Tuscaloosa: Roll on in for good times

Fans fill Bryant Denny Stadium on homecoming day before an NCAA college football game between Alabama and Georgia State on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2013, in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Fans fill Bryant Denny Stadium on homecoming day before an NCAA college football game between Alabama and Georgia State on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2013, in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Roll Tide!

Most people who head to Tuscaloosa do so to either cheer for or against the Alabama Crimson Tide football team. But a football game lasts only three or four hours once a week, and is only an option about four months out of the year. So, what else is there to do while in town?

A lot.

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IN THE STANDSMost of the travel to Tuscaloosa is for the Crimson Tide football team, with the defending national champions being widely recognized as the top program in the country. Bryant-Denny Stadium, the Tide’s home stadium, now holds a capacity of 101,821, quite the improvement from the 18,000 it held when it first opened in 1929.

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HOMAGE TO THE BEARThe Paul W. Bryant Museum, which honors legendary football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, opened in 1988 not only as a shrine to one of the best coaches of all time, but to serve as a tribute to the history of Alabama football. The museum is open every day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. except for holidays, with members and children under age 6 admitted for free and prices ranging from $1-$2 for everyone else. (300 Paul W. Bryant Drive; 205-348-4668; bryantmuseum.com)

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A NATURAL DRAWNot into football? That’s fine. The Alabama Museum of Natural History, located on the University of Alabama’s campus, has celebrated the state’s natural history through a number of “exhibitions, collections and quality programs of teaching, research and service,” according to its website. Visitors can stop by and check out an augmented reality sandbox; the Hodges meteorite, the first documented extraterrestrial object to have injured a human being in the United States; and Tuscaloosa’s backyard critters, highlighting the variety of life found in the yards of people around Tuscaloosa County and surrounding areas. It’s very affordable, with students and senior adults being charged $1 and adults paying $2. Alabama students, faculty and staff, as well as children under age 5 get in for free. (205-348-7550; almnh.ua.edu)

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WADE ON INLove the outdoors? Hurricane Creek has built a reputation among outdoor enthusiasts due to its natural beauty. Visitors have used the area for at least a century and a half for any number of activities, including church baptisms, fishing trips, family picnics, overnight rafting parties and swimming. Although privately owned, there is a pair of public access points that allow the public to fully experience the creek. For more information, visit hurricanecreek.org.

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SWEET DREAMSDreamland Bar-B-Que is one of the most popular places to eat in Tuscaloosa. It could be because one of the popular chain’s original locations was there, but we’re guessing it’s really the ribs that keep drawing diners. Aside from the saucy hallmark, the Tuscaloosa location is well-known for its sausage — to go along with the ribs, of course — and people have raved about both the chocolate Oreo and the banana pudding. Stop by between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. Monday-Saturday or 11 a.m. and 9 p.m. Sunday. (5535 15th Ave.; 205-758-8135; dreamlandbbq.com.)

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