(Keywords: Sightseeing - Alabama)
Featuring:
Historic Downtown, Science Museums, and Outdoor Recreation
Huntsville
is a thriving city in the South, owing much of its prosperity to the nations
struggle for military superiority.
During the Civil War, Huntsville was spared from destruction. As a hub for the Memphis and Charleston Railroad, control of Huntsville was strategic for the North. The North occupied the city and did not burn it to the ground as it had other commercial centers of the South. As a result, many historical homes remain beautifully preserved.
During WWII, Huntsville was chosen as the location of Redstone Arsenal where the government built several facilities for manufacturing chemical weapons and delivery systems. After the war, the Army brought German rocket scientist Wernher von Braun and his colleagues to Redstone Arsenal to continue development of U. S. missile technology.
During the Cold War, Huntsville's intellectual and manufacturing resources were used in the race for space. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was established and reliable Redstone missile technology was essential to NASA's initial efforts with the Mercury spacecraft. Subsequently, the Saturn V - the rocket which put man on the moon - was designed and built in Huntsville.
Still today, the economy of Huntsville depends on residents working for the military and government contractors. Recent conflicts in the Middle East have increased the demand for rocket and missile technology, and the city again prospers.
Huntsville sports a modern Visitors Center, numerous museums, shopping and outdoor recreational facilities. Download this GPS map of tourist attractions in "Rocket City."
Click on the binoculars to see an image of Google Earth displaying Monte Sano, east of Huntsville.
GoogleEarth_Image.jpg (Approx. 70 KB) opens in a new window.
GPS Map and Tour Guide
- Download the free GPS Map in GPS eXchange (.gpx) file format, which can be transferred to your GPS using free GPS software. (The .gpx file will appear in a new window where you can File > Save as... on your computer)
and/or
- Download the free GPS Tour Guide in for use with compatible Garmin navigation units. Instructions for downloading and using Tour Guides here.
GPS Map Details
HUNT00 - Visitors Center
HUNT01 - Historic Depot
HUNT02 - Constitution Village
HUNT03 - Weeden House
HUNT04 - Childrens Museum
HUNT05 - Maidson Square Mall
HUNT06 - Sci-Quest
HUNT07 - U. S. Space and Rocket Center
HUNT08 - Monte Sano State Park
Tour Route
GPS Tour Guide Details
File Name: huntsville.gpi (710 KB)
Revised: 21 September 2006
The GPI file was compiled from a special version of the GPS data (gpx) file which links audio (mp3) files and image (jpg) files. The points of interest on the tour are the same as the waypoints listed above. More deatils about Travel By GPS tour guides are provided here.
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