Hoover is a city in Jefferson and Shelby counties in north central Alabama, located just south of Birmingham. With a population of over 84,000, it is one of the largest suburbs around Birmingham and is part of the Birmingham-Hoover metropolitan area.
| Activity | Description |
|---|---|
| Aldridge Gardens | A 35-acre garden with themed areas, walking paths, lakes, and art exhibits. |
| Riverchase Galleria | Alabama’s largest mall offering a variety of stores, dining, and entertainment. |
| Moss Rock Preserve | A natural preserve with hiking trails, rock formations, and ecological education. |
| Hoover Library Theatre | A venue hosting diverse cultural performances and public events. |
| Hoover Historical Museum | A museum showcasing the local history, culture, and art of Hoover. |
| Landmarks Trail | A hiking trail highlighting historical landmarks and natural beauty. |
| Hoover Disc Golf Course | A renowned disc golf course with a variety of challenging holes. |
| AMC Patton Creek | A cinema complex offering the latest movies in high-quality formats. |
| Taqueria Juarez | A local eatery known for its authentic Mexican tacos and flavors. |
| Alabama Wildlife Rehabilitation Center | A center for the care and rehabilitation of local wildlife. |
| Evolve Yoga Hoover | A yoga studio offering a range of classes for all skill levels. |
| Steel City Pops | A shop specializing in gourmet popsicles with unique flavors. |
Hoover offers plenty of things to see and do for visitors and locals alike. From cultural attractions like art museums and theatres to outdoor recreation like hiking trails and parks, Hoover has something for everyone. Excellent shopping and dining opportunities also abound throughout the city.
Below are 12 of the top attractions and activities in Hoover to consider adding to your Alabama itinerary:
Explore Aldridge Gardens
Name and Location: Aldridge Gardens
History and Significance: Aldridge Gardens is a 35-acre public garden located in Hoover, Alabama, that features various floral gardens and walking trails. It was founded by Eddie Aldridge as a tribute to his wife after her passing in 1994, transforming former farmland into beautiful gardens open to the public.
What to Expect: Visitors can explore the various themed gardens like the hydrangea garden, camellia garden, and butterfly garden. Other highlights include scenic trails, water features, and sculptures scattered throughout the space. Seasonal events and educational programs also take place at the gardens.
Visitor Information: Aldridge Gardens is open year-round from sunrise to sunset except on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Admission is free with free parking available onsite. Leashed pets are welcome.
Spread across 35 acres, Aldridge Gardens is a stunning public garden space that is worth a leisurely stroll. Wander along walking paths that wind past gorgeous floral displays in themed garden “rooms” like hydrangea garden, camellia winter garden, and fragrance garden.
The peaceful setting also encompasses two lakes, colorful bridges, and water features along with covered porches and verandas allowing visitors to sit and admire the natural beauty all around. Don’t miss the on-site Garden Gallery displaying rotating exhibits of local art.
Shop at Riverchase Galleria
Name and Location: Riverchase Galleria
History and Significance: Riverchase Galleria is a large shopping mall located in the Birmingham suburb of Hoover, Alabama. Opened in 1986, it is Alabama’s largest enclosed shopping center with over 1.2 million square feet, anchored by major department stores like Macy’s, JCPenney, and Belk.
What to Expect: As a premier shopping destination in central Alabama, visitors will find a wide variety of popular retail stores, restaurants, and entertainment options at the Galleria. Expect big crowds on weekends and during peak holiday shopping seasons.
Visitor Information: Riverchase Galleria is open Monday-Saturday 10 AM to 9 PM, Sunday 12 PM to 6 PM. Extended holiday hours may apply. The mall offers plenty of free parking in its multi-level parking deck.
With over 1.3 million square feet of retail space, Riverchase Galleria is Alabama’s largest mall. Anchor stores like Macy’s, JCPenney, and Belk are joined by specialty shops and top brands at stores ranging from American Eagle to Zales.
Dining options, an IMAX theater complex, and event spaces like a skating rink and comedy club make the Galleria both a shopping and an entertainment district. When ready for a break, relax in the scenic open-air plaza or let the kids enjoy the soft play area and carousel rides.
Tour Moss Rock Preserve
Name and Location: Moss Rock Preserve
History and Significance: Moss Rock Preserve is a 205-acre nature park located in Hoover, Alabama featuring massive unique boulder structures draped in lush moss and surrounded by forests and creeks. Formerly privately owned by the Moss family, the land was purchased by the city of Hoover in 2003 to create a public nature park.
What to Expect: Visitors can hike miles of wooded trails that wind around and through the massive moss-draped boulders that give the park its name. The park also features picnic areas, wetlands, diverse wildlife habitat, and Stone & Water interactive fountain. Seasonal events and ranger-led programs also available.
Visitor Information: Moss Rock Preserve is open daily 8 AM to sunset. No entrance fee. Parking and restroom facilities onsite. Pets must be kept on 6-foot leashes.
Get out into nature by visiting Hoover’s Moss Rock Preserve, spanning over 600 acres of forests, creeks, and Hoover’s iconic hundred-foot-tall boulders and outcroppings of rock. Eight miles of multi-use trails allow hikers, mountain bikers, and trail runners to explore the terrain punctuated by log bridges, rocky stairs, and scenic overlooks. Interpretive signs share insights about the ecology and geology of the park along the paths. Free public programs like nature walks and birdwatching events are also scheduled regularly at the preserve.
Catch a Show at the Hoover Library Theatre
Name and Location: Hoover Library Theatre
History and Significance: The Hoover Library Theatre is a 200-seat performing arts venue located inside the Hoover Public Library. Opened in 1998 along with the main library building, it has served as the city’s primary spot to enjoy theatrical, musical, and educational programming for over 20 years.
What to Expect: The theater hosts concerts by local acts as well as touring bands of national renown. Theater productions by community theater groups and other local performers also grace the stage regularly. Patrons can enjoy these live performances in an intimate, quality venue close to home.
Visitor Information: Show tickets are available for purchase online or at the Library Box Office prior to performances. Seating is reserved. Free parking is available at the Library with overflow lots nearby if needed.
The state-of-the-art Hoover Library Theatre seats 350 people for outstanding cultural performances throughout the year. As a program of the Hoover Public Library, the theater space frequently hosts events free to the public ranging from musical concerts covering genres like folk, country, jazz, rock and pop to plays, dance performances, comedian acts, acrobatics shows, magic shows, and more. Be sure to check the calendar before your visit to catch a spectacular show. Reservations are not necessary for most library theatre events.
Browse Art at Hoover Historical Museum
Name and Location: Hoover Historical Museum
History and Significance: Located adjacent to the Hoover Public Library, the Hoover Historical Museum collects, preserves, and displays artifacts related to the history of Hoover and its settlement starting in the 1800s. Opened in 2006.
What to Expect: Visitors can view permanent exhibits on topics like Hoover schools and businesses as well as rotating exhibits focused on various aspects of Hoover history. genealogy research is also supported. Museum gift shop sells books on Hoover and Alabama history.
Visitor Information: Free general admission. Open Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm. Closed Sunday, Monday, and holidays. Free parking onsite and at the Library. Group tours available by appointment.
Dedicated to collecting, preserving, and sharing the history of Hoover and its residents, the Historical Museum houses exhibits across two floors of galleries. View displays covering Native American history in the region as well as the pioneers who built early settlements that became present-day Hoover.
See historical photographs, documents, and objects placed in chronological exhibits highlighting stories of how the community developed from its agricultural roots into a thriving suburban city. Programming includes guest speaker events and seasonal exhibits showcasing Hoover artists.
Hike the Landmarks Trail
Name and Location: Landmarks Trail
History and Significance: Located within the 1,140-acre Park at Hoover, Alabama, Landmarks Trail is a scenic 6-mile roundtrip hiking and mountain biking path that takes in various landmarks after which areas of Hoover were named.
What to Expect: As hikers and bikers make their way through hardwood forest and across rocky ridges, they will spot historic stone chimneys, old homestead sites, and other vestiges of the families that settled this area in the 1800s which later lent their names to parts of present-day Hoover. Interpretive signage shares details along the way.
Visitor Information: Open daily 5am-10pm. No fee or permit required. Accessible from one of four Park at Hoover trailheads. Path difficulty ranges from easy-moderate grade. Pets allowed on 6-ft. leashes.
For an immersive hike combining history and scenery, tackle the Landmarks Trail spanning just over six miles with access from two Hoover parks. Follow the path punctuated by interpretive markers describing notable people, places, and events that shaped the landscape over the past 200 years.
The trail winds through forest and past rock formations as it connects Deer Valley Park and Jaybird Park while encountering various ecosystems from open meadows to dense woodlands along the way.
Play Disc Golf at Hoover Disc Golf Course
Name and Location: Hoover Disc Golf Course
History and Significance: Opened in 2019 within the Park at Hoover, the Hoover Disc Golf Course designed by Innova’s John Houck is an 18-hole championship-level course already gaining acclaim as one of Alabama’s top disc golf venues after just a few years.
What to Expect: Disc golfers can enjoy navigating wooded holes of varying length and difficulty across this hilly terrain while taking in scenic views. The course starts players out easier and gets progressively more challenging on the back 9 holes.
Visitor Information: Open daily 5am-10pm. No admission fee. Discs available to rent or buy on-site. Bathrooms and water fountains at the clubhouse. Scorecards and pencils provided to track your game.
Hoover is considered one of the premier disc golf destinations in the state, thanks largely to the Hoover Disc Golf Course installed with input from professional disc golf players. The 18-hole course combines wooded and open terrain with paved walkways connecting tees and baskets placed along scenic holes with names like Heaven’s Gate, the Gulch, and Purgatory Path. Players pass by trees, creeks, and rock features at this challenging course with pads, signage, and baskets kept in pristine condition. Bring your own discs or rent them on-site.
See a Movie at AMC Patton Creek
Name and Location: AMC Patton Creek
History and Significance: Opened in 2009, the AMC Patton Creek movie theater brought the first IMAX screen as well as the first dine-in cinema experience to the Hoover area, cementing its status as one of the premier cinemas in the state.
What to Expect: Featuring 15 screens showing the latest blockbuster films, this modern theater offers reserved seating, plush electric recliners, IMAX and Dolby cinema options. Its dine-in cinema allows patrons to order food and drinks right from their seats.
Visitor Information: Located at Patton Creek shopping center. Tickets available by self-service kiosk, online, or at the box office. Prices vary by showtime, theater format, age. Ample free parking available.
Cinema lovers have 15 screens showing the latest film releases and more at the AMC Patton Creek movie theater. Upgrade your cinematic experience by watching movies in special Dolby Cinema auditoriums or IMAX theaters equipped with custom screens and booming surround sound systems. Reserve comfy recliner seating for your show. Or, splurge on extras like enjoying cocktails or food items ordered from your seat brought by servers, no concessions stand line necessary. Don’t forget rewards perks by joining the theater’s free loyalty subscription program.
Try Authentic tacos at Taqueria Juarez
Name and Location: Taqueria Juarez
History and Significance: Family-owned Taqueria Juarez opened its first Alabama location in Hoover in 2018, bringing authentic Mexican street tacos to the area. The small local chain has earned a loyal following for its traditional recipes and bold, fresh flavors.
What to Expect: This fast-casual spot serves up tacos, burritos, quesadillas and more using high-quality ingredients. Crowds flock for the array of meat, seafood and veggie tacos topped with onions and cilantro on double corn tortillas. Other locations in Irondale and Homewood.
Visitor Information: Open daily 11am-9pm. Order and pay at the counter. Limited indoor and patio seating. Takeout and online ordering available. Located in Stadium Trace Village.
This colorful little taqueria in a small strip mall certainly doesn’t look like much from the outside, but the humble space serves up big, bold flavors. Using family recipes brought from Mexico, Taqueria Juarez plates up piping hot, generously stuffed tacos bursting with juicy al pastor pork, spicy chorizo sausage, tender steak fajita meat, or your protein of choice topped abundantly with cilantro onions.
Pair your tacos with some spicy-tart salsa, a chilled Mexican Coke, and maybe a decadently sugary fried plantain on the side. It’s an absolute hole-in-the-wall, but just go for the delicious tacos.
Tour Alabama Wildlife Rehabilitation Center
Name and Location: Alabama Wildlife Rehabilitation Center
History and Significance: Founded in 1982, the non-profit Alabama Wildlife Rehabilitation Center provides care to injured and orphaned native wildlife with the goal of releasing rehabilitated animals back into their natural habitats. Tens of thousands treated over 40+ years.
What to Expect: AWRC offers monthly members-only tours of its rehabilitation facility housing various species like birds of prey, reptiles and mammals while trained staff provide insights into their rescue and rehab work. Visitors can observe active animal care while learning how to support conservation.
Visitor Information: Located in Oak Mountain State Park. Tours limited to 15 people, require advance sign-up. Donations welcomed. Separate educational programs also offered. Closed major holidays.
Gain insight into local ecosystem conservation by scheduling a small group tour at the Alabama Wildlife Rehabilitation Center that rescues over 500 injured and orphaned wild animals every year. Knowledgeable guides will lead guests along the tour route making stops to safely view permanent wildlife education residents like hawks, owls, opossums, turtles, and snakes.
Learn all about how the rehabilitation center provides vital care with the goal of releasing healthy animals back to their natural habitats from the veterinarians and volunteers during your tour.
Practice Yoga at Evolve Yoga Hoover
Name and Location: Evolve Yoga Hoover
History and Significance: Open since 2015, Evolve Yoga Hoover provides a peaceful sanctuary for yoga, barre and cycling classes taught by experienced local instructors seeking to unite body, mind and spirit through movement.
What to Expect: From relaxing beginners’ sessions to intense heated power classes, Evolve offers various yoga styles and difficulty levels to meet students’ needs. Friendly staff, serene decor, and a tightly-knit member community make newcomers feel welcomed.
Visitor Information: Located in Stadium Trace Village plaza. New student specials offered. Class packages available or monthly memberships. Retail boutique sells gear, clothes and wellness items.
Relax, strengthen, and flex some mindfulness muscles at Evolve Yoga’s studio spaces in Hoover. Classes range from energizing power flow Vinyasa sessions to slow and gentle practices like Yin yoga catering to all skill levels. Try sequences specifically for flexibility, back and hip openings, or just overall stress relief.
New student specials and membership packages make classes more affordable. Before you go, browse the schedule for candlelit practices or workshops covering topics like inversions, arm balances, or meditation techniques to enrich your yoga routine.
East Ice Cream from Steel City Pops
Name and Location: Steel City Pops
History and Significance: Founded in Birmingham in 2012, Alabama-based Steel City Pops brings the Latin American paleta treat to the local community with its fresh fruit pops made from real ingredients. The Hoover location satisfies dessert cravings from its distinctive hue-changing shop.
What to Expect: Signature paletas come in fruit and cream varieties ranging from tried-and-true favorites to experimental seasonal flavors. The colorful, laidback shop offers pops perfect for cooling down on hot days as well as paleta parties and custom creations.
Visitor Information: Open Sunday-Thursday 12pm-9pm, Friday-Saturday 12pm-10pm. Located in Stadium Trace Village plaza. Pops can be dipped in chocolate shells or chili for extra charge. Outdoor seating available.
Satisfy sweet cravings the light and refreshing way by grabbing gourmet popsicles to go from Steel City Pops, an Alabama-based brand with fresh, seasonal ingredients crafted into unique flavor profiles. Their Hoover shop lets guests sample tempting varieties like banana pudding, strawberry lemonade, chocolate sea salt, and cookies and cream from a rotating menu of options.
Vegan selections made with fruit-based ingredients are also always available. It’s much harder to pick just one vibrant pop to eat here, though, with so many colorful choices!
Conclusion
From gardens and nature parks to distinctive local eateries, theater performances, and yoga studios, Hoover truly has something for everyone. Excellent shopping, sports, and recreational offerings make it both an easy weekend getaway or extended stay destination if exploring the Birmingham metro area.
Use this list of top attractions and activities to help guide your upcoming adventures around one of Alabama’s most popular suburban cities.