Railroad Park is in downtown Birmingham, located on 1st Avenue South and covers 19 acres of land. It opened in the fall of 2010 after decades of planning and four years of construction. It won the international Urban Open Space Award from the Urban Land Institute two years after it opened. It’s been a wonderful source of inspiration for new businesses and residential housing. Railroad Park is a welcoming, safe space to everyone and has even been referred to as “Birmingham’s Front Lawn.”
A great deal of thoughtful planning went into the landscape at Railroad Park. Carefully curated plants and trees decorate it. It’s a wonderful spot to visit in the fall because it is exploding with color! (It’s an especially good idea to go with your favorite photographer.)
Pink Muhly Grass blooms at the park in the fall. It’s really something to see during golden hour!
Even though Bang Images photographs during the most colorful time of the year, delivering strong black-and-white images will always be part of the client gallery.
This fun group of students from Alabama School of Fine Arts hired me to photograph them before prom. It was fitting since their school is in the city that we celebrate them in our city’s park.
Because of the open fields at Railroad Park, you’ll often see a picturesque sky. And even though this session was at the beginning of November, our Alabama weather made it comfortable to be outdoors.
Railroad Park is quite spacious with a “Rail Trail” for walking and/or running, over 600 trees, a lake, various plants and flowers, and expansive fields. It’s a gorgeous location, big enough that it never feels crowded.
The only drawback is locating parking. There are many spaces along 1st Avenue South parallel to the park, but on a pretty weekend day, it can be challenging to find a spot. I suggest looking on the block just before the park around 18th Street on 1st Avenue South; there are a number of parking spaces. This location is so beautiful and spacious, I find it worth the trouble, especially in the fall! Just plan ahead and give yourself a little extra time if you’re meeting someone.
I’ve written a handful of these location spotlight posts. You might enjoy one of these: 5th Avenue North, Rotary Trail, or for something a little different, Altadena Valley Park.
