Sightseeing sign-ups are now closed. Please check in with Visit Huntsville in the lobby of the convention center Sunday morning for tour availability.
SIGHTSEEING TOURS | SUNDAY, NOV. 17
1:15–4:30 p.m.
Sunday afternoon at Travel Exchange ’24 is reserved for authentic Huntsville experiences—and the choice is yours! Our Rocket City partners have lined up five sightseeing tours that are sure to get TREX attendees in the Huntsville spirit.
Boxed lunches will be provided. Check in for your tour in the lobby of the South Hall at the Von Braun Center by 12:45 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 17. Tours will depart from this lobby.
Rocket City USA Pre-Launch: Huntsville’s History, from Antebellum to Antigravity
Huntsville’s history is a reflection on local, state, national, and global history, and on this excursion with Jacque Reeves, founder of Avalon Tours and Huntsville Ghost Walk, we’ll prove it! Our tour begins with recreated buildings from 1819, when Alabama’s first constitution was written one block from the courthouse square. Some of the Antebellum houses in the Twickenham Historic District started as log cabins and were added onto until they became the mansions you see today. Many of those homes hosted Union officers during the four Civil War occupations. Some of the many homes you’ll see are the Lily Flagg home, the Backwards House, the Spite House, and the home of Alabama’s second governor. The history of these houses reveals the story of General Andrew Jackson’s stop on the way to and from the Creek Indian Wars, the capture of Huntsville via the Memphis & Charleston Railroad, the extended stay of 15,000 soldiers returning from the Spanish-American War, the thirteen cotton mills established in the area, the world wars, and the race to space.
THIS SIGHTSEEING TOUR IS FULL!
Space at our Table and Taps: It’s Science Too! For the Foodies
What do you get when you combine a progressive happy hour, foodie tour, and a beer cruise? This tour! Learn about Huntsville’s ever-growing culinary scene, its coffee trail, and how craft brewing IS rocket science.
Re-created Spaces: Adaptive Reuse at Its Best
Some of the most unique venues for you and your groups to experience are re-imagined old spaces. Visit Huntsville’s top architectural spots and explore how they have been surprisingly and unexpectedly repurposed. This fascinating tour is led by Dennis Madsen, manager of urban and long-range planning for the city of Huntsville.
Behind the Scenes at the World’s Largest Space Museum: Teaser Alert!
The team at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center is curating a custom experience at the official visitor center for NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, home to Space Camp. On this tour you’ll experience the jaw-dropping view of a National Historic Landmark—an authentic Saturn V rocket in the Saturn V Hall in the Davidson Center for Space Exploration. We’ll also explore our expansive and amazing galaxy to find “Our Place in Space” at the INTUITIVE® Planetarium. And then gather ’round to hear the extraordinary stories of spaceflight and get an exclusive glimpse of rare and priceless items from our archives. An out-of-this-world experience is waiting for you!