Huntsville, Alabama

Huntsville, Alabama
Official seal of Huntsville, Alabama Seal
Nickname(s):  Rocket City" "Watercress Capital of the World
Country	United States
State	Alabama
County	Madison, Limestone
Government
• Mayor	Loretta Spencer
Elevation	600 ft (200 m)
Population  (2005)
• City	166,313
• Metro	368,661
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
Area code	256
Website	http://www.hsvcity.com/

Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County, Alabama. As of the 2000 census, the population of Huntsville was 164,570. As of 2005 Census Estimates the Huntsville Metropolitan Area had a population of 368,661 with the city proper having 166,313 residents. Huntsville, and its cross-river neighbor Decatur, combine their separate metro areas to form the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area, which, in 2004, had a total population of 510,088.

History

The Big Spring

Huntsville is named after John Hunt, the first settler of the land around the Big Spring. However, Hunt did not properly register his claim, and the area was purchased by Leroy Pope, who imposed the name Twickenham on the area to honor the home village of his distant kinsman Alexander Pope. Twickenham was carefully planned, with streets laid out on the northeast to southwest direction based on the Big Spring. However, due to anti-English sentiment during the War of 1812, the name was changed to Huntsville to honor John Hunt, who had been forced to move to other land south of the new city. Both John Hunt and Leroy Pope were Freemasons and charter members of Helion Lodge #1 . In 1811, Huntsville became the first incorporated town in Alabama. However, the recognized "birth" year of the city is 1805, the year of John Hunt's arrival. The city's sesquicentennial anniversary was held in 1955 and the bicentennial was celebrated in 2005.

Bird's Eye View of 1871 Huntsville, Alabama.

Huntsville's quick growth was from wealth generated by the cotton industry. Many wealthy planters moved into the area from Virginia, Georgia, and the Carolinas. In 1819, Huntsville hosted a constitutional convention in Walker Allen's large cabinetmaking shop. The forty-four delegates meeting there wrote a constitution for the new state of Alabama. In accordance with the new state constitution, Huntsville became Alabama's first capital when the state was admitted to the union. This was a temporary designation for one legislative session only, and the capital was then moved to another temporary location, Cahawba, until the legislature selected a permanent capital. (Today, the capital is Montgomery.)

In 1855, the Memphis and Charleston Railroad was constructed through Huntsville, becoming the first railway to link the Atlantic seacoast with the Mississippi River. Huntsville initially opposed secession from the Union in 1861, but provided many men for the state's defense when Abraham Lincoln called for an invasion of the South. The 4th Alabama Infantry Regiment, led by Col. Egbert J. Jones of Huntsville, distinguished itself at the Battle of Mannasas/Bull Run, the first major encounter of the American Civil War. The Fourth Alabama Infantry, which contained two Huntsville companies, were the first Alabama troops to fight in the war and were present at the end when Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox in April 1865. Eight generals of the war were born in or near Huntsville, evenly split with four on each side.

On the morning of April 11, 1862, Union troops led by General Ormsby M. Mitchel seized Huntsville to sever the Confederacy's rail communications. The Union troops were forced to retreat some months later, but returned to Huntsville in the fall of 1863 and thereafter used the city as a base of operations for the remainder of the war. While many homes and villages in the surrounding countryside were burned in retaliation for the active guerrilla warfare in the area, Huntsville itself was spared because it housed the occupying Union Army.

After the Civil War, Huntsville became a center for cotton textile mills, such as Lincoln and Merrimack. Several of the city's present neighborhoods were built to house the mill workers.

By 1940, Huntsville was still a small quiet town with a population of only 13,150 inhabitants. This quickly changed at the onset of World War II, when Huntsville was chosen as the location of Redstone Arsenal, with its numerous munitions manufacturing plants. The Arsenal was almost closed in 1949 when it was no longer needed, but it saw new life when Senator John Sparkman convinced the U. S. Army to choose Huntsville as the location for its missile research program. In 1950, Senator John Sparkman brought German rocket scientist Wernher von Braun and his colleagues to Redstone Arsenal to develop what would eventually become the United States' space program.

Historic rockets in Rocket Park of the US Space and Rocket Center, Huntsville, Alabama.

On September 8, 1960, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower formally dedicated the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville. (NASA had already activated this facility, which is located on Redstone Arsenal, on July 1 of that year.)

Space Shuttle Pathfinder at Space Camp

Huntsville is thus home to both Redstone Arsenal and the Marshall Space Flight Center, and is nicknamed "The Rocket City" for its close history with U.S. space missions. Huntsville has been important in developing space technology since the 1950s, when the German scientists headed by Dr. Wernher von Braun, brought to the United States at the end of World War II through Operation Paperclip, arrived to develop rocketry for the U.S Army. Their work included designing the Redstone ballistic missile, a variant of which, the Jupiter-C, carried the first U.S. satellite and astronauts into space. The Saturn V, utilized by the Apollo program manned moon missions, was developed from the Redstone Arsenal. Huntsville continues to play an important role in the United States' space shuttle and International Space Station programs. It is estimated that 1 in 13 of Huntsville's population are employed in some engineering field of work.

Huntsville's economy was nearly crippled and growth came to a near standstill in the 1970s following the closure of the Apollo program, but the emergence of the Space Shuttle and the ever-expanding field of missile defense in the 1980s helped give Huntsville a resurgence that continues to this day. The city continues to be the center of rocket-propulsion research in the United States, and is home to large branches of many defense contractors.

Huntsville is also the location of the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM). Huntsville's contributions to United States Cold War missile armament and technology earned it a "red star" designation as a target of the Soviet Union in the event of a nuclear exchange, fourth behind only New York City, Washington, DC, and NORAD.

Before Huntsville earned the moniker "Rocket City" and accompanying rapid growth, it was known for a time as the Watercress Capital of the World, because watercress was harvested in such abundance in the nearby area.

Geography

Huntsville is located at 34°42' North, 86°35' West (34.7, -86.6)Template:GR.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 451.8 km² (174.4 mi²). 450.8 km² (174.1 mi²) of it is land and 1.0 km² (0.4 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.22% water.

Huntsville is located in the Tennessee River Valley. Several mesas and large hills partially surround the city. These mesas are associated with the Cumberland Plateau, and are locally called "mountains." Monte Sano (Italian for "Mountain of Health") is the most notable, and is east of the city along with Round Top (Burritt), Huntsville, and Green Mountains. Others are Wade Mountain to the north, Rainbow Mountain to the west, and Weeden and Madkin Mountains on Redstone Arsenal in the south. Brindlee Mountain is visible in the south across the Tennessee River.

As with other areas along the Cumberland Plateau, the land around Huntsville is karst in nature. Huntsville was founded around Big Spring, which is a typical karst spring, and many caves perforate the limestone bedrock underneath the city, as is common in karst areas. The headquarters of the National Speleological Society are located in Huntsville.

Climate

Huntsville has a humid subtropical climate. It experiences hot, humid summers and generally mild winters, with average high temperatures ranging from 89.0 °F (31.6 C) in the summer to 49.0°F (9.4 C) during winter. Some years, Huntsville experiences tornadoes during the spring and fall. Significant tornado events include the Super Outbreak in 1974, the more recent Huntsville, Alabama Tornado in 1989 that killed 21 and injured almost 500, and the Anderson Hills Tornado that killed one and caused extensive damage in 1995. Since Huntsville is nearly 300 miles (480 km) inland, hurricanes are rarely experienced with their full force; however, many weakened tropical storms cross the area after a U.S. Gulf Coast landfall. While most winters have some measurable snow, significant snow is rare in Huntsville; but there have been some anomalies, like the 1963 New Years Day snowstorm, when 17 inches (43 cm) fell within 24 hours. Likewise, the Blizzard of 1993 and a Groundhog Day snowstorm in 1996 were substantial winter events for Huntsville. However, as of the winter of 2005-06, Huntsville has gone 10 years without any significant snowfall (>4 inches).

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °F (°C)	49 (9)	54 (12)	63 (17)	73 (23)	80 (27)	87 (31)	90 (32)	89 (32)	83 (28)	73 (23)	62 (17)	52 (11)	71 (22)
Average low °F (°C)	30 (-1)	33 (1)	41 (5)	49 (9)	58 (14)	65 (18)	69 (21)	68 (20)	62 (17)	50 (10)	40 (4)	33 (1)	50 (10)
Average rainfall: inches (millimeters)	5 (127)	5 (127)	6.6 (167.64)	4.8 (121.92)	5.1 (129.54)	4.3 (109.22)	4.6 (116.84)	3.5 (88.9)	4.1 (104.14)	3.3 (83.82)	4.7 (119.38)	5.7 (144.78)	56.8 (1442.72)

source

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 158,216 people living within the city limits. There are 66,742 households and 41,713 families residing in the city. The population density was 351.0/km² (909.0/mi²). There were 73,670 housing units at an average density of 163.4/km² (423.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 64.47% White, 30.21% Black or African American, 0.54% Native American, 2.22% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.66% from other races, and 1.84% from two or more races. 2.04% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Huntsville, Alabama Demographic Distribution

Age	<18	18-24	25-44	45-64	65+
Distribution %	23.1	10.7	29.3	23.4	13.4

Huntsville, Alabama Sex Ratio & Income Distribution

Median Age = 37

Sex Ratio F:M = 100:92.8

Sex Ratio age 18+ F:M = 100:89.7

Median Income = 41,074

Family Median Income = 52,202

Male Median Income = 40,003

Female Median Income = 26,085

Per capita Income = 24,015

Percent Below poverty = 12.8

Age < 18 Below Poverty = 18.7

Age 65+ Below Poverty = 9.0

Politics and Government

Huntsville's Administration Building, also known as City Hall

The current mayor of Huntsville is Loretta Spencer, who was elected in 1996 and is the first female mayor of the city. The city has a five-member/district City Council. The current members are: District 1 (Northwest)- Richard Showers, Sr.; District 2 (East)- Mark Russell (President); District 3 (Southeast)- Sandra Moon; District 4 (Southwest)- Bill Kling; District 5 (West)- Glenn Watson. Council elections are "staggered", meaning that Districts 1 and 5 will have elections simultaneously with mayoral elections in 2008, while Districts 2, 3, and 4 will have elections in August 2010.

There are also many boards and commissions run by the city, controlling everything from schools and planning to museums and downtown development.

See also: List of mayors of Huntsville, Alabama

Public Safety

In 2007, Mayor Loretta Spencer combined the police, fire, and animal services departments to create the Department of Public Safety. The former chief of police, Rex Reynolds, was appointed as its director. The new department has nearly 900 employees and an annual budget of $63 million.

Fire

The Huntsville Fire Department has 18 engine companies and 4 ladder companies located in 17 stations throughout the city of Huntsville. Many Huntsville firefighters are also members of the regional Hazardous Materials and Heavy Rescue response teams. The current chief is Danny Loggins.

Police

The Huntsville Police Department has 3 precincts and 1 downtown HQ, 360 sworn officers, 150 civilian personnel, and patrols an area of 194.7 square miles (this number has grown due to recent annexations). The current chief is Henry Reyes.

Police Academy

The Huntsville Police Academy is one of the oldest police academies in the United States. To date the Academy has completed 46 basic academies, and most recently the 47th Lateral Session. On May 8, 2006 the Huntsville Police Academy began the 47th Basic Session. Until the 47th Lateral Session, academies were held at the Old Huntsville Airport on Airport Rd. After the gradation of the 46th Session, the academy moved to the Public Safety Training Complex on Sparkman Drive, which is also home to the Huntsville Fire Academy.

Economy

Huntsville's main economic influence is derived from aerospace and military technology. Redstone Arsenal, Cummings Research Park (CRP), and NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center comprise the main hubs for the area's technology-driven economy. CRP is the second largest research park in the United States and the fourth largest in the world, and is over 38 years old. Huntsville is also home for commercial technology companies such as the network access company ADTRAN[1], computer graphics company Intergraph and software switch manufacturer Avocent. Telecommunications provider Deltacom, Inc. and copper tube manufacturer and distributor Wolverine Tube are also based in Huntsville. Sanmina-SCI also has a large presence in the area. Forty-two Fortune 500 companies have operations in Huntsville.

In 2005, Forbes Magazine named the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area as 6th best place in the nation for doing business, and number one in terms of the number of engineers per total employment. In 2006, Huntsville dropped to 14th; the prevalence of engineers was not considered in the 2006 ranking.

• Other Media Recognition for Huntsville

Retail

Huntsville is fast becoming a regional retail center. There are many strip malls and "power centers" throughout the city. Huntsville has two malls- Madison Square Mall, built in 1984, and Parkway Place, built in 2002 on the site of the former Parkway City Mall. An upscale lifestyle center, Bridge Street Town Centre, is under construction in Cummings Research Park and is scheduled to be complete in 2007. Another "live, work, and play" center is being constructed on the former site of the Heart of Huntsville Mall. It is to be called Constellation with ground breaking in Fall 2007 and scheduled completion by 2010. [2]

Utilities

Electricity, water, and natural gas are all provided in Huntsville by Huntsville Utilities (HU). HU gets its power from the Tennessee Valley Authority, or TVA for short. TVA has two plants that provide electricity to the Huntsville area- Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Plant in Limestone County and Guntersville Dam in Marshall County. A third, Bellefonte Nuclear Power Plant in Jackson County, was built in the 1980s but was never activated. Due to the rapid growth of the region, TVA has plans to eventually activate the plant.

Telephone service in Huntsville is provided by BellSouth and Knology. Huntsville has 3 cable providers, which is abnormally high for a city its size. They are Comcast, Knology, and Mediacom (outlying areas).

Transportation

Huntsville is served by several U.S. Highways, including 72, 231, 431 and an Interstate highway spur, I-565, that links the two cities of Huntsville and Decatur to I-65. Alabama Highway 53 also connects the city with I-65 in Ardmore, Tennessee.

Public Transit

Public transit in Huntsville is run by the city's Department of Parking and Public Transit. The Huntsville Shuttle runs 11 fixed routes throughout the city, mainly around downtown and major shopping areas like Memorial Parkway and University Drive and has recently expanded some of the buses to include bike racks on the front for a trial program. There is also a Tourist Trolley that makes stops at tourist attractions and shopping centers. The city also runs HandiRide, a demand-response transit system for the handicapped, and RideShare, a county-wide carpooling program.

Railroads

Huntsville has two active commercial rail lines. The mainline is run by Norfolk Southern, which runs from Memphis, TN to Chattanooga.

Another rail line, formerly part of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, successor to the Nashville, Chattanooga and Saint Louis Railroad, is being operated by HMCRA (Huntsville-Madison County Railroad Authority). The line connects to the Norfolk Southern line downtown and runs 13 miles South, passing near Ditto Landing on the Tennessee River, and terminating at Norton Switch, near Hobbs Island. This service, in continuous operation since 1894, presently hauls freight and provides transloading facilities at its downtown depot location. Until the mid-fifties, L & N provided freight and passenger service to Guntersville and points South. The rail cars were loaded onto barges at Hobbs Island. The barge tows were taken through the Guntersville Dam & Locks and discharged at Port Guntersville. Remnants of the track supporting piers still remain in the river just upstream from Hobbs Island. The service ran twice daily. L & N abandoned the line in 1984 at which time it was acquired by the newly-created HMCRA, a State Agency.

The North Alabama Railroad Museum in Chase maintains a line once owned by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. The museum runs weekend tourist rides along a short track in Northeast Madison County.

Ports

The inland Port of Huntsville combines the Huntsville International Airport, International Intermodal Center, and Jetplex Industrial Park. The intermodal terminal transfers truck and train cargo. The port has on-site U.S. Customs and USDA inspectors and is Foreign Trade Zone No. 83.

Huntsville International Airport is served by several regional and national carriers (including Delta, Northwest, US Air, Continental, United, and American) and offers non-stop flights to many airports across the Eastern U.S. However, Huntsville International gets its name because of its reputation as a cargo transport hub. Many delivery companies have hubs in Huntsville, making delivery flights to Europe, Asia, and Mexico. Port of Huntsville website

Media and Communications

Newspapers

The Huntsville Times has been Huntsville's only daily newspaper since 1996, when the Huntsville News closed. Before then, the News was the morning paper, and the Times was the afternoon paper. After the News closed, the Times remained an afternoon paper until 2004. The Huntsville Times has a weekday circulation of 60,000, which rises to 80,000 on Sundays.

A few alternative newspapers are available in Huntsville. The Valley Planet covers entertainment in the Huntsville area. The Redstone Rocket is a newspaper distributed throughout Redstone Arsenal's housing area covering activities on Redstone. Speakin' Out News is a weekly newspaper focused on African Americans. El Reportero is a Spanish-language newspaper for North Alabama.

Radio

Huntsville is the 113th largest radio market . Huntsville also receives several radio stations from Birmingham and Nashville.

Television

The Huntsville DMA serves 15 counties in North Alabama and 6 counties in Southern Middle Tennessee.

TV Stations:

• WTZT 11 Independent (Athens)
• WHDF 15/DT 14 The CW (Florence)
• WHNT 19/DT 59 CBS
• WHIQ 25/DT 24 PBS/Alabama Public Television
• WAAY 31/DT 32 ABC
• W38BQ 38 3ABN
• WAFF 48/DT 49 NBC
• WZDX 54/DT 41 FOX
• WAMY DT 54.2 My Network TV
• WYAM 56 Worship/Praise (Decatur)

Movies

A few films have been shot in Huntsville, including "Like Moles, Like Rats" (2006), "Air Band" (2005), and "Constellation" (2005). Portions of the movie Space Camp (1986) were filmed at Huntsville's U.S. Space and Rocket Center at the eponymous facility. Parts of "Tom and Huck" (1995) were filmed in Cathedral Caverns, located on the outskirts of Huntsville. Following in the motif of the "Rocket City," Columbia Pictures filmed Ravagers (1979) in Three Caves and at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. This cult classic starred Richard Harris, Ernest Borgnine, Ann Turkel, Art Carney and Cecily Hovanes.

Huntsville's legacy in the space program continues to draw movie producers looking for background material for space-themed movies. During the pre-production of the movie Apollo 13 (1995), the cast and crew spent time at Space Camp and Marshall Space Flight Center preparing for their roles.

There are 5 movie theaters located in Huntsville. They are:

• Rave Valley Bend 18
• Regal Hollywood Stadium 18
• Regal Madison Square Stadium 12
• Spacedome IMAX Theater (Recently Renovated)
• Carmike 10

Education

K-12 Education

The majority of K-12 students in Huntsville attend Huntsville City Schools. Nearly 25,000 students attend Huntsville City Schools. There are 29 elementary schools, 12 middle schools, and 7 high schools. Included in those numbers are 2 magnet elementary schools (The Academy for Academics and Arts and the Academy for Science and Foreign Language), 3 magnet middle school (Williams Technology, The Academy for Academics and Arts, and the Academy for Science and Foreign Language ), and 2 magnet high schools (New Century Technology and Lee). About 21 private, parochial, and religious schools also serve students ages pre-K-12. Madison County Private Schools

Elementary Schools

Private/Religious

• Greengate School for Dyslexia [3]
• Whitesburg Christian Academy [4]

High Schools

Public

• S.R. Butler High School [5]
• Columbia High School [6]
• Virgil I. Grissom High School [7]
• Huntsville High School [8]
• J. O. Johnson High School [9]
• Lee High School [10]
• New Century Technology High School [11]
• Seldon Center [12]

Private/Religious

• Catholic High School [13]
• Madison Academy [14]
• Oakwood Adventist Academy [15]
• Randolph School [16]
• Valley Fellowship Christian Academy [17]
• Westminster Christian Academy [18]
• Whitesburg Christian Academy [19]

Higher Education

Huntsville's higher education institutions include:

• Alabama A&M University[20];
• The University of Alabama in Huntsville[21];
• Oakwood College[22], and
• J.F. Drake State Technical College.

Numerous colleges and universities have satellite locations or extensions in Huntsville:

• Huntsville Regional Medical Campus of the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine [23];
• Calhoun Community College's[24] two sites (Calhoun Cummings Research Park Campus - CRP Website, [25] & Calhoun Redstone Arsenal Campus - Redstone Arsenal Website);
• Athens State University[26];
• Georgia Institute of Technology's two sites[27] [28];
• Faulkner University[29];
• Columbia College[30];
• Virginia College[31];
• Florida Institute of Technology[32], and
• Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University[33].

One of two local hospitals, Huntsville Hospital[34] also has an accredited school of radiologic technology. [35]

Attractions

Historic Districts

• Twickenham Historic District was chosen as the name of the first of three of the city's historic districts. It features homes in the Federal and Greek Revival architectural styles introduced to the city by Virginia-born architect George Steele about 1818, and contains the most dense concentration of antebellum homes in Alabama. The 1819 Weeden House Museum, home of female artist and poet Howard Weeden, is open to the public, as are several others in the district.
• Old Town Historic District [36] contains a variety of styles (Federal, Greek Revival, Queen Anne, and even California cottages), with homes dating from the late 1820s through the early 1900s.
• Five Points Historic District [37], the newest historic district, consists predominantly of bungalows built around the turn of the 20th century, by which time Huntsville was becoming a mill town.

Museums

The U.S. Space & Rocket Center exhibits a Saturn I (left, behind trees) and a much larger (and farther back) Saturn V mock-up along with a number of other rockets illustrating the history of United States space exploration. A ride in the foreground was built from an adapter cone from the flight model Saturn V not pictured.

• U.S. Space & Rocket Center [38] is home to the U.S. Space Camp and Aviation Challenge programs as well as the only Saturn V rocket designated a National Historic Landmark.

• Alabama Constitution Village [39] features eight reconstructed Federal style buildings, with living-museums displays downtown.

• Burritt Museum and Park [40] located on Monte Sano Mountain, is a regional history museum featuring a 1930s mansion, nature trails, scenic overlooks and more.

• Clay House Museum [41] is an antebellum home built ca. 1853 and showcases decorative styles up to 1950 and an outstanding collection of Noritake Porcelain.

• Early Works Museum [42] is a child friendly interactive museum in downtown Huntsville.

• Harrison Brothers Hardware Store [43] established in 1879, is the oldest operating hardware store in Alabama. Though now owned and operated by the Historic Huntsville Foundation [44], it is still a working store, and part museum featuring skilled craftsmen who volunteer to run the store and answer questions.

• The Historic Huntsville Depot [45] completed in 1860 is the oldest surviving railroad depot in Alabama and one of the oldest surviving depots in the United States.

• Huntsville Museum of Art [46] in Big Spring International Park offers permanent displays, traveling exhibitions, and educational programs for children and adults.

• Sci-Quest [47] is an interactive premiere hands-on museum for early childhood education, aged four through sixth grade.

Parks

• Monte Sano State Park [48] has over 2,000 acres (8 km²) and features hiking and bicycling trails, rustic cabins built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, campsites, full RV hook-ups, and a recently reconstructed lodge.[49]

• Huntsville Botanical Garden [50]features educational programs, woodland paths, broad grassy meadows and stunning floral collections.

• Land Trust of Huntsville [51] is a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of the natural heritage of the area, and has preserved more than 2,300 acres (9 km²) of open space, wildflower areas, natural springs, and local caves in Madison County, including 600+ acres (2.4 km²) on Monte Sano Mountain.

Festivals

• Big Spring Jam is an annual three-day music festival held on the last full weekend of September in and around Big Spring International Park in downtown Huntsville. It features a diversity of music including rock, country, Christian, kid-friendly, and oldies.

• THE PANOPLY ARTS FESTIVAL, an annual Huntsville Tradition since 1981, is held the last full weekend of each April in downtown’s Big Spring International Park. This three-day, outdoor extravaganza features presentations, demonstrations, performances, and workshops while promoting and enhancing The Arts! Over the years, PANOPLY has evolved into one of the region’s largest festivals, offering the perfect “come one, come all” environment through activities that the whole family can share and enjoy, from the “Global Village” – a gateway to the area’s diverse cultures – to FREE hands-on children’s activities to the “Official Alabama State Fiddling Championship,” “Homegrown Talent Contest,” “Ten-Minute Playwright Competition,” choreography and photography competitions, the Art Marketplace, stage after stage of music, theatre, and dance, buskers, juggling, magic, fireworks, food, and F-U-N! PANOPLY boasts weekend crowds of 75,000 – 90,000 attendees (breaking its record with over 140,000 in 2007!) and, as a result, the Southeast Tourism Society ranks it among their “Top Twenty Events” and Gov. Bob Riley recently announced its ranking in Alabama’s Top Ten Tourism Events of 2007. Call (256) 519-ARTS for information on Panoply 2008!

• The June Black Arts Festival is the largest two-day ethnic festival in the Huntsville area. From the performing to the visual arts, it provides a glimpse of the wealth of talent among local, regional & national entertainers & artists within the black community. Begun in 1990 by veteran Huntsville broadcaster Hundley Batts, Sr., the first 17 events were held at the grounds surrounding the WEUP studio complex. Because of parking and traffic considerations, the 2007 festival will be held at Alabama A&M University.

• Con†Stellation is an annual general-interest science fiction convention. Con†Stellation (also written as Con*Stellation) is generally held over a Friday-Sunday weekend in mid-October each year but exact dates vary.

Public Golf Courses

• Hampton Cove holds one of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Course Trails, named after Hampton Cove[52], featuring three 18 hole courses - two championship and one par three.

• The Becky Pierce Municipal Golf Course, or Muni, off Airport Road (named for the old airport, not near the current airport) in south Huntsville is the city's only public golf course. Other nearby public courses include:

• Monrovia Golf Course

• Sunset Landing Golf Club (Located next to the airport)

• Colonial Golf Course

• Fox Run Golf Course

• Harvest Hills Golf Course (Harvest, AL)

• Chriswood Golf Course (Athens, AL)

• Southern Gayles (Athens, AL)

• Canebrake (Athens, AL)

Private Golf Courses

• Huntsville Country Club is a challenging and historic 18-hole course with dining and banquet facilities located just North of downtown.

• The Ledges is Huntsville's newest golf community with 18 holes, dining and banquet facilities overlooking Jones Valley

• Valley Hill Country Club features 27 holes in South Huntsville's Jones Valley

Libraries

• The Huntsville Madison County Public Library founded in 1818, is Alabama's oldest continually operating library system with 12 branches throughout the county including one bookmobile. The Main Library Archives contains a wealth of historical resources, including displays of photographic collections and artifacts, has Alabama's highest materials circulation rate, and features daily public programs.

Performing Arts

• Huntsville Symphony Orchestra is Alabama's oldest, continuously-operating professional symphony orchestra, featuring high quality performances of classical, pops and family concerts, and extensive music education programs serving public schools.

• Fantasy Playhouse is Huntsville's oldest children's theater, with over 46 years of performing for the young and young at heart. An all volunteer organization, Fantasy Playhouse engages the children of North Alabama both on stage and off. Fantasy Academy, the organization's dance, music and art school, teaches hundreds of children and adults each year. Fantasy Playhouse regularly produces three plays a year with an additional play, A Christmas Carol produced in early December.

• Theatre Huntsville, the result of a merger between Twickenham Repertory Company (1979-1997) and Huntsville Little Theatre (1950-1997), is a 501(c)3 non-profit, all-volunteer arts organization that presents six plays each season in the Von Braun Center Playhouse, and also produces the annual "Shakespeare on the Mountain" in an outdoor venue, such as Burritt on the Mountain. Presentations range from such popular favorites as "The Foreigner" and "Noises Off" to original plays ("The Trial of Frank James in Huntsville, Alabama") to cutting-edge productions, including "Angels in America," to the occasional musical ("Little Shop of Horrors," "Nunsense") and even a few Alabama premieres - November 2007 sees the statewide debut of Christopher Durang's "Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge." Information at (256) 536-0807; office hours by appointment only.

• Plays are also performed at the 85-seat Renaissance Theatre in Lincoln Village north of downtown.

• Ars Nova School of the Arts is a local conservatory for music and performing arts. Ars Nova also produces musical theatre and opera for the local stage.

• Huntsville Community Chorus Association is Huntsville's oldest performing arts organization, producing both choral concerts and musical theater productions. In addition, HCCA features its Madrigal Singers; "Glitz!" (a show choir); a Chamber Chorale; an annual summer melodrama; and two children's groups, the Huntsville Community Children’s Chorus (HC3) and HC3Jr, for the younger set.

• Flying Monkey Arts is Huntsville's newest, most cutting-edge art venue. Located in the historic Lowe Mill, The Flying Monkey hosts a variety of events such as the traditional Cigar Box Guitar festival and the edgy Sex Workers Art Show. The Flying Monkey is home to a variety of artists and shops including Crash Boom Bang Theatre Inc. and 4Motion Skateboard Shop.

Convention Centers and Arenas

• The Von Braun Center, which opened in 1975, has an arena capable of seating 10,000, a 2,000-seat concert hall, a 500-seat playhouse, and 150,000 square feet of convention space.

Other

• The National Speleological Society is headquartered in Huntsville on Cave Street.

• The Von Braun Astronomical Society has two observatories and a planetarium on 10 acres (40,000 m²) in Monte Sano State Park.

Sports

• Huntsville Stars - Southern League (Class AA) baseball for Milwaukee Brewers
• Huntsville Havoc - Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL)
• Huntsville Speedway - NASCAR sanctioned stock car racing
• Tennessee Valley Vipers - arenafootball2
• Huntville hosts the annual AHSAA State Soccer Championship tournament finals in mid-May at the Huntsville Soccer Complex
• Alabama A&M Bulldogs (NCAA D-I/I-AA, SWAC) and UAH Chargers (NCAA D-II, GSC & CHA) athletics
• Huntsville Rugby Club - [USA Rugby South] (DIVIII)

Stadiums

• Joe Davis Stadium
• Goldsmith-Schiffman Field
• Milton Frank Stadium
• Louis Crews Stadium

Past Sports Franchises

• Alabama Hawks (1968-69) (Continental Football League)
• Huntsville Lasers (1991-92) (Global Basketball Association)
• Huntsville Blast (1993-94) (East Coast Hockey League)
• Huntsville Fire (1997-98) (Eastern Indoor Soccer League)
• Huntsville Channel Cats/Huntsville Tornado (1995-2001, 2003-04) (Southern Hockey League 1995-96; Central Hockey League 1996-2001; South East Hockey League 2003-04)
• Huntsville Flight (2001-05) (NBA Development League)
• Tennessee Valley Raptors (2005) (United Indoor Football)

Notable Residents/Famous Natives

• Tallulah Bankhead, famous actress
• William B. Bankhead, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1936-1940; father of Tallulah Bankhead. The local Bankhead Parkway is named in his honor.
• Helmut Bann, poet and writer, father of Yaruch Bann
• Bo Bice, American Idol Runner-Up
• David B. Birney, Union Army general and son of James G. Birney
• James G. Birney, Southern abolitionist leader and presidential candidate of the Liberty Party (anti-slavery) in 1840 and 1845
• William Birney, Union Army general and son of James G. Birney
• Kyndel Brown, WNBA Most Valuable Player, 2000
• Michael E. Brown, noted astronomer
• Larry Byrom, guitarist for the band Steppenwolf
• Jose Canseco, Major League slugger, played for the Huntsville Stars, where he was nicknamed "Parkway Jose" for his many home runs.
• Stewart Cink, PGA tour golfer
• Robert Cramer, Congressman representing Alabama's 5th Congressional District
• Thomas Turpin Crittenden, Union Army general
• Howard Cross, All American Tight End for the University Of Alabama and New York Giants.
• Kenneth Darby, former star running back for the University of Alabama
• Dr. Jan Davis, former Astronaut; among crew on three Space Shuttle missions in 1992,1994 and 1997
• Bobby Eaton, professional wrestler
• Russel Erskine, chairman of the Studebaker Corp.
• Andrew Jackson Hamilton, appointed Union military governor of Texas (with rank of general) by Abraham Lincoln (1862) and appointed Reconstruction governor of Texas by Andrew Johnson (1865-66).
• Cully Hamner, comic book artist
• Sean Hannity, conservative radio talk show host. He is frequently referred to as The Baby Jesus by fellow talk show host Neal Boortz and that is how Huntsville became dubbed as "the birthplace of talk radio".
• Darrell C. Hazelrig, filmmaker
• John S. Hendricks, founder and chairman of the Discovery Channel
• Alex Hice, Olympic Water Polo gold medalist, 2004
• Homer Hickam, author
• Margaret Hoelzer, 2004 Olympic swimmer
• Jimmy Key, former MLB All-Star pitcher with the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees.
• Rev. Dr. Joseph Lowery, respectfully dubbed the "dean of the Civil Rights Movement" by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is a Huntsville native, and co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
• Dr.William R. Lucas, rocket scientist and former Director of the Marshall Space Flight Center
• Mark McGwire, Major League slugger, got his start with the Huntsville Stars.
• Jimmy Means, NASCAR driver
• John Hunt Morgan, general in the army of the Confederate States of America
• Amobi Okoye, defensive lineman at University of Louisville from 2003-06, projected as first-round pick in 2007 NFL Draft.
• Edward Asbury O'Neal, governor of Alabama 1882-86. Appointed general in the army of the Confederate States of America, but commission never delivered.
• Dr. Robert Walker O'Neal, science writer, lecturer and media guest on various topics including ancient civilizations, paleontology, Masonic history; author and publisher, The Minority Report Magazine (born in Huntsville, AL, but now resides in Florida)
• Chris O'Neil, 1986 Goodwill Games gold medalist in Swimming
• James Patterson (hockey player), hockey player for the Huntsville Havoc
• John Piersma, 1996 Olympic swimmer
• Brian Reynolds, game developer best known for designing Sid Meier's Civilization II
• Ramzee Robinson, former star cornerback for the University of Alabama
• Bryan Shelton, professional tennis player
• Mark Spencer, creator of the open source Gaim instant messenger, and the Asterisk open source PBX
• John Stallworth, former Pittsburgh Steelers player and 2002 inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
• Nick Torres, Cassino (band)
• Dr.Wernher von Braun, German rocket scientist, "father of American space program".
• Jimmy Wales, Wikipedia founder.
• Leroy Pope Walker, first Secretary of War of the Confederate States of America and briefly a brigadier general in the Confederate Army
• Jones M. Withers, major general in the army of the Confederate States of America
• Heartland, Country music band
• Slow Motion Soundz, Hip hop/rap group
• Corey Porter, Educator, Motivational Speaker, Historian, Lecturer. Currently resides in Atlanta,GA.
• Kyle Fugit,Chemical Engineer, Matlab Expert. Currently resides in Tuscaloosa, AL.

Hospitals

• Huntsville Hospital System
• Crestwood Medical Center

Suburbs

• Gurley
• Harvest
• Hazel Green
• Lacey's Spring
• Madison
• Meridianville
• Monrovia
• Moores Mill
• New Hope
• New Market
• Owens Cross Roads
• Redstone Arsenal (U.S. Army post)
• Toney
• Triana

References

• USA Today article on Huntsville tornadoes
• NWS report

External links

• City of Huntsville
• Convention and Visitors Bureau
• Chamber of Commerce