Sometimes you just need to get out of town—we’ve all felt that way. With school and job schedules holding us back, long trips can sometimes be out of the question. Livingston residents and University of West Alabama students and faculty, however, have the good fortune of being centrally located within short driving distances of a variety of landmarks, attractions and entertainment options. From museums and theaters to national parks and zoos—there is a ton to do in terms of day trips from Livingston. Here are a few ideas for your next day trips from Livingston—and how long it will take you to get there!

• Gaineswood: Demopolis, Alabama
  • Travel time: 32 minutes
  • About: This historic Greek Revival-style mansion was built mostly by slaves between 1843 and 1861 and now operates as a historic museum open for touring. The home represents three styles of Greek architecture including Doric, Ionic and Corinthian.
  • Cost: $7 adults; $5 college and military; $3 students 6 to 18; group rates available
  • Website: gaineswood.org

 

• Mississippi Industrial Heritage Museum: Meridian, Mississippi
  • Travel time: 43 minutes
  • About: Located in the historic Soule Steam Feed Works site, the museum seeks to promote the industrial culture that influenced the nation’s rise as a manufacturing innovator. The site has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1979. Guided one-hour tours take place Tuesday through Friday at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and other tour times are available by appointment.
  • Cost: $10 per person; $25 family maximum
  • Website: soulelivesteam.com

 

• Tuscaloosa Amphitheater: Tuscaloosa, Alabama
  • Travel time: 59 minutes
  • About: This outdoor amphitheater sits on 15 acres against a beautiful backdrop of the Black Warrior River. It is the largest outdoor amphitheater in West Alabama, and it regularly attracts big-name acts. The Tuscaloosa Amphitheater also connects to the Tuscaloosa Riverwalk and is only minutes away from the University of Alabama campus and the downtown district. Check out the event schedule, and plant to attend a concert!
  • Website: tuscaloosaamphitheater.com

 

• Natchez Trace Parkway: Philadelphia, Mississippi
  • Travel time: 1 hour 22 minutes
  • About: The 444-mile Natchez Trace Parkway is an ancient trail that people and animals used to travel across Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi. Today, it is a national park that visitors access and enjoy via driving, hiking, biking, camping and horseback riding. One entrance to the parkway is a short drive from downtown Philadelphia and can be accessed free of charge.

 

• National Voting Rights Museum and Institute: Selma, Alabama
  • Travel time: 1 hour 24 minutes
  • About: The institute and museum exist to collect, exhibit and document materials related to the history of Selma, the struggle for voting rights in America and the Civil Rights Movement.
  • Cost: $6.50 for adults; $4.50 for students and senior citizens. Costs include admission to both the National Voting Rights Museum and Institute and the Slavery and Civil War Museum.
  • Website: nvrmi.com

 

• Bienville National Forest, Mississippi
  • Travel time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • About: Located in central Mississippi east of Jackson, Bienville National Forest encompasses more than 178,000 acres of public land open to camping, fishing, hunting, hiking and horseback riding. Enjoy lakes, trails, wildlife management areas and developed campgrounds. Bienville National Forest is also nationally known for its 23-mile Shockaloe Horse Trail.

 

• Birmingham Zoo: Birmingham, Alabama
  • Travel time: 1 hour 43 minutes
  • About: One of Birmingham’s most-visited attractions, the beautiful 122-acre Birmingham Zoo features approximately 950 animals and 230 species including sea lions, rhinos and endangered species from six continents (for a full list of animals, click here). One of its latest exhibits, “Trails of Africa,” focuses on the advancement for elephant conservation.
  • Cost: $16 adults; $11 children 2 to 12; $14 senior citizens 65 and older; $14 military; admission half price every Tuesday
  • Website: birminghamzoo.com

 

• Mississippi Museum of Natural Science, Jackson, Mississippi
  • Travel time: 1 hour 59 minutes
  • About: Located within historic LeFleur’s Bluff State Park, the museum overlooks a 300-acre natural landscape and features an open-air amphitheater, 2.5 miles of nature trails. The museum houses more than 200 living species in a 100,000-gallon aquarium network and 73,000 square feet of permanent and temporary exhibits highlighting Mississippi’s wildlife, endangered species and fossils.
  • Cost: $6 adults; $3 ages 3 to 18; $5 seniors 60 and older; free children 3 and younger
  • Website: mdwfp.com/museum.aspx

 

• Rosa Parks Library and Museum: Montgomery, Alabama
  • Travel time: 2 hours 17 minutes
  • About: The museum highlights and features events associated with the Montgomery Bus Boycott and includes a permanent exhibit, time machine, temporary space exhibit, archives, classroom, and auditorium and conference room. The museum was constructed on the site of the old Empire Theatre where Rosa Parks made her stand in 1955. It encompasses 7,000 square feet of a three-story, 55,000 square foot building that also contains the Troy-Montgomery Campus Library.
  • Cost: $7.50 ages 12 and older; $5.50 ages 12 and under; $6.50 college students with valid student ID; discounts for military, AAA and AARP members
  • Website: troy.edu/rosaparks

 

• Battleship USS Alabama Memorial Park: Mobile, Alabama
  • Travel time: 2 hours 48 min
  • About: This military history park and museum is located on the western shore of Mobile Bay and houses a collection of notable aircraft and museum ships including World War II-era battleships USS Alabama and USS Drum, which are both National Historic Landmarks. The park as a whole is listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.
  • Cost: $15 ages 12 and older; $6 ages 6 to 11; free ages 5 and younger
  • Website: ussalabama.com

Whether you feel like driving 30 minutes or are in the mood to make a trek south toward the coast, these day trips from Livingston can help scratch your itch for adventure when you are feeling the need to get out of town and explore!

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