Century Club
Rickwood Field in Birmingham is the oldest ballpark in the U.S., having turned 100 in August.
Birmingham
Local Update: Expected to open this fall, the 21-acre downtown Railroad Park will be available for myriad recreation options, concerts and events. Features include a lake, an amphitheater, landscaped gardens and 10 acres of open lawn.
Meeting Hotels: Properties include the 770-room Sheraton Birmingham, 329-room Wynfrey Hotel at the Riverchase Galleria, 298-room Doubletree Hotel Birmingham Marriott, 259-room Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa, 205-room Hilton Birmingham Perimeter Park and 150-room Hyatt Place Birmingham.
Convention Center: Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex; exhibit space, 220,000 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 74; (205) 458-8400; bjcc.org
Airport Transit: Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, about five miles east of downtown Birmingham. Transfer cost by taxi to downtown, $12
Taxes: No sales tax; room tax, 14%; total tax on hotel rooms, 14%
Group Venue: The vintage early-1900s B&A Warehouse offers a variety of meeting spaces along with three well-stocked bars, an on-site full-service catering department and an entertainment stage. (205) 326-4220; bawarehouse.com
CVB Services: Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau, (800) 458-8085; bcvb.org
House of Hank
The Hank Aaron Childhood Home and Museum opened in Mobile in April, featuring mementos and memorabilia donated by Aaron and his family, the Baseball Hall of Fame and the Negro League Baseball Museum. Exhibitions include photos, art and vintage baseball equipment used by the legendary Hall of Fame slugger, along with artifacts of Aaron's childhood. The facility is his actual boyhood home, which was relocated in 2008 to the grounds of the 6,000-seat Hank Aaron Stadium, home of the Double-A Mobile Baybears. Seven rooms highlight Aaron's journey as a ballplayer as well as the African-American experience in the Jim Crow South. For events or private seating, the stadium offers the 755 Club, a 1,500-square-foot space along the third-base line that holds up to 100 people.
museum.
hankaaronstadium.comMontgomery
Local Update:The 81-room Country Inn & Suites By Carlson, Montgomery, opened in April; features include an 875-square-foot meeting room, a 324-square-foot boardroom and complimentary high-speed Internet access.
Meeting Hotels: Properties include the 342-room Montgomery Renaissance Hotel & Spa at the Convention Center, 237-room Embassy Suites Hotel & Montgomery Conference Center, 170-room Best Western Madison Hotel, 146-room Courtyard by Marriott Montgomery, 145-room Quality Inn & Suites Conference Center, 97-room Hilton Garden Inn Montgomery East and 86-room Hampton Inn & Suites.
Convention Center: Montgomery Convention Center; exhibition space, approximately 75,520 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 24; (334) 481-5000; visitingmontgomery.com/meet
Airport Transit: Montgomery Regional Airport-Dannelly Field, about nine miles southwest of downtown. Transfer cost by taxi, $20
Taxes: Sales tax, 10%; room tax, 12.5% plus $1; total tax on hotel rooms, 22.5% plus $1
Group Venue: Alley Station offers a 7,500-square-foot ballroom that accommodates 350, and a 7,500-square-foot rooftop terrace overlooking downtown. (334) 277-1077; alleystation.com
CVB Services: Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Convention & Visitors Bureau, (334) 262-1100; visitingmontgomery.com