Anniston, AL

Anniston was laid out in the 1870s as a planned industrial town, and its tidy grid and handsome churches earned it the nickname the Model City. Noble Street is the historic main drag downtown, and landmarks like the Church of St. Michael and All Angels and Temple Beth El, the oldest continuously used Jewish house of worship in Alabama, speak to the town’s long history. In 1961, Freedom Riders were attacked at the Greyhound station here and their bus was burned outside town. Both sites are now part of the Freedom Riders National Monument, which tells that story plainly and well.

Anniston punches above its size for museums. The Anniston Museum of Natural History and the Berman Museum of World History share a campus with Longleaf Botanical Gardens, so you can make a full day of it. For outdoor time, the Chief Ladiga Trail begins near town and runs into Georgia, Coldwater Mountain has miles of purpose-built mountain bike trails, and Cheaha State Park, home to the highest point in Alabama, is about a 40 minute drive. Back downtown, look for Southern plates, barbecue and local antique shops.

Anniston questions, answered

Why is Anniston called the Model City?

Anniston was founded as a carefully planned company town in the 1870s, with wide streets, parks and fine buildings meant to show what a well-run Southern industrial city could look like. It was also the first city in Alabama to be lit by electricity, in 1882. The nickname stuck, and the National Park Service even offers a Model City walking tour.

What is the Freedom Riders National Monument?

It marks the 1961 attack on the Freedom Riders, who rode interstate buses to challenge segregation. On Mother’s Day, a mob attacked a Greyhound bus at the downtown station, then firebombed it outside town. The monument includes the former Greyhound station, with murals and exhibits, and the bus burning site on Old Birmingham Highway. The National Park Service has visitor information.

How do I get to Anniston?

Anniston is just off I-20, about 65 miles east of Birmingham and 90 miles west of Atlanta. The nearest major commercial airport is Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International (BHM), about an hour and 10 minutes away. Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson is roughly an hour and 40 minutes east. US 431 runs north and south through town.

What outdoor adventures are near Anniston?

Plenty. The paved Chief Ladiga Trail connects to Georgia’s Silver Comet Trail for a long ride, Coldwater Mountain draws mountain bikers from across the Southeast, and Cheaha State Park has hiking, overlooks and the state’s highest summit. Mountain Longleaf National Wildlife Refuge protects rare longleaf pine forest just outside town.