Follow the Secret Trail to the Artistry of Huntsville

Walking tours come in many shapes and sizes, from foodie tours and pub crawls to ghost tours and scavenger hunts. But in Huntsville, Alabama, family travelers can enjoy one of the most rapidly growing types of walking tours: an art tour.

The Downtown Huntsville Secret Art Trail is a walking tour of one of Alabama’s most artsy cities. It lets you explore without breaking the bank (the trail is completely free), gives kids a chance to stretch their legs and burn off excess energy, and introduces the whole family to some pretty cool public art pieces.

The art trail is helping Huntsville make quite a name for itself as an arts and culture destination. While there is incredible public art throughout the city, the Secret Art Trail features some of the city’s most impressive pieces within walking distance throughout the Quigley Arts and Entertainment District. The pieces include murals along buildings, sidewalks, and even pieces tucked away inside doorways and alcoves.

Twenty-one separate art works created by many different local artists can be found along the way in obvious places and some not so obvious, all designed to raise awareness for art and the local artists who create it, as well as to encourage people to get off the beaten path and explore Huntsville. From small pieces to massive pieces, they are fun, inspirational and make for great photo opportunities.

Along the trail there are plenty of places to grab a bite to eat, but parents will particularly enjoy one perk that makes this art walk stand out from those found in other cities across the country. Within the territory of the district, you can walk around with an alcoholic beverage, as long as it is in a designated purple cup that can be purchased at one of the participating establishments along the trail.

There is painted signage on the sidewalks of the district reading “A&E District Boundary” in light blue, so you know exactly where you are able to have your purple cup with you. To make sure you don’t miss any of the trail’s beautiful works of art, check out the map of installations here or download the Spaces & Places mobile app to your mobile device.