• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
RuralSWAlabama

RuralSWAlabama

Rural Southwest Alabama: Attractions

  • Region Map
  • By Attraction
  • By County
  • By Town
  • Open for Tours
  • More
  • Show Search
Hide Search

Moundville Archaeological Park near Tuscaloosa, AL

Bird Watching, Native American, Open for Tours, Parks & Campgrounds | Moundville in Hale County  

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Called “The Big Apple of the 14th Century” by National Geographic, Moundville Archaeological Park was once the site of a powerful prehistoric community that, at its peak, was America’s largest city north of Mexico.  Located on the Black Warrior River near Tuscaloosa, the park preserves 326 acres where, 800 years ago, Mississippian Indians constructed 28 massive flat-topped earthen pyramids, arranged carefully around a vast central plaza.  The mounds served as elevated platforms for civic and ceremonial structures and the homes of nobles.

Begin your visit by viewing the short film at the park entrance building that explains the remarkable history of this site. Throughout the grounds, you will find interpretative panels that provide details about the different sites.  The park has a museum that combines the latest technology with more than 200 stunning artifacts to describe one of the most significant Native American archaeological sites in the United States. Visitors will find life-size figures displaying the clothing and jewelry of Mississippian cultures, ceremonial feather decorations hand-sewn by Native-American artists, stunning pottery and other artworks placed in display cases that light up when recorded narratives talk about them.   The park also has a 1⁄2-mile nature trail that winds through scenic old-growth hardwood forests. In addition, the park offers picnic areas, great views of the Black Warrior River, and a campground.  The Moundville Archaeological Park is a featured Black Belt birding site on the Alabama Birding Trails.

Directions: From the traffic light in Moundville, travel north on Highway 69 approximately 0.5 mile and turn west onto the Mound Parkway road.  Drive 0.4 miles to the Park Entrance Building (Moundville Archaeological Park – Google Maps.)

Provided are pictures of the park and museum.

CLICK HERE for complete details about this park.

Source:  Moundville Archaeological Park Brochure

The following video shows some of the features of the Moundville Archaeological Park & Museum

Tags: alabama, bird watching, black belt, hale county, moundville, museum, native american, park

Explore more

About This Website

Welcome to rural southwest Alabama. This website is dedicated to twelve counties located in rural southwest Alabama which includes a large portion of Alabama’s Black Belt area. This region is known for its rich and diverse heritage, historic homes and churches, and natural beauty. This website contains details about historic and interesting places that you will find in this area of Alabama.

PLEASE NOTE THAT MOST OF THE HOMES INCLUDED ARE PRIVATE RESIDENCES AND, UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, ARE DRIVE BY ONLY.

We hope that you enjoy this website.

Be sure to like our Facebook page

Dedicated to the memory of Stacy Milstead Henson (1978-2008) & Inez “Sis” Watts (1924-2007).

Footer

Copyright © 2023

  • Facebook
  • Instagram