Boutique Hotels in Huntsville, AL

Known for its role in space engineering and defense, Huntsville has a storied history in American space exploration and civil rights. Nicknamed the "Atomic City" in the 1950s, Redstone Arsenal developed missiles during World War II. The first rocket built there was used in 1958 for Project Mercury—America's first manned space program—and later helped put Americans on the moon! Since then, Redstone Arsenal has continued to develop new weapons systems for our military forces around the globe.

Huntsville was occupied in turn by Confederate and Union troops during the Civil War. Confederate troops occupied Huntsville in 1861 and Union troops in 1864. Union troops burned down the courthouse and several other buildings, but Confederate troops returned to Huntsville after the war ended. The city was rebuilt after the war, and Huntsville became a center for cotton textile production.

At the height of the Cold War, Huntsville was known as "Rocket City" because of its role in space research. The Marshall Space Flight Center was established there in 1960, and it developed rockets and spacecraft for both NASA and other U.S. government agencies.

The Saturn V rocket that launched Apollo astronauts to the moon was designed here by Wernher von Braun's team at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. Today, you can visit the famous museum devoted to this history—it's located right next door to where they used to build Saturn V rockets. If you’re traveling with kids, be sure to check this famous landmark out. When you book a room at Huntsville boutique hotels, you’ll be only an hour away from the top Huntsville landmarks.

In addition to being a mecca for space enthusiasts everywhere, Huntsville also has its own Space Camp; an educational, hands-on program that teaches kids about math and science through activities like building robots or launching rockets into outer space!

In addition to being the birthplace of NASA, Huntsville is also home to a thriving arts scene. The Von Braun Center for Performing Arts is one of the largest performing arts centers in Alabama and hosts Broadway shows, concerts, operas and more. The center was named after Wernher von Braun—the German-born engineer who came here to work on rockets during World War II.

In the 1960s Huntsville was considered a hotbed of civil rights activity. Countless lunch counter sit-ins, boycotts and protests paved the way for equality. In 1962, Huntsville became the first racially integrated city in Alabama.

If you're interested in learning more about this time period, be sure to participate in a walking tour of downtown Huntsville, where you’ll get a first hand look at sit-in sites, protest locations and the first desegregated school in Alabama. Discover all this and more when you book a room at Huntsville Boutique Hotels.

Don’t forget to check out our hotels nearby in Selma and Birmingham!