#rocketcity

Huntsville, Alabama totally took us by surprise. We knew they had the legendary NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, but we had no idea their music, art, and food scene would be out of this world. From The Orion Amphitheater (named by Billboard as one of the world’s best venues) to multiple neighborhoods dedicated as “Arts & Entertainment Districts,” where you can move from brewery to speakeasy without ever putting down your purple pint glass, this town’s got nightlife. As Alabama’s first capital, we figured they’d have historic buildings, but not the second densest concentration of antebellum homes in the US and 19th-century storefronts bringing so much charm to downtown. To keep visitors exploring and on their toes, Huntsville has a Secret Art Trail where you will find murals and sculptures in unexpected places and a Lucky Duck Scavenger Hunt to lead you to their most iconic sites. Alabama’s biggest city is anchored by a massive natural spring (it pumps out 20 million gallons a day!), and go a couple of miles in any direction and you’re back in nature, between the Huntsville Botanical Garden and Monte Sano State Park. Staying two nights in the park’s century-old cabins, we soaked up its outdoor offerings, playing a round of disc golf, finding our zen in the Japanese Garden, and hiking the karst cliffs. Then, of course, what always makes a place so special is the people! From catching up with our old buds, Jen & Ed, who’ve made Huntsville their home, to breaking bread with new friends at Lowe Mills Art & Entertainment’s painting classes and vegan food truck, we saw Rocket City and Alabama in a new and shining light. See this gallery, packed with pretty pics, fun videos, and handy tips for your Huntsville trip! iHeartHSV partner @VisitHuntsvilleAL

We just landed in Rocket City! Huntsville, Alabama got its nickname for designing and developing the rockets that propelled the US’s first satellite into space and sent man to the moon. While it’s home to one of NASA’s largest space flight centers, Huntsville is using its wicked smarts in lots of creative ways. They’ve transformed a cotton mill into the nation's largest privately owned art center, an old high school into a brewery and entertainment complex, and earned US News & World Report’s “Best Place to Live.” With 2,400 acres of wilderness just five miles from downtown, it’s gonna be a great urban-meets-nature getaway. We’ll be splitting our stay between the hip 106 Jefferson in Old Town (est. 1805) and Monte Sano State Park’s charming forest cabins. We’ve got so much fun on tap (including a Blink-182 concert!), so be sure to follow along on our Instagram Stories. @VisitHuntsvilleAL