ATTRACTIONS

Alabama Music Hall of Fame
U. S. Hwy. 72 West, Tuscumbia. Phone: (256) 381-4417, (800) 239-2643. www.alamhof.org. Open M-Sa 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Su 1-5 p.m. Admission.
The Alabama Music Hall of Fame honors all of this state's notable music achievers with visual and audio showcases, a "Walk of Fame," a portrait gallery, life-sized plaster casts and real life wax figures.

Coon Dog Cemetery
Off Ala. Hwy. 247 near the Natchez Trace. (256) 383-0783, (800) 344-0783.
Over 100 coon dogs have been laid to rest in the scenic "Freedom Hills." Unique headstones and epitaphs pay tribute to man's best friend. "Troop" was the first dog buried here in 1937. Open daylight hours year round. No admission.

Ivy Green - Birthplace of Helen Keller
300 West North Commons, Tuscumbia. Phone: (256) 383-4066, (888) 329-2124. www.helenkellerbirthplace.org. The home and gardens are open M-Sa 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. and Su 1-4 p.m. Admission.
The dramatic life and times of Helen Keller are preserved at her childhood home, Ivy Green. Keller, left blind and deaf by a severe illness at the age of 19-months, captured the world's attention in 1882 with her indominable spirit. Through the guidance of teacher Anne Sullivan, the young Keller learned the finger-tip alphabet and to write at the age of seven. By 1904 she was graduated 'cum laude' from Radcliffe College.

LaGrange College Site & Antebellum Cemetery
8 miles south of Muscle Shoals, off Ala. Hwy. 157. (256) 446-9324, (256) 383-0783, (800) 344-0783. http://recall-lagrange.00me.com/
Site of the first chartered college in Alabama, destroyed during the War Between the States. Along with an antebellum cemetery, the park is dedicated to recreating life on LaGrange Mountain. Period structures relocated to the park include a log-cabin museum, country store, the Bonner House Bed & Breakfast Inn, and outbuildings. Annual events fund on-going restoration and expansion efforts. Park open daylight hours. Museum open Su 1-4 p.m., or by appointment. No admission.

Natchez Trace Parkway
This scenic highway follows the historic route from Natchez, Miss., to Nashville, Tenn. In Alabama, the Parkway goes through western Colbert County. Maintained by the National Park Service, the two-lane Parkway follows the same route trekked by Native American, frontiersman Davy Crockett and Andrew Jackson.

Wilson Lock & Dam
Ala. Hwy. 133 as it crosses the Tennessee River, Muscle Shoals. (256) 383-2442, (256) 383-0783, (800) 344-0783.
The cornerstone of the Tennessee Valley Authority, Wilson Dam boasts one of the highest single lift locks in the world. An overlook provides visitors with a view of barges and other craft moving through the lock on the Tennessee River. The Visitors Center (south side of the dam) provides interpretation of TVA and the hydro-electrical plant. Hours: M-F 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Sa 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Su 1-4 p.m. No admission.

The Birthplace of W. C. Handy
620 West College Street, Florence. (256) 760-6434.
The restored log cabin birthplace of W. C. Handy, "Father of the Blues," now houses memorabilia, musical instruments, and original manuscripts. He is best remembered as the composer of "St. Louis Blues" and "Memphis Blues."Hours: Tu-Sa 10 a.m.-4 pm. Admission.

Indian Mound
South Court St., Florence. (256) 760-6427.
The domiciliary mound stands on the north side of the Tennessee River in silent testimony to the prehistoric Native Americans who built it by hand during the Woodland Period, long before the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw and Creek inhabitaed Alabama. It is the largest mound in the Tennessee Valley. The museum houses artifacts from the region dating back 10,000 years. Hours: Tu-Sa 10 a.m.-4p.m. Admission.