annual sales of $100,000 or less, the basic minimum rate is $2.00 per hour. Employers with ten or more full time employees at any one location or annual gross sales over $100,000 that are not covered by the FLSA can take a tip credit of no more than 50 percent ($3.62) of the applicable minimum wage of $7.25.  The State law excludes from coverage any employment that is subject to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.

7 West Virginia. The state minimum wage law applies only to employers with six or more employees and to state agencies.

8 Wisconsin. $5.90 per hour may be paid to "opportunity employees" -- employees who are not yet 20 years old and who have been in employment status with a particular employer for 90 or fewer consecutive calendar days from the date of initial employment. Additionally, a cash wage of $2.13 per hour may be paid to an opportunity employee who is a tipped employee.

9 The following states do not have state minimum wage laws: Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Georgia has a state minimum wage law, but it does not apply to tipped employees. Employers in these states must pay employees covered by the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act at least the federal minimum wage.

10 Nevada. Effective July 1, 2024, there is a uniform minimum wage of $12.00 per hour for all employees. 

11 US Virgin Islands. The Wage Board has been authorized since 2020 to increase the minimum cash wage for tipped tourist service and restaurant employees to a rate not greater than 45% of the minimum wage or less than the federal minimum wage for tipped employees.

13 Wyoming. The Wyoming minimum wage is $5.15 per hour. Employers must pay employees covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act at least the federal minimum wage.

14 Connecticut. The Connecticut minimum wage is adjusted annually based on a set formula.

15 District of Columbia. The minimum cash wage for tipped workers in the District of Columbia increased to $10.00 per hour on July 1, 2024, and it is scheduled to gradually increase annually until it reaches the full minimum wage. Additionally, the District of Columbia minimum wage is adjusted annually on July 1 based on a set formula.

16 The minimum wage laws in Kansas, Oklahoma (see note 6), Texas, and Utah exclude from coverage any employment that is subject to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.

17 Florida. The Florida minimum wage is scheduled to increase by $1.00 every year on September 30th until reaching $15.00 on September 30, 2026.

18 Puerto Rico. The minimum wage increased to $10.50 per hour on July 1, 2024.

Prepared By :

Division of Fair Labor Standards Act and Child Labor Wage and Hour Division U.S. Department of Labor

This document was last revised July 1, 2024.

The Wage and Hour Division tries to ensure that the information on this page is accurate but individuals should consult the relevant state labor office for official information.