Muscle Shoals is a destination off the beaten path that is worth driving out of the way for.
Once you visit, you’ll understand why top recording artists have come from around the world to record here.
This destination was instrumental in creating the sounds and songs by a lengthy list of hitmakers.
I’m sharing more about the top stops for music history and more around Muscle Shoals, Alabama.
Thanks again to Visit North Alabama for hosting our visit. This article contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own.
Tour FAME Recording Studios
603 East Avalon Avenue, Muscle Shoals, AL
FAME Recording Studios should be your first stop to help tell the music history story of Muscle Shoals.
The story starts in 1959 when Rick Hall, Billy Sherrill, and Tom Stafford founded FAME Publishing.
During the tour, you’ll learn more about how this recording studio transformed Muscle Shoals into THE destination for making music.
The tales include the triumphs and challenges that owner and producer Rick Hall experienced with staff and artists.
The sign above the entryway to the studio door says, “Through these doors walk the finest Muscians, Songwriters, Artists and Producers in the World.”
During the tour, you’ll stand in the same spaces once shared with Etta James, Aretha Franklin, and Otis Redding, along with more modern artists, including Alicia Keys and Demi Lovato.
The recording studio is still like a time capsule taking you back to 1961, and that’s what draws artists who still seek to record here today.
They want the creativity, acoustics, and legacy of previous legendary artists to inspire and rub off on them.
You can visualize your preferred artist of choice crafting their art through their recording session in a recording studio where segregation didn’t exist.
The diversity and musical influences were part of the magic.
The house rhythm section, “The Swampers,” shocked many recording artists when they met in person. It was hard to believe that this group of clean-cut, nerdy-looking white guys produced such soulful sounds for so many hitmakers.
Lynyrd Skynyrd even includes “The Swampers” in the 1974 hit song “Sweet Home Alabama.”
“Now Muscle Shoals has got the Swampers/And they’ve been known to pick a song or two,”
You’ll stand in the same studio room where Aretha Franklin “found her sound,” whose career took off after recording smash hits “I Never Loved A Man” and “Do Right Woman.”
It’s the room where Wilson Pickett recorded “Mustang Sally”.
Two Types of Tours Offered at FAME Recording Studios
You’ll want to secure tickets online for your tour of choice in advance due to the popularity of the tours.
- FAME Studio Standard Tour
- FAME Recording Studios Backstage Tour Experience – Providing behind-the-scenes access to areas of the studio not offered on the standard studio tour
I recommend watching “Muscle Shoals,” the 2013 documentary on the legendary music history, before or after your visit.
Tour Muscle Shoals Sound Studio
3614 Jackson Hwy, Muscle Shoals, AL
Muscle Shoals Sound Studio is another vital part of the evolution of Muscle Shoals music history.
You may recognize the front of the building that was featured on Cher’s “3614 Jackson Highway” album.
Both Muscle Shoals music studios have their own unique vibe.
Remember “The Swampers?”
“The Swampers” Barry Beckett, Roger Hawkins, David Hood, and Jimmy Johnson, the former rhythm band for FAME, parted ways with Rick Hall and founded Muscle Shoals Sound Studios in 1969.
Legendary artists came to record at their studio, including The Rolling Stones, Paul Simon, Bob Seger, Rod Stewart, and Lyndard Skynard.
Thanks to the generosity of Beats Electronics, owned by Dr. Dre, this studio has been authentically restored to its hit-making years of 1969-1978.
The recording equipment in the control room, the assortment of instruments, furniture, old photos, and even the little details, like the ashtray on top of the keyboard, help you sense what it was like to record here during that era.
Guided tours run every hour, starting at 10:30 AM, with the last tour beginning at 3:30 PM.
You’ll have to take the tour to learn why a toilet seat is mounted above the bathroom doorframe.
It’s recommended that visitors book their specific tour time (Tuesday – Saturday) in advance.
Muscle Shoals Sound Studios is still a working studio, attracting top artists who continue to produce Grammy-nominated songs and hit records here.
Alabama Music Hall of Fame
617 Highway 72 West, Tuscumbia, Alabama
(Check museum hours and days before you go)
The Alabama Music Hall of Fame showcases and honors Alabama’s great music achievers.
Guests take a self-guided tour of the museum that typically takes around an hour on average.
Music Achievers are honored at The Alabama Music Hall of Fame in three ways:
- Exhibits illustrating their accomplishments
- Placement of permanent bronze star in the walk of fame
- Induction to the Hall of Fame
The museum has an impressive collection of memorabilia from well-known artists.
You can even step inside the former tour bus of the band Alabama.
Not all the artists featured in the Museum are inducted into the museum’s Hall of Fame. You can see how many familiar names you recognize on the list of inductees here.
A marker for the Mississippi Blues Trail outside the museum highlights that many Mississippi artists came to Muscle Shoals to record.
Save Money With a Florence, Muscle Shoals Multi-Attraction Pass
You can save money while visiting multiple attractions in “The Shoals,” the cities of Florence, Tuscumbia, Sheffield, and Muscle Shoals.
What’s Included:
- Muscle Shoals Sound Studios
- Fame Recording Studio
- Helen Keller Birthplace/Ivy Green
- Frank Lloyd Wright – Rosenbaum House
- Belle Mont Mansion
- Alabama Music Hall Of Fame
- Florence Indian Mound And Museum
- W. C. Handy Home And Museum
- Tennessee Valley Museum of Art
Pass options are for 1-Day, 2-Day, or 5-Day.
Walk the Old Railroad Bridge
TVA Nature Loop, Sheffield, AL
You can walk or bike on the .25+ mile decommissioned bridge with scenic views of the Tennessee River.
The 1,580-foot double-decker bridge is the oldest river bridge in Alabama, which previously connected the towns of Florence and Sheffield.
Interesting Facts about the Bridge Site:
- 1830 – The bridge was constructed by the Florence Bridge Company
- 1940 – The bridge opened as a toll bridge
- 1854 -The bridge was damaged by a tornado
- 1858 – The bridge reopened as a double-decker bridge with trains on the top deck and pedestrians and wagons on the lower deck
- 1862, The bridge was burned by the Confederate Army
- 1892 – A steam locomotive crashed through both decks, causing the bridge to partially collapse
- 1904 – The bridge opened for electric streetcar and automobile traffic
- 1988 – The bridge ended being an active train crossing
A small parking lot near the trailhead has access to public restrooms and a connection to the TVA Trail Loop.
You can see the overview of the local trails nearby here, including “The Muscle Shoals Waterfall Walk,” which offers views of the Wilson Dam, limestone bluffs, waterfalls, and the Tennessee River.
Visit the Helen Keller Birthplace
300 N Commons St W, Tuscumbia, AL
The Helen Keller Home was built in 1820 on a 640-acre tract of land by Helen’s grandparents, David and Mary Fairfax More Keller.
East of the main house is the birthplace cottage, where Helen Keller was born on June 27, 1880. When Helen was nineteen months old, an illness left her blind and deaf.
On March 3, 1887, 21-year-old teacher Anne Sullivan came to Tuscumbia to instruct 6-year-old Helen.
You may remember a significant moment at the famous well pump in the 1962 film, “The Miracle Worker,” starring Patty Duke, or the Disney version with the same title in 2000.
The well pump was where Helen’s teacher, Annie Sullivan, fingerspelled “W-A-T-E-R” into her hand, and Helen had the “aha moment” that objects have names.
That moment was a turning point, resulting in Helen learning 30 new vocabulary words within a few hours.
Anne was Helen’s teacher and close companion for 49 years.
Helen achieved so much during her lifetime, including the following:
- Graduated cum laude in 1904 from Radcliff College (the women’s branch of Harvard University) with a Bachelor’s Degree.
- First person to graduate college with deafblindness
- Became a world-famous speaker and author
- Nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 1953
- She met with 12 Presidents of the United States, from Grover Cleveland to John F. Kennedy
Tour Rosenbaum House – Frank Lloyd Wright Home
601 Riverview Dr, Florence, AL
Unfortunately, we missed the hours of operation for a tour inside the Rosenbaum House but decided to drive by it anyway.
The Usonian-style house was built in 1939 for Stanley Rosenbaum and his wife Mildred, designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
The 45-minute guided tours are led by experienced interpreters.
Purchase home tour admission at the gift shop, located in the building across the street from the Rosenbaum House, and the last tour of the day is at 3:15 PM.
Visit Tennessee Valley Museum of Art
511 N Water St, Tuscumbia, AL
Tennessee Valley Museum of Art offers the community a variety of arts, including special events and exhibitions, classes, workshops, theater arts programs, and educational outreach.
Don’t miss the Martin Petroglyph, part of their permanent exhibition at the museum.
The human footprints and snakes on the 3,000-pound boulder were carved by prehistoric Native Americans in northwest Alabama.
Scenic Stop at Spring Park
800 Woodmont Dr., Tuscumbia, AL
This hidden gem of a park has scenic views, history, and outdoor recreation.
The park is scenic with plenty of photo ops.
Kids will enjoy the splash pad, carousel, and narrow-gauge train. The park’s Facebook page has updated information on the rides and activities.
You’ll also want to double-check if the fountains at Spring Park are currently in operation.
The water previously shot up to 150 feet in the air, choreographed to popular artists from Alabama at dusk on weekends from mid-March to December.
Coldwater Falls is known as the World’s Largest Manmade Natural Stone Waterfall. It’s made of more than 2,000 tons of local sandstone.
We visited when the water wasn’t flowing because the falls needed new pumps for the water.
It stretches 80 feet wide and 42 feet tall. 4.3 million gallons of water pass over the falls each day.
The “Sacred Tears” statue is near the falls, honoring Native American history and heritage.
You can learn more about how the community responded during 1830 to 1850, when 60,000 Native Americans were exiled during forced displacement from the southeastern United States, known as “The Trail of Tears.”
Great Places to Eat and Drink Around Muscle Shoals
You’ll want to have some great meals between adventures, and I have several local restaurants to recommend.
Enjoy a Wood-Fired Steak at George’s Steak Pit
1206 S Jackson Hwy, Sheffield, AL
If you’re looking for an excellent place for dinner, George’s Steak Pit is the place!
The restaurant has several separate dining rooms, perfect for an intimate dinner or a night out with a group.
Their famous open pit is the secret to their famous steaks. The restaurant was opened in 1950 by George and Vangie Vafinis. After George retired in 1984, he passed the restaurant on to his son Frank, who retired in 2022.
Owners Scott and Leigh Anna Trimble, beloved and active community members, are continuing the legacy of outstanding food and hospitality.
We learned that the chefs have been doing this so long at George’s that they know intuitively when the steak is ready on the wood-fired grill by tapping it with their tongs.
After taking a bite of our steaks, we agreed they had perfected the art.
My husband and I both opted to try their ribeye and filet steaks with a baked potato as a side. You also have the option for a loaded baked potato.
We chose two desserts to share because it was hard to narrow down the options.
We tried the Brownie with soft-serve vanilla ice cream made with a salted caramel-filled brownie drizzled with salted caramel and dark chocolate on a chocolate-covered pretzel crust.
We also enjoyed their Creme Brulee, a baked custard with a brittle top of melted sugar.
Reservations are highly recommended, so plan accordingly.
Champy’s Famous Fried Chicken
120 Second Street Muscle Shoals, AL
Champy’s Famous Fried Chicken is technically a southern chain with 8 locations in Alabama and Tennessee, but it’s still list-worthy.
As an added bonus, it’s right down the road from Muscle Shoals Sound Studio.
We started with their Smoked Sausage, Cheese, & Pickle Plate. This popular combination has cubed cheese, spicy peppers, savory kielbasa sausage, and, thankfully, crunchy dill pickles.
Mississippi Delta Homemade Hot Tamales are another popular appetizer.
Of course, no visit is complete without trying their world-famous fried chicken with a side of beans and coleslaw.
The Red Clay Table
307 N Montgomery Ave, Sheffield, AL
The Red Clay Table is self-described as serving Contemporary Southern cuisine with locally sourced ingredients in a trendy setting.
The trendy setting also knows its customers and has plenty of TVs, even in the booths, in case there’s a big college football game.
We opted for burgers during our visit, but I have no doubt that their entrees are fantastic, too.
I ordered the “Red Clay Burger” topped with pepper jack cheese, lettuce, jalapeno, pico de gallo, and spicy mayo.
My husband ordered the “Bluff Burger” topped with pepper jack, lettuce, onion rings, and petal sauce.
We had no shortage of onion rings because we both ordered them as our sides and weren’t mad about it.
We also enjoyed their selection of craft beer and cider.
We shared their Skillet Brownie as a sweet ending to our meal.
Superhero Chefs
104 S Main St, Tuscumbia, AL
This is a fun breakfast stop for superhero fans or fans of breakfast.
Superhero Chefs can appeal to both crowds.
I ordered the Juggernaut sandwich. It’s made with red waffles, fried chicken, eggs, pepper jack cheese, candied bacon, and honey, and it’s served with maple heat sauce.
The blend of sweet and savory was so good! This is a messy sandwich, so have plenty of napkins on hand.
My husband tried the Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Sandwich. It’s made with candied bacon, eggs, and cheese and served on a brioche bun.
This superhero-themed restaurant serves urban, eclectic American cuisine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Rattlesnake Saloon
1292 Mt Mills Rd, Tuscumbia, AL (25 minutes from Muscle Shoals)
The Rattlesnake Saloon was one of my favorite unexpected discoveries.
We stumbled upon the Rattlesnake Saloon after a valuable conversation with a group of strangers during breakfast in the hotel dining area.
They were on an organized group “Mystery Tour” of the area. I asked them which attractions they visited on their tour, and the one place I didn’t know about was the Rattlesnake Saloon.
The Rattlesnake Saloon is a unique dive bar inside a cave in Northern Alabama.
It feels like you’re driving to the middle of nowhere, so be on high alert for deer during your drive.
After parking in the large lot, you wait at the stand for a “taxi,” aka truck, to take you down the narrow, steep road to the saloon. You can’t walk or drive to it because of its steep grade.
I’ll admit that riding in the back of a stranger’s truck down a steep road to a cave in the middle of nowhere had me laughing at the randomness of our spontaneous adventure.
If you plan on enjoying a drink, have your ID ready and know that alcohol is only served after 5 PM.
The family-friendly saloon offers food and drinks with live music on weekend nights.
The Rattlesnake Saloon opened Labor Day weekend in 2009 and only took 49 days to construct.
The land has been in the family since 1916, and the saloon location was formerly the shelter for the hog pen.
This one-of-a-kind, western-style saloon is worth the drive! You’ll want to check their hours of operation before you go!
An Overnight Stay at The Cold Water Inn
712 US-72, Tuscumbia, AL
We stayed two nights at The Cold Water Inn, a boutique hotel with 74 rooms in the “heart of the Shoals.”
The hotel is located right off Highway 72, which was very convenient for all our adventures during our visit.
The boutique hotel offers room options ranging from King Suites and accessible rooms to a standard room with double queen beds.
We stayed in their King Suite with a king-sized bed, a queen-size pull-out sofa, and a mini fridge for keeping our drinks cold.
Save on Booking Your Stay at The Cold Water Inn
Guests can enjoy access to the hotel’s outdoor pool and fitness center, and all rooms at The Cold Water Inn include complimentary breakfast with hot and cold breakfast foods and WIFI.
Additional Hotels in the Muscle Shoals Area
- Days Inn by Wyndham Muscle Shoals Florence – 2701 Woodward Ave, Muscle Shoals, AL
- Comfort Inn & Suites Tuscumbia – Muscle Shoals – 5101 Hwy 43 S, Tuscumbia, AL
- Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham Tuscumbia/Muscle Shoals – 1852 Highway 72 East, Tuscumbia, AL
- Hampton Inn & Suites-Florence Downtown – 505 South Court Street, Florence, AL
- Marriot Shoals Hotel and Spa – 10 Hightower Place, Florence, AL
- GunRunner Boutique Hotel – 310 East Tennessee Street, Florence, AL
If you prefer unique vacation rentals for an extended stay, check out Bohemian Hideaway.
Bonus Adventures in the Area
We ran out of time to see these in person, but you may want to check them out.
Coon Dog Cemetery –
4945 Coondog Cemetery Road, Cherokee, AL
This is the site where over 300 hunting dogs have been laid to rest starting with the first coon dog, Troop on September 4, 1937. At this one-of-a-kind cemetery, you’ll find unique headstones and epitaphs from the owners about their beloved dogs.
If you’re in the area on Labor Day, check out the annual festival in their honor, celebrating with live music, dancing, and food.
Dawson Distillery
251 Loop Rd, Tuscumbia, AL
Stop by the first legal moonshine operation in Northwest Alabama post-prohibition for a distillery tour and tasting.
