The best things to do in Florence, Alabama, on a weekend are a recording studio tour across the river in Muscle Shoals, a guided visit to Frank Lloyd Wright’s Rosenbaum House, an evening walking Court Street downtown and a night in one of its two locally owned boutique hotels. Two days covers the music, the architecture and the best of downtown’s restaurants without rushing.
Florence is the largest city in the Shoals, the four-city area on the Tennessee River in northwest Alabama that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield and Tuscumbia. This plan is built around downtown Florence, with short drives across the river. For how Florence fits with Decatur and Athens, see our guide to North Alabama’s Tennessee Valley, and for everything in town, our Florence things to do page.
Florence weekend at a glance
- Where to stay: Downtown, at The Stricklin Hotel or GunRunner Boutique Hotel, so you can walk to dinner.
- Getting there: Northwest Alabama Regional Airport (MSL) is about 15 minutes away, and Huntsville International (HSV) about 1 hour 15 minutes. US 72 and US 43 are the main roads in.
- Book ahead: Studio tours at FAME Studios and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, especially on Saturdays.
- Closed days to know: The Rosenbaum House and the W.C. Handy Birthplace are closed Mondays, and FAME Studios does not run tours on Sundays.
- Best weekend: The first Friday of the month (March through December) for First Fridays on Court Street, or any October weekend for the downtown ghost walk.
Where should you stay in Florence?
Stay downtown, where Florence’s two locally owned boutique hotels are a few blocks apart and within walking distance of Court Street’s restaurants and bars. Both are good bases. Choose by style.
| Hotel | Rooms | Best for | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Stricklin Hotel | 24 rooms on the upper floors of a 1946 building on North Court Street | Couples and friends who want to be right on Court Street | Room service breakfast, a basement game lounge with vintage bowling and an arcade, keyless entry. Deluxe rooms have restored original windows over Court Street and Wilson Park. |
| GunRunner Boutique Hotel | 10 themed suites on East Tennessee Street | Music fans and anyone who wants a suite with a balcony | Suites named for Shoals musicians and designers, private balconies on seven of ten, a rooftop bar, an on-site spa and free private parking. |
The Stricklin Hotel turned a three-story commercial building into a 24-room hotel in a 2017 renovation, with concrete-topped vanities, rainfall showers and a ground-floor breakfast restaurant. GunRunner Boutique Hotel fills a historic building of exposed brick and original wood floors with ten individually designed suites. Its Muscle Shoals Sound suite displays gold records and memorabilia from the studio, and it has an 18-foot balcony over downtown. If both are full, Florence also has highway chain hotels along the main commercial corridors.
What should you do on Friday night in Florence?
Check in, then walk Court Street for dinner and a drink. If it is the first Friday of the month from March through December, you will land in the middle of First Fridays, when Court Street fills with makers, live music and food from downtown restaurants from 5 to 9 p.m.
For dinner, book Odette on North Court Street, the downtown restaurant for seasonal, locally sourced American cooking (reservations through Resy). For something more casual, Yumm Thai: Sushi and Beyond (below) and Rosie’s Mexican Cantina, with margaritas and a patio, are both on the same stretch of North Court Street. Afterward, walk to The Carriage Wine & Market on East Mobile Street, a bottle shop that turns into a wine bar with charcuterie and cocktails in the evening.
In October, book the Haunted History of the Shoals Ghost Walk, a roughly 90-minute storytelling tour that meets at Wilson Park and winds through the historic district after dark. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for children 7 to 12, and children 6 and under are free. For more haunted tours around the state, see our Alabama ghost tours guide.
How should you spend Saturday in Florence?
Spend Saturday morning on architecture and history in Florence, then cross the river in the afternoon for a studio tour.
Morning: the Rosenbaum House
Start with coffee at Rivertown Coffee Co. on North Seminary Street, an independent shop that has been pulling espresso since 2004 and has a full kitchen for breakfast. Then drive ten minutes to the Rosenbaum House at 601 Riverview Drive, the only Frank Lloyd Wright design in Alabama. The 1940 Usonian house is shown on 45-minute guided tours, Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., according to the Rosenbaum House. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for seniors and students, and tickets are sold at the door, so arrive near 10 a.m. to get an early tour.
Late morning: downtown museums and galleries
Back downtown, the W.C. Handy Birthplace, Museum and Library holds the piano and handwritten scores of the Father of the Blues, who was born in Florence. It is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Then browse two galleries: Art & More Gallery on East Tennessee Street, which shows more than twenty local artists, and Stella & Goose Art Studio, Gallery & Gifts on North Court Street, a working studio with local gifts.
Afternoon: a recording studio tour
Cross the river for a Saturday studio tour. FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals runs Saturday tours at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. for $20, and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Sheffield runs tours on the half hour from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for $25 for adults. Pick one if you are short on time. Both are 10 to 15 minutes from downtown Florence. Our Muscle Shoals music road trip explains the history and how to see both.
Evening: a brewery and live music
Head to Singin’ River Brewing Co. on East College Street, the brewery credited with starting the Shoals craft beer scene, for a pint and often live music in a taproom strung with lights. For a later night, For the Record on Huntsville Road is a 21-and-up bar with live music, open mic nights, karaoke and pool tables. If you are staying at GunRunner, end on its rooftop bar.
What should you do on Sunday in Florence?
On Sunday, get on the Tennessee River or drive to Tuscumbia, then shop downtown before you head home.
- On the water: Florence Harbor, below Wilson Lock and Dam at mile marker 256, rents pontoon boats for a full day (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) from about $275 to $400 depending on boat size, plus fuel. Half-day rentals are first come, first served on the day.
- Wilson Dam: A short drive east, the dam is worth a stop for its scale and river views.
- Florence Indian Mound and Museum: At 1028 South Court Street, an earthwork built by Native Americans about 1,700 years ago beside the river. It is open Sundays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
- Shopping: Downtown, Billy Reid runs the flagship store of the award-winning clothing label at 114 North Court Street, and MYRILLA on South Seminary Street is a locally owned women’s boutique. Check Sunday hours before you go.
Leaving on Monday instead? Ivy Green, Helen Keller’s birthplace in Tuscumbia, is open Monday through Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and makes a good last stop on the way out of town.
Where else should you eat in Florence?
Beyond the weekend plan above, Florence has a few long-running local standbys worth knowing.
- La Hacienda Mexican Restaurant: A family-owned single location on Cox Creek Parkway South since 1992.
- Rice Box: Chinese and Japanese dishes, sushi and hibachi on North Wood Avenue, open late.
- Yumm Thai: Sushi and Beyond: Thai cooking and sushi in the 1894 Rogers Department Store building on North Court Street, with Saturday brunch.
How does Florence fit into a bigger trip?
Florence pairs well with Decatur and Athens to the east. Decatur is about an hour away by Alternate US 72, with the Cook Museum of Natural Science and Bank Street. See our Decatur guide. Athens is about an hour east on US 72, and its courthouse square and October storytelling festival are covered in our Athens guide.
FAQ
What is Florence, Alabama, known for?
Florence is known for music, architecture and fashion. W.C. Handy, the Father of the Blues, was born here, the Rosenbaum House is the only Frank Lloyd Wright building in Alabama, and Billy Reid runs the flagship store for his clothing label downtown. It is also home to the University of North Alabama.
Is Florence, Alabama, worth visiting?
Yes, especially for music fans. In one weekend you can tour the studios where Aretha Franklin and the Rolling Stones recorded, see a Frank Lloyd Wright house and stay in a boutique hotel on a walkable downtown street.
What are the best hotels in Florence, AL?
The Stricklin Hotel on North Court Street and GunRunner Boutique Hotel on East Tennessee Street are Florence’s two locally owned boutique hotels, both downtown. The Stricklin has 24 rooms and a basement game lounge, and GunRunner has ten themed suites and a rooftop bar.
How far is Muscle Shoals from Florence?
Muscle Shoals is just across the Tennessee River from Florence, about 10 to 15 minutes from downtown by car. FAME Studios is in Muscle Shoals, and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio is in neighboring Sheffield.
When is First Fridays in Florence?
First Fridays takes place on the first Friday of each month from March through December, from 5 to 9 p.m. on Court Street in downtown Florence, with makers, music and food from local restaurants.