Discover Opelika

There are many different ways to discover Opelika: a museum explores the history of the city and Alabama, nature parks offer trails and birdwatching opportunities, and there’s also golf and pickleball. As you plan your trip, you can decide whether to focus on culture, nature, or sports. Especially if you’re traveling with family, this selection can help you plan activities everyone can enjoy that suit your group’s interests.

City history at the museum and in Downtown

The Museum of East Alabama houses more than 5,000 artifacts representing the history of Opelika, the East Alabama region, and the state of Alabama. It opened in August 1989 in the historic downtown district, on the site of the former Clement Hotel. Admission is free. The collection makes the museum a tangible starting point if you’d like to explore the past of the city and the wider region.

Downtown Opelika also offers opportunities to focus on the city’s history: the district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Downtown includes specialty shops, galleries, antique stores, and restaurants. The district’s historic character is complemented by a variety of places to browse and dine. If you’d like to focus on culture and city life, you can take these interests into account when choosing a vacation rental in Opelika.

Experience nature: Spring Villa and Wood Duck Nature Park

Spring Villa is a 350-acre park that was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 3, 1978. Its size and historic designation offer two different reasons to visit: you can enjoy Spring Villa as a park while also learning about its connection to history. When planning your trip, it makes sense to consider this separately from a museum visit rather than assuming the information points to a combined route.

More than 170 bird species have been recorded at Wood Duck Nature Park. The park has more than two miles of heavily wooded trails leading to two observation blinds overlooking the lagoon. This makes it possible to combine an outing in nature with a specific vantage point for observing wildlife: the trails lead to the blinds, while the variety of bird species offers another reason to take your time in nature. If your family is interested in birdwatching, this park could be a focus of its own during your stay.

Sports and events

For a sporting activity, you can visit the Opelika Pickleball Facility, which is open daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. These daily opening hours give you a specific timeframe to plan around. Another way to shape your stay is with golf: Grand National Golf Course in Opelika is a public 54-hole golf course.

The Annual Summer Swing Concert Series takes place each year at Municipal Park. It runs for 13 weeks, with concerts every Tuesday evening. If a concert fits your travel interests, keep the day of the week and the series’ stated duration in mind as you plan. This is a different reason to visit than the museum, nature trails, or sports, and it can offer families an additional activity to enjoy together.

Choosing a vacation rental in Opelika is also part of planning your trip. Find other places to explore at Valley and Auburn.

For an overview of the wider area, see Lee.