Tannehill Learning Center and Educational Programs

“By looking at things that people used and that show the way they lived, a better and truer impression can be gained than could be had in a month of reading” — Henry Ford

Learn why iron made in a blast furnace was called 'pig iron' and why it was so important to the Confederate war effort.

While thousands of visitors each year take in the park’s natural beauty, few may realize that under its verdant veneer lies an outstanding outdoor education laboratory and classroom. It is a place that draws archeologists, historians, teachers and students alike to investigate, instruct and learn from the rich history of the site in industrial, social and geological perspectives. Beginning with Hillman’s Bloomery in 1830, Tannehill became known as the birthplace of the Birmingham Iron and Steel District.

From scenery to science and education, the Tannehill Learning Center, which operates as a program of the Iron & Steel Museum, offers unique outdoor classroom learning experiences for Alabama school children from both public and private institutions. The center grew out of efforts to provide meaningful student field trips in an historical environment on the part of a 28-member teacher panel working in concert with the University of Alabama College of Education in the early 1980s.

Several “learning loops” focusing on the Fourth Grade Course of Study as approved by the Alabama Department of Education were developed. Personnel from both the University of Alabama and the Alabama Dept. of Conservation cooperate with the museum staff to offer relevant study programs for students of all ages.

Partial view of 1860s Machine Shop, Iron & Steel Museum, showing 1864 cannon lathe used behind federal lines during the Civil War.

The Marchant Cabin (ca 1879) is representative of small settler cabins of the 1800s.

The Programs

Side Trails to History Program–Spring 2010  ($5.00 per student)

This educational experience focuses on how workers, both free and slave, from the Civil War through the Depression lived and worked and the resources that supported manufacturing. From pioneer homesteads that date from the first quarter of the 19th century to an array of sites associated with the Civil War iron works including a Reconstruction era grist mill, nearly every important chapter in the social and economic history of upland Alabama is represented. Following two and a half hours of instructional activities and the walking tour, students may ride the park’s miniature railroad and visit the Country Store, Bob Sykes BBQ and the Sweet Shoppe. Call 205-477-5711.

Guided Tour Stops:

• The Iron & Steel Museum: View the tools and machines that made
  Alabama a leading iron producing state in the 1800s.

• Fowler House School: Take part in the school experience of the1860s.

• The Blast Furnaces: Learn how iron was made during the Civil War.

• Marchant House, a settler’s cabin: See how a large family lived in
  a one-room house.

• Nature Trail: Walk down an actual highway from the past.

The Creek Kids Program–Spring 2010  ($5.00 per student)

 

Hands-on environmental learning is now available through “Creek Kids”, a partnership of the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division and Tannehill State Park. Students experience an overview of a watershed via a train ride, see the impact of a mill dam on fish passage and visit the Iron and Steel Museum to learn about Alabama’s iron industry. Students also work with an enviroscope to see how pollution can affect the aquatic environment and wade into an actual bubbling spring for a close-up view of native fish and invertebrates. Many species of fish and aquatic invertebrates, including some types of darters, crayfish, mussels and snails, live only in Alabama.

Creek Kids program times may be reserved by calling the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division at 205-477-6301 or email for more information or reservations. Some schools may have their fees waved if they are public schools where forty percent or more of the students are eligible for free or reduced lunches. Assistance may include some transportation costs. Funding of this effort comes from the sale of “Take A Kid Fishing” car tags.

The Side Trails to History Tour

Drill marks in stone show where slaves quarried building blocks for the furnaces.

Enjoy the natural beauty of Roupes Creek.

The Tannehill gristmill waterwheel spins its own story.

Students stand where a slave family lived in the Quarters during the Civil War.

The train pulls out of the Tannehill Depot headed for the grist mill.

The Iron & Steel Museum holds a special fascination for students on field trips.