Campus No. 805 is a former middle school on Clinton Avenue West in Huntsville, Alabama, that now holds the city’s densest cluster of craft breweries, bars and casual restaurants. Start there with Straight to Ale and Yellowhammer Brewing, walk a few blocks to InnerSpace Brewing Company, and save Old Black Bear Brewing Company in downtown Madison for another evening.
This guide covers what is at Campus No. 805, how the Huntsville brewery scene fits together, which taprooms to visit, where to eat between pints and how to plan a night without driving between stops. Every business linked below is locally owned and listed in our directory.
Campus No. 805 at a glance
- Where: 2620 Clinton Avenue West, Huntsville, in Madison County, a short drive west of downtown Huntsville.
- What it was: Stone Middle School, a building that also held early University of Alabama in Huntsville classes and Butler High School before it closed.
- Opened as Campus No. 805: 2015, with Straight to Ale and Yellowhammer Brewing as the first anchor tenants.
- What’s there now: Breweries, a distillery, bars, a speakeasy, restaurants, a chocolate shop and live music venues, plus a few non-drinking tenants.
- Best time to go: Thursday through Saturday evenings for the most energy; weekend afternoons for families and dogs.
- Getting there: Drive or take a rideshare. There is surface parking around the complex, and several breweries along Clinton Avenue are walkable from each other.
What is Campus No. 805 in Huntsville?
Campus No. 805 is an entertainment district built inside the old Stone Middle School, and it is the place most Huntsville locals mean when they say “let’s go get a beer.” The name comes from the area’s ZIP code, 35805. The redevelopment opened in 2015 with two breweries as anchors, and the complex celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2025 with about 80 percent of its original tenants still in place, which says a lot about how well the idea worked.
The school bones are still easy to spot in the long hallways and brick exterior, and the layout makes it easy to wander from one spot to the next without heading outside. You will find our Campus No. 805 area page lists the businesses we cover inside the complex, and the broader Huntsville guide shows how it fits into a weekend in the Rocket City.
Which breweries are at Campus No. 805?
The two breweries at Campus No. 805 are Straight to Ale and Yellowhammer Brewing, and they are the reason most people come. Both have large taprooms, outdoor seating and enough beer on tap to fill an evening.
Straight to Ale
Straight to Ale started in 2009 as a project among local home brewers and is the brewery much of Huntsville’s beer scene grew up around. It moved into Campus No. 805 in 2016 to expand production, and its space now shares a roof with Shelta Cavern Spirits (a distillery), Campus Grounds Coffee and Lipz Lounge, so it feels less like one taproom and more like a small campus inside the campus. Brother Joseph is one of the beers in its core lineup. Look for the outdoor seating on a mild evening, and ask about takeout cans on the way out.
Ale’s Kitchen at Straight to Ale
Straight to Ale also runs its own restaurant, Ale’s Kitchen, which serves scratch-made comfort food meant to pair with the beer and spirits: burgers, sandwiches and shareable plates, including a brisket grilled cheese. It is kid friendly and dog friendly, which makes it the easiest dinner stop in the complex for families.
Yellowhammer Brewing
Yellowhammer Brewing opened in 2010 and helped start Huntsville’s craft beer momentum. Four founders set out to bring tradition-minded beer to a part of Alabama that did not have much of it, and the brewing leans on Belgian and German styles filtered through a Southern lens. The taproom pours more than 20 beers, and on any given afternoon you will see neighbors, engineers on a late lunch and visitors working through the Downtown Huntsville Craft Beer Trail. If you like lagers and Belgian ales more than hazy IPAs, start here.
What else is there to do at Campus No. 805?
Beyond the two breweries, Campus No. 805 has a distillery, a speakeasy, bars, live music and a chocolate shop, so it works for a full evening rather than a single stop.
- Pizzelle’s Confections: Pizzelle’s Confections is a woman-owned chocolate shop founded by sisters Michelle Novosel and Caitlin Lyon, who sold their first chocolates in 2012 and held their grand opening in 2013. Their handcrafted chocolates look closer to art than candy, and a box makes a good gift to carry home.
- Shelta Cavern Spirits: The distillery shares the Straight to Ale building, so non-beer drinkers in your group have an option.
- Live music: The complex hosts concerts in its venues, and the city’s Music Office presents a monthly “805 After 5” concert series on third Thursdays during its season. Check the schedule before you go.
- Coffee: Campus Grounds Coffee, inside the Straight to Ale space, covers the morning and early afternoon.
Where else should you drink beer in Huntsville?
The best Huntsville brewery outside the school building is InnerSpace Brewing Company, a few blocks away on the same street, and the best one outside Huntsville is Old Black Bear Brewing Company in downtown Madison.
InnerSpace Brewing Company
InnerSpace Brewing Company, at 2414 Clinton Avenue West, runs one of the most distinctive taprooms in the city: a sci-fi themed space with board games, a wood-fired pizza oven and a beer program that leans toward farmhouse styles instead of the hop-forward IPAs that dominate most Alabama tap lists. Its tagline, “Beer for the Final Frontier,” fits a city that builds rockets. It is family owned, dog friendly and kid friendly, with outdoor seating, so it is the best brewery pick when you have the whole family along.
Old Black Bear Brewing Company in Madison
Old Black Bear Brewing Company sits at 212 Main Street in downtown Madison, just off the historic railroad district about 20 minutes west of Campus No. 805. Owner and brewer Todd Seaton runs the Madison taproom as the brewery’s home base, and a second taproom has since opened in Athens. Pair a visit with dinner on Main Street, which our Madison guide covers in detail.
Downtown and the Craft Beer Trail
The Downtown Huntsville Craft Beer Trail links nine breweries, including Straight to Ale, Yellowhammer, InnerSpace, Back Forty Beer Co., Green Bus Brewing, Chandler’s Ford, Catch 25, Mad Malts and Fly Huntsville. Pick up a trail guide at any participating brewery or use the Discover Huntsville app, collect your stops, and email the downtown organization when you finish to claim a prize. Several of these breweries are not yet in our directory, so check their own sites for hours.
Huntsville breweries compared
| Brewery | Where | Known for | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight to Ale | Campus No. 805 | The founding brewery, with an on-site restaurant and distillery | A full evening in one building |
| Yellowhammer Brewing | Campus No. 805 | 20-plus taps, German and Belgian styles | Lager and Belgian fans |
| InnerSpace Brewing Company | Clinton Avenue West | Farmhouse styles, wood-fired pizza, board games | Families and dogs |
| Old Black Bear Brewing Company | Downtown Madison | Small-town Main Street taproom | A quieter night west of the city |
How do you plan a brewery night at Campus No. 805?
Plan to start at Campus No. 805 in the late afternoon, eat there, and finish at InnerSpace or a downtown bar, using a rideshare or designated driver for any move between areas.
- 4 p.m.: Start at Yellowhammer Brewing with a flight while the taproom is still calm.
- 5:30 p.m.: Walk over to Straight to Ale and eat at Ale’s Kitchen.
- 7 p.m.: Pick up chocolates at Pizzelle’s Confections, then check what is playing in the complex’s music venues.
- 8:30 p.m.: Head to InnerSpace for a nightcap and a board game, or continue downtown.
If you would rather end with cocktails, downtown Huntsville is a short ride away. Stella’s Elixir Lounge is a roughly 4,000-square-foot rooftop above Holmes Avenue with cabanas and fire pits, and Voodoo Lounge Bar & Grill is an underground bar beneath Southside Square that has run under blues musician Lance Almon Smith since 2007, with live music and late hours.
Is Campus No. 805 family friendly?
Yes, especially in the afternoon. Ale’s Kitchen and InnerSpace Brewing Company are both listed as kid friendly, both allow dogs, and the complex’s open hallways and patios give kids room to move. Evenings get busier and louder, particularly on concert nights, so families with young children usually do best before 7 p.m. For a full day out with kids, pair the breweries with the open studios at Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment, a short drive away, or a morning hike from our guide to Monte Sano and Huntsville’s best trails.
Can you take a brewery day trip from Huntsville?
Yes. Two good options sit within an hour of Campus No. 805. Main Channel Brewing Company on Gunter Avenue in Guntersville takes its name from the boating channel through Lake Guntersville, and as of this writing its taproom opens Monday through Thursday from 3 to 9 p.m., Friday from 3 to 10 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 10 p.m. In Athens, Athens Alehouse on South Marion Street, open since 2021, has a self-serve tap wall for beer and wine, board games and live music on Friday and Saturday, a short walk from the Limestone County Courthouse. Our story on day trips from Huntsville has more on both towns.
When is the best time to visit Huntsville breweries?
Fall is the best season. From late September through early November, patios are comfortable, the Monte Sano trails are at their best, and the third-Thursday concerts and festival season keep Campus No. 805 lively. Spring is a close second. Summer evenings are warm and humid, so plan on indoor taprooms after 4 p.m. Weekday evenings are calmer than Friday and Saturday nights.
FAQ
Why is it called Campus No. 805?
The name nods to the building’s past as a school campus and to the area’s ZIP code, 35805. It was Stone Middle School before it reopened as an entertainment district in 2015.
What breweries are at Campus No. 805?
Straight to Ale and Yellowhammer Brewing are the two breweries inside the complex. InnerSpace Brewing Company is a few blocks away on Clinton Avenue West, and Shelta Cavern Spirits distills inside the Straight to Ale space.
Can you bring kids and dogs to Huntsville breweries?
Many allow both. Ale’s Kitchen at Straight to Ale and InnerSpace Brewing Company are listed as kid friendly and dog friendly. Policies can change for special events, so check before you go.
Is there food at Campus No. 805?
Yes. Ale’s Kitchen at Straight to Ale serves scratch-made burgers, sandwiches and shareable plates, and Pizzelle’s Confections sells handmade chocolates. InnerSpace Brewing Company nearby has a wood-fired pizza oven.
What is the Downtown Huntsville Craft Beer Trail?
It is a self-guided trail of nine Huntsville breweries, including the Campus No. 805 taprooms. Pick up a guide at any participating brewery or use the Discover Huntsville app, then claim a prize when you finish.