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
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.
Learning Center Programs
Side Trails to History Program–Spring 2013
(program fee is $5 per participant)
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 and the Sweet Shoppe.
Call 205‑477‑5711 for reservations or more information.
Some schools may qualify to have their fees waived if they are public schools where forty percent or more of the students are eligible for free or reduced lunches. Assistance does NOT include any transportation costs. Funding of this effort is a public service of Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park with additional support provided by the Caring Foundation of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama.
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.
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The Blast Furnaces: Learn how iron was made during the Civil War.
Nature Trail: Walk down an actual highway from the past.
The Creek Kids Program 2013 ($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.
Learning Center Events 2013
Creek Kids Hike
- The Creek Kid program offered through the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources runs Spring through Fall each year weather permitting.
- Hours are Wednesdays and Fridays 9:00–12:30, Spring and Fall. The minimum number accepted is 10 and the maximum number is 50.
- Contact Fisheries Division directly.
(205) 477-6301 or email
Visit the The Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division and the Alabama Geological Survey Web Page featuring Fishes of Tannehill
Side Trails to History Hike
- Learn history while hiking the park.
- Wednesdays and Fridays 9:00-12:30.
Spring and Fall - Minimum 25, maximum 125 students.
For Bookings:
New Program!
Home School Day – April 24, 2013
Tannehill and Alabama Art Casting will be a hosting a field trip day for home school students on April 24, 2013 from 9:00 am–2:00 pm. This program will give home school students the opportunity to explore the park through the Side Trails to History Program in the morning and experience an iron pour in the afternoon by making their own unique piece of cast iron art. Learn how iron was made at the historic Tannehill Ironworks during the Civil War and then see the process in action!
- Date: April 24, 2013 from 9:00 am–2:00 pm
- Program fee is $15 per participant ($5 for parents if they do not want to make their own piece of iron art).
- This program is recommended for ages 5 and up. Advance registration is required.
To Register:
- Contact Jennifer Watts
(205) 477-5711 or email
The Side Trails to History Tour
