Local Field Trips
Field trip registration is first-come, first-served. Fees must be paid with registration.
Cancellations may only be made by contacting Registration Services at (205) 348-3000.
Refunds will not be issued after the trip cancellation deadline. Substitutions are not allowed.
If a field trip is full, you may request to be placed on a waitlist.
If you have questions about the trip, contact the trip leader or call OLLI at (205) 348-6482.
Members may participate in trips from any of the chapters TUSCALOOSA – GREATER BIRMINGHAM – GADSDEN
Greater Birmingham
BHM 201 Avondale Park Birding
Thursday, Sept. 19
Cancellation Deadline: Sept. 16
Trip Leader: Mary Frances Stayton (lovingcats@windstream.net)
Meet: 8:30 a.m. at the Avondale Park, in front of the Miss Fancy Elephant statute 4101 5th Ave. S Birmingham.
End: 11 a.m.
Fee: None Activity Level: Walking on mostly sidewalks and gentle sloping dirt trails.
Experience Alabama’s amazing birdlife with Andrew Lydeard, the program coordinator of Alabama’s Audubon organization. You do not need to be an experienced birder; you just need to be willing to learn and appreciate some of the wild birds in one of our communities. We hope to see Red-Bellied Woodpeckers, Herons, Canadian Geese, Peewees and maybe a Red-Tailed Hawk. After birding, we can stroll the park, see the park’s rose garden and learn a little bit about the history of this lovely venue.
BHM 202 The Karl C. Harrison Museum of George Washington and the Shelby County Museum and Archives
Thursday, Oct. 3
Refund Deadline: Oct. 26
Trip Leader: Annette Vazquez (drnocat@hotmail.com)
Depart: 9:15 a.m. Riverchase United Methodist Church (overflow lot)
Return: 4 p.m.
Fee: $25 (Transportation)
Activity Level: Moderate walking in town, but the museum has no elevator.
In the small town of Columbiana lies two hidden gems for history enthusiasts. The Karl C. Harrison Museum of George Washington holds one of America’s largest privately owned collections of George and Martha Washington artifacts. There are approximately 1,000 collections of paintings, letters, furniture, porcelain, jewelry and more to ponder. The Shelby County Museum and Archives 1854 building exemplifies Jeffersonian Architecture. Exhibitions and photographs spanning multiple American eras are available to view at the museum. Visitors can immerse themselves in the captivating history of the region and its preserved artifacts. This historical adventure will include a Dutch-treat lunch at the local Tin Top BBQ restaurant.
BHM 203 Historic Oak Hill Cemetery Guided Tour
Thursday, October 17
Refund Deadline: Oct. 10
Trip Leader: Mary Hawkins (hawkinster@msn.com)
Depart: 9 a.m. Riverchase United Methodist Church (overflow lot) to Carpool or meet at the Oak Hill Cemetery 1120 19th Street North, Birmingham, AL 35234
Return: 12:15 p.m.
Fee: $13 (Private Guided tour)
Activity level: Moderate walking on hilly and sometimes uneven terrain.
This beautiful hilltop cemetery overlooks Birmingham. Stroll beneath towering oaks with master historian Jim Langley as he shares the history of Birmingham’s founding pioneers, scoundrels and infamous characters. Learn about the coal barons and industrialists whose names still adorn our streets, the deadly cholera epidemic of 1873, and the madame who opened her brothel to nurse the sick. Oak Hill has a potter’s field, a slave section and graves of Confederate soldiers and the many working-class folks who built the city alike.
BHM 204 SuperJazz Concert
Sunday, Oct. 20
Cancelation Deadline: Oct. 17
Trip Leader: Beth White (wytehaus1@windstream.net)
Meet: 2:30 p.m. John Carroll High School auditorium, 300 Lakeshore Pkwy, Birmingham
End: 4:30 p.m.
Fee: $7 at the door
Activity Level: Easy
Comprised of 21 of Birmingham’s top professional jazz players, SuperJazz has played four concerts almost every year since 1978. The band features traditional instrumentation of five saxes, five trombones, five trumpets and a rhythm section. The program for each concert is structured around a variety of styles, encompassing music from different eras.
BHM 205 The Southern Vintage Fire Apparatus Association Museum and The Cahaba Brewing Company
Friday, Nov. 8
Refund Deadline: Oct. 31
Trip Leader: Annette Vazquez (drnocat@hotmail.com)
Depart: 9:45 a.m. Riverchase United Methodist Church (overflow lot)
Return: 4 p.m.
Fee: $43 (Transportation, Tour/Tasting)
Activity Level: Easy walking low-level stairs.
The Society for the Preservation and Appreciation of Antique Motor Fire Apparatus Association was founded in 1957. This museum houses some of the finest examples of historic firefighting apparatus in the country, including rare and unique items that date to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Then, we will head to The Cahaba Brewing Company, a microbrewery and distillery in the same continental gin complex as the SVFAA. This 45-minute behind-the-scenes tour will provide a unique insight into one of Birmingham’s exclusive breweries and include an opportunity to sample rich stouts and crisp lagers. A Dutch-treat lunch will follow.
Gadsden
GAD 201 W. C. Handy Museum and Alabama Music Hall of Fame
Friday, Sept. 20
Refund Deadline: Sept. 11
Trip Leader: Shirley du Pont (slild01@aol.com)
Depart UA Gadsden Center: 8:30 a.m.
Return UA Gadsden Center: 6 p.m.
Fee: $60 (Transportation, admissions)
Activity Level: Moderate
During his lifetime W.C. Handy earned, and continues to hold, the title “Father of the Blues.” Handy’s blues music was created not to dwell on the hardships of the past, but to acknowledge them and move forward towards a brighter future. The cabin, museum and library house a collection of Handy’s personal items relating to his career. Along the way we will have a Dutch-treat lunch at Claunch Café. Afterward, we will visit the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, which highlights and honors many Alabamians who made a significant impact on the music industry. Join us as we learn more about these musicians and explore their contributions to the music we love.
GAD 202 Play – The Diary of Anne Frank
The Wholeback Theatre, Guntersville, AL
Sunday, October 13
Refund Deadline: Oct. 3
Depart UA Gadsden Center: 12:30 p.m.
Return UA Gadsden Center: 6 p.m.
Fee: $60 (Transportation, admission)
Activity Level: Easy
The play tells the story of Anne Frank, a Germanborn Jewish girl, documenting her family’s life in hiding from Nazi persecution in an Amsterdam attic.
GAD 203 Savannah, GA
Friday, Nov. 1 – Sunday, Nov. 3
Refund Deadline: Sept. 26
Trip Leader: Shirley du Pont (slild01@aol.com)
Depart UA Gadsden Center: 8:30 a.m.
Return UA Gadsden Center: 6 p.m.
Fee: $ 475 dbl, $680 single (Transportation, lodging with breakfast, admissions)
Activity Level: Moderate
Savannah was established in 1733 and is the oldest city in the state of Georgia. It was spared during the Civil War as a gift to the president. When we arrive in Savannah, our first stop will be to the riverfront before checking into our hotel, then we will take in the evening show at the Savannah Theatre. On Saturday, the Hop-On Historic trolley will take us through all the squares, around town, and by the famous landmarks featured in Hollywood movies. Other activities of the day will include ice cream at Leopold’s, a visit to The Cathedral of St. John, and lunch at Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room. Dinner Saturday night will be at Vic’s On the River and more time on the Riverfront.
Tuscaloosa
TUS 201 University of Alabama Engineering School, Tuscaloosa
Friday, Sept. 20
Cancelation Deadline: Sept. 16
Trip Leader: Sheree Miller (evergreens3@yahoo.com)
Depart BCC: 9 a.m.
Return BCC: 1 p.m.
Fee: None
Activity level: Easy/moderate (walking, standing indoors)
Join us for a tour of the engineering school! Learn about the latest projects and discover what’s on the horizon. Student ambassadors will guide us through H.M. Comer Hall where we will visit the large-scale structures lab, view the current Alabama eco-car, and other fascinating labs conducting cutting-edge research. After our tour, we will have a Dutch treat lunch at a nearby UA dining hall.
TUS 202 Visit a Cotton Gin, Mennonite Bakery and the Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge in Mississippi
Friday, Oct. 4
Refund Deadline: Sept. 26
Trip Leader: Carolyn Rhodes (writegems@gmail.com) and Tour Guide: Jim Ezell Depart BCC: 8 a.m.
Return BCC: 4 p.m.
Fee: $105 (Transportation)
Activity Level: Moderate (some walking, steps and standing)
This trip begins with a visit to the Bogue Chitto Cotton Gin near Macon. We will see the gin in operation and view hundreds of acres of cotton ready to be harvested. Our next stop will be the Olde Country Bakery in Brooksville, where a Dutch-treat lunch can be purchased. We will picnic at the Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge and take a boardwalk tour of the lake and cypress swamps. Jim Ezell, a retired environmental engineer, will talk about wildlife, the importance of swamps and wetlands, local geology Tuscaloosa and the history of the area. Before departing, we will tour the visitors center and museum.
TUS 203 Auburn’s Rural Studio and its Community Projects in Hale County
Friday, Oct. 11
Refund Deadline: Oct. 26
Trip Leader: Peggy Hamner (sswims2001@gmail.com)
Depart BCC: 8:15 a.m.
Return BCC: 5:30 p.m.
Fee: $120 (Transportation, guided tour, admission)
Activity level: Easy/Moderate (walking and standing)
Visit Auburn University’s Rural Studio to learn about this international award-winning off-campus program for architecture students. We will have a guided tour of buildings in downtown Newbern that students designed and helped construct. Then, we will drive to Greensboro with our Rural Studio guide for a Dutch-treat lunch. In the afternoon we will visit more student-created community projects and end at the Safe House Black History Museum. The museum exhibits African American art in a redesigned home where Martin Luther King Jr. once hid from the Ku Klux Klan. We’ll have a guided tour of the art gallery before returning to Tuscaloosa.
TUS 204 Off We Go in to the Wild, Blue Yonder…
Thursday, Oct. 24
Refund Deadline: Sept. 23
Trip Leader: David Maxwell (dhmaxwell1@gmail.com)
Tour Guide: Robert Kane Depart BCC: 7:45 a.m.
Return BCC: 5:30 p.m.
Fee: $114 (Transportation)
Official ID (Name, DOB, DL # and state) is required for OLLI to send in 30 days in advance.
Activity level: Easy (Level walking, standing)
Lt. Col. (Ret.) Dr. Robert Kane will be our stepon tour guide at Maxwell Air Force Base. Maxwell Air Force Base has played a pivotal role in the development of American airpower doctrine, flight training, education, and leadership over the past century. Learn how this “cradle of airpower” has its roots in the Wright brothers and a Maxwell family connection. After lunch on base, we will visit the Maxwell-Gunter Annex to tour the Air Force Enlisted Heritage Research Institute Museum and Archives.
TUS 205 UA Printing Services and Campus Mail Center Friday, Oct.25
Refund Deadline: Oct. 11
Trip Leader: Peggy Hamner (sswims2001@gmail.com)
Meet: 8:45 a.m. at UA Printing Services or carpool with a friend Return BCC: 1 p.m.
Fee: None Activity level: Easy/Moderate (walking and standing)
We will begin our morning with a tour of the University Printing Services facility. After learning about the operations of this full-service printing and sign shop, we will continue to the Campus Mail Center to learn how it manages incoming and outgoing mail for all campus faculty, students and departments. We will also visit its Passport Acceptance Facility, which is available to both faculty and students planning to go abroad. After the tours, we will have a Dutch-Treat lunch at a local restaurant.
TUS 206 Talladega Superspeedway Friday, Nov. 1
Refund Deadline: Oct. 17
Trip leader: Philip Malone (philipgmalone@gmail.com)
Depart BCC: 8 a.m.
Return BCC: 5:30 p.m.
Fee: $65 (Transportation, Admissions)
Activity level: Easy to moderate (Walking/Standing)
This trip will include a tour of the Talladega Superspeedway, a visit to historic downtown Talladega with a tour of the Hall of Heroes Museum, and an afternoon tour of the International Motorsports Hall of Fame Museum. We will cap off the trip with a Dutch treat lunch in Talladega.
TUS 207 Geology Field Trip of Tuscaloosa County
Wednesday, Nov. 6
Refund Deadline: Oct. 28
Trip leader: Philip Malone (Philipgmalone@gmail.com)
Depart BCC: 8 a.m.
Return BCC: 5 p.m.
Fee: $23 (Transportation)
Activity level: Easy to moderate
This field trip will focus on roadside geology. We will travel to the far corners of Tuscaloosa County to learn about its diverse geology. Our journey will include visits to rock outcrops at various locations in the county, as well as sites around the city of Tuscaloosa. Lunch will be Dutch treat at a local restaurant.
TUS 208 U.S. Space and Rocket Center, Huntsville
Friday, Nov. 8
Refund Deadline: Oct. 24
Trip Leader: Mary Jane Manning (mary_jane_manning2023@outlook.com)
Depart BCC: 7:30 a.m.
Return BBC: 5:30 p.m.
Fee: $150 (Transportation, Admissions)
Activity level: Easy to moderate (walking and standing)
Our trip to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center will include a guided tour of the Space Museum and access to the Saturn V Hall, Moon Crater, Military Park, Rocket Park, Shuttle Park, Spark!Lab and ISS: Science on Orbit. We will have a Dutch treat lunch in the Mars Grill followed by the viewing of the show, “James Webb Space Telescope: The Story Unfolds,” in the Intuitive Planetarium. This will be a full day, so wear comfortable shoes and plan to be enlightened, amazed and stimulated!
TUS 209 Alabama Veterans Museum
Tuesday, Nov. 12
Refund Deadline: Oct. 28
Trip Leader: Danielle Houston (dhouston6565@gmail.com)
Depart BCC: 8:30 a.m.
Return BCC: 5:30 p.m.
Fee: $105 (Transportation)
Activity Level: easy/moderate (walking and standing)
The Alabama Veterans Museum & Archives collection contains an impressive display of artifacts from the Revolutionary War until present day. We will see uniforms, medals, photos and weapons, and hear stories and experiences about the nation’s wars from men and women who were actually there. We will enjoy a Dutch treat lunch at Reeves’ Peach Farm.