Gadsden

Gadsden is a city in the Appalachian foothills of Alabama.

Understand

Gadsden was settled in the early 1800s. It has prospered over the years through riverboat commerce, steel production, railways, and agriculture. Though the industry slumped in the late 1980s, and then moreso with the departure of Goodyear, the city was awarded the All-America City Award in 1991 for tackling community-wide challenges. The population in 2019 was about 35,000.

Get in

By plane

• Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, 5900 Airport Highway, ☏ +1-205-595-0533. The closest major airport. 
• Northeast Alabama Regional Airport, 185 Ira Gray Dr, ☏ +1-256-442-3313. The closest airport. 

By train

You can only take the Amtrak as far as the 4th Street station in Anniston.

By car

I-59 has three exits in Gadsden:

• 188 to Reece City (Al-11) & Noccalula
• 183 to Atalla & West Gadsden
• 182 to I-759, East Gadsden and Rainbow City

I-59 can be reached from I-24 in Chattanooga, TN or I-459 and I-20 in Birmingham.

AL-431 (Huntsville to Opelika) and AL-278 (SR-74, Hamilton to Piedmont) merge in Gadsden.

By bus

• Greyhound Bus Lines, 1511 W Meighan Blvd, ☏ +1-256-547-4959. 

See

• 1 Gadsden Museum of Art, 515 Broad St, ☏ +1 256 543-2787. M-Sa 10AM-5PM. Here is where Gadsden tries to get cultural, with art and history exhibits. Attached is the Mary G. Hardin Center for Cultural Arts with an Imagine Place, performing arts, and more exhibits. (updated Oct 2021)

Do

• 1 Noccalula Falls Park, 1500 Noccalula Rd, ☏ +1 256-549-4663. Pristine falls on Black Creek imbued with a Cherokee legend give the park its namesake at the top of Lookout Mountain, but also you'll find here a pioneer village near the top of the falls, a gift shop, hiking trails, and a campground. (updated Sep 2019)
  • 2 Gilliland-Reese Covered Bridge (also within Noccalula Falls Park). Restored covered bridge, moved from nearby to present location. (updated Oct 2021)
• 3 Riverwalk City Park. Try this out for some riverside views of the Coosa River and Gadsden skyline behind. (updated Oct 2021)
• 4 James D. Martin Wildlife Park, 998 S 6th St, ☏ +1 256 549-4500. Another venue for the outdoor enthusiast, this one in the backwaters riverine environment of the Coosa River, with boardwalks and trails. (updated Oct 2021)

Buy

• 1 Gadsden Mall, 1001 Rainbow Dr, ☏ +1 256 547-0501. M-Sa 10AM-8PM, Su noon-6PM. Contemporary shopping venue, with a movie theater and carousel. (updated Oct 2021)
• 2 Noccalula Gift Shop, 1450 Noccalula Rd, ☏ +1 256 547-4333. M-Sa 10AM-5PM. Good place to find little tourist knick-knacks. (updated Oct 2021)

Sleep

• 1 Gadsden Inn & Suites, 200 N Albert Rains Blvd, ☏ +1 800 637-5678. Cheery hotel down by the river where you can lounge around the waterfall-draped pool or hang out on the balcony. $89. (updated Oct 2021)
• 2 River Rocks Landing, 1 River Rd, ☏ +1 256 543-7111. This place offers you a chance to stay in a tiny home along the Coosa River. Has three swimming pools and boat docks. (updated Oct 2021)

Go next

Routes through Gadsden

Chattanooga ← Fort Payne ←	N  S	→ Birmingham → Meridian
Knoxville ← Rome ←	N  S	→ Birmingham → END