The Shoals, Alabama
photo courtesy of Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area
The Shoals in Alabama are made up of several unique cities, each with tons of history, eclectic food options, and outdoor recreation opportunities. Famous rock ‘n’ roll, country, and blues artists have recorded some of their most significant tracks at various studios around The Shoals, and there are fascinating places to walk in their footsteps and see why they were drawn to this beautiful area.
Visit The Shoals!
Celebrating Music History
In the early 1960s, the “Muscle Shoals Sound” was born at Fame Recording Studio when Rick Hall recorded local musician Arthur Alexander’s chart-topping single, “You Better Move on.” Legendary British rock band The Rolling Stones went on to cover the track, which kicked off the band’s relationship with The Shoals and its signature funky rhythm.
Fame Recording Studios was not racially segregated, meaning it was a rare collaborative environment for both black and white musicians through the 1960s. Collaborations across artists and genres, as well as top-of-the-line recording technology and the studio’s house band, The Swampers, paved the way for artists like Aretha Franklin to achieve legendary status in the studio. She recorded “Respect,” “Rock Steady,” “Chain of Fools,” and more in the humble studio space.
Wilson Pickett and Duane Allman’s hit version of The Beatles’ “Hey Jude,” which was recorded at Fame, is often considered the first-ever song in the Southern rock genre. The list of artists and hits recorded at Fame is exhaustive with talent all the way up to Demi Lovato and Jason Isbell recording there in recent times, but this studio was only the start of music history in The Shoals.
Visits to Fame are available with a ticket purchase, including “Backstage Tours” that include access to spots like Rick Hall’s personal office and a close look at the many awards the studio has won.
The original sessions band from Fame went on to open their own space, Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, which was an instant hit with musicians (especially those on the Atlantic Records Label), including Cher, who recorded her first solo album on site. The Rolling Stones would swing through to work on Sticky Fingers in the studio, recording massive hits like “Brown Sugar” and “Wild Horses” there.
The list goes on: Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Lynyrd Skynyrd (who coined “The Swampers” nickname and recorded “Sweet Home Alabama” in the studio), Willie Nelson, The Black Keys, and more all came to make the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio one of the most productive spaces in American music history. The studio now hosts tours every hour Tuesday through Saturday.
But wait, there’s more! Second Studio Cypress Moon Studios offers yet another must-see stop for music historians. The Muscle Shoals Sound Studio moved to this location in 1978, and hosted artists like The Commodores, Jimmy Buffet, B.B. King, Steve Winwood, and more for sessions over the course of three decades. The relationship with Atlantic stayed strong in this studio, and albums like Bob Dylan’s Slow Train Coming and Bob Seger’s Against the Wind were recorded there.
The Shoals’ music history predates these studios, as music legend W.C. Handy was born in a small cabin in Florence, AL, in 1873. One of the most significant blues composers of all time, having penned “Memphis Blues” and “St. Louis Blues,” he is honored in a week-long celebration each year. Tourists can check out the cozy log cabin he was born in and get up close with the very instruments he played.
Sam Phillips, the founder of Sun Records, was also born in Florence. Phillips is known for discovering timeless American icons such as Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Johnny Cash. A historical marker memorializes his achievements.
All of this history, plus much more, is preserved at the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in Tuscumbia. Home to one-of-a-kind artifacts including artists’ instruments, costumes, equipment, and even their cars, this stop offers several hours’ worth of fascinating opportunities for reading and gawking.
More Historical Stops
The Shoals have been an important crossroads for 10,000 years, as the region was a key point along the ancient “Old Natchez Trace” path. A central vein for Natchez, Chickasaw, and Choctaw people, there are more than 350 archaeological sites and 22 ceremonial and burial mounds along the path, which is now a 444-mile parkway across three states.
The Natchez Trace Parkway offers an incredible bang-for-your-buck in terms of historical stops along the way, from Civil War battlegrounds, to memorials for fallen U.S. leaders, to routes used by Andrew Jackson during the War of 1812. The National Parks Service designated a 66-mile portion of the trail which intersects with the Old Trace as the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail, which is open to hikers and horseback riders.
The Florence Indian Mound Museum is right at home on this trail, as it offers tons of reading material and artifacts from across the timeline of Native American history in the area. With the second largest Indian mound in the country on site, visitors would be hard-pressed to find a better place to connect with the history of the land.
Florence is also home to River Heritage Park, a gorgeous 1.3-mile walk through Tennessee River history starting with Native Americans and ending with the lasting impact of TVA. More than just a series of words on signs, these exhibits were carefully crafted by several groups of historians, including the Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area. It also has a splash pad nearby if the whole family’s attention spans don’t align.
Another historical route that integrates The Shoals is the Rock of Ages Trail, which recognizes church buildings that have hit at least 100 years of age. From logs to rocks and bricks, it can be fascinating and moving to see the ways that people have built places of worship throughout our nation’s history.
Historic homes are abundant around The Shoals, with a wide range of architectural styles and significant events and figures attached to them.
Starting back in the pioneer days, visitors could rest at the Coldwater Stagecoach Stop, which currently celebrates The Shoals’ rich history as a stop along many early American routes. Just a simple one-room cabin with period-accurate tools, clothes, and more, this is a great place to learn about life in Alabama in the 1820s.
Sticking with smaller 1820 structures, Tuscumbia is home to Helen Keller’s birthplace, Ivy Green. The house has been carefully preserved since 1954 to look the way it did throughout Keller family ownership. The lush grounds are home to 150+ year old boxwood trees, and the several different gardens on site are meticulously cared for year-round. Each summer, visitors can catch a performance of The Miracle Worker stage play at Ivy Green.
Pope’s Tavern Museum from the 1830s offers a wider look at Alabama history, as it covers Civil War history and medicine, as well as daily life in the 1800s. It was nationally recognized in 2022 for its Slavery in the Shoals exhibit, and it offers frequent educational events, including an inside look at an active archaeological dig happening at the site.
Continuing yet again with the same era but on a different scale, the Belle Mont Mansion offers an inside look at pre-Civil War lifestyles in a magnificent Jeffersonian plantation house in Tuscumbia. It offers many living history events throughout the year, from cultural learning, to beekeeping demonstrations, to Easter egg hunts.
Florence is home to several historic districts, especially around the University of North Alabama, if you still haven’t gotten your fill of architectural styles. The city offers an impressive guide complete with pictures that will help you get around and prioritize your stops.
Florence is also the locale of Alabama’s only Frank Lloyd Wright structure, the Rosenbaum House Museum. Sold to the city in 1999 and saved by renovation efforts thanks to many volunteers and investors, the home is now meticulously preserved to showcase Wright’s vision for this riverfront two-acre property.
Outdoor Spaces
Around The Shoals, there are various spaces for spending time outside, from developed city parks to secluded wild areas.
The cities sit right between Wilson and Wheeler Lakes on the Tennessee River, meaning there is abundant space for paddling and recreational boating. Fishing, of course, is another huge draw to the area, and several creeks and waterways off the main stem of the river can take visitors to quieter waters as desired.
If quiet is what you’re after, Cane Creek Canyon Nature Preserve is likely your best bet, as it offers 700 acres and about 25 total miles of trail through a protected wildlife area. It features a scenic overlook, running streams that create falls, and tons of biodiversity. The geological history of the land is fascinating, which contributes to its rare beauty and huge variety of flora and fauna.
Wildwood Park in Florence offers another great nature getaway, promising “nine miles of adventure” across 17 trails on 200 acres of urban wilderness. It also offers fishing access at Cypress Creek, as well as a kayak launch, and mountain biking trails.
For more pedestrian and aquatic adventures, visitors can check out TVA Muscle Shoals Trails Complex & TVA Rockpile Recreation Area on the Tennessee River, with a view of the Wilson Dam Waterfall flow at the river’s edge. It offers several miles of easy hiking and great views of the Old Railroad Bridge, an iconic local landmark which is open to walk across to McFarland Park, which has a public beach, driving range, golf course, and campgrounds.
The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at The Shoals offers 36 holes right on the edge of the river, with tranquil scenery and carefully crafted challenges across two 18-hole rounds. Sports facilities are aplenty around The Shoals region, as Florence has its share of baseball, soccer, and multipurpose fields at the Florence Sportsplex.
Tuscumbia is also home to Spring Park, which includes a gorgeous 42-foot waterfall, a Native American memorial, space for events and concerts, and it has tons of historical significance. It is also a very popular spot for trout fishing year-round.
Unique Food and Drink Spots
With the University of North Alabama in Florence and abundance of residents in The Shoals region, there are tons of places to grab a meal or drinks no matter the vibe you are looking for.
If you’re fixing for a fancy meal, the 360 Grille atop the Renaissance Hotel in Florence offers carefully curated plates and ambiance with views of everything around, including the Tennessee River.
Stanfield’s Eatery in Sheffield is another local favorite for grabbing a steak, and it is a more relaxed family-friendly restaurant if the kids are coming too. Superhero Chefs is another spot that kids love, as everything follows a superhero theme, down to drinks like “Joker Juice.” It also sells comic books if some reading material is needed while you wait!
There are tons of local barbecue and comfort food spots around, including meat-and-threes at local favorite Donna & Friends, Garden Gate Cafe, Rick’s BBQ, and Big Man’s BBQ.
Pie Factory is a popular spot for craft brews and ‘za, and if the family is in need of towering sundaes after all that, Trowbridge’s Ice Cream & Sandwich Shop has offered family-recipe frozen treats since 1918.
No discussion of food in The Shoals is complete without mention of Champy’s Famous Fried Chicken, and though it may not be the only location in the South, is just as good as if it was one-of-a-kind. Its eclectic atmosphere and fried-to-order chicken have proven memorable for many families in The Shoals and it always appears towards the top of best-rated restaurant lists in the area.
Love for the outdoors is not lost on The Shoals’ food scene, as one of its biggest tourist attractions is the Rattlesnake Saloon, which has drawn visitors from around the world. It’s unlike any other restaurant around, given its placement tucked under a ridge with a waterfall cascading over the front. Wildwood Tavern in Florence also offers cool nature-centric decor, with craft cocktails, seasonal microbrews, and creative menu items that put a twist on bar food like hot dogs, flatbreads, and sandwiches.
The Shoals offer everything someone could want from a Tennessee RiverLine stop, and there is more than enough to offer around its cities for a week’s worth of fun. Locals know how to celebrate its fascinating history, both human and geological, and there are many ways to get out and enjoy the water, wildlife, and weather. With so much music and architectural significance as well, there are good reasons for anyone to make the trek out and see what’s happening in The Shoals.