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Photo credit by Outdoor Alabama Photos

When planning your next vacation, why not consider Alabama? "The heart of Dixie" boasts of many different places to see including haunted courthouses, museums, parks, and centers. All of these places are guaranteed to amuse you and teach you something at the same time.

Pickens County Courthouse in Carrollton - In Carrollton, a local African-American man named Henry Wells was accused of burning down the courthouse, and was arrested and jailed in the attic of the building that was going to be the new courthouse. Soon after his arrest, a mob formed outside of the courthouse demanding that Wells be lynched for his crime. While the mob was fighting with the sheriff, a thunderstorm formed over head; Wells looked out of the window at the top of the building and at that very moment he was struck by lightning and killed instantly. His face and expression was etched permanently into the windowpane. Since then, no one has been able to scrub it from the glass, no amount of cleaners or solvents will remove the face. According to local legend, when thunderstorms form over Carrollton, you can see the ghost of Henry Wells looking out the window of his jail cell.

Huntington College in Montgomery - The "Red Lady" has haunted Pratt Hall for many years. They call her the "Red Lady" because she always wore red, and decorated her room in red as well. The "Red Lady" was originally from New York, and very homesick. The poor girl never made any friends at the school, and eventually was found in her red room lying beneath a red blanket with her wrists slashed. After the death of the "Red Lady", a red light was seen flashing from her room on the fourth floor, and her figure is often seen wondering the halls of the fourth floor scaring students.

Battleship Memorial Park in Mobile - This Park is home to the USS ALABAMA battleship and the Submarine USS DRUM. You can tour both of these at the same time, and you will also see over twenty rare historic aircrafts. This park is dedicated to Alabamians that are or have served in the Armed Forces, and has 175 acres.

Birmingham Museum of Art - This museum contains over 17,000 works of art from all over the world and best of all has free admission.

US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville - This center has the United States' largest collections of space items and rockets. These include the Pathfinder shuttle simulator and a Saturn V moon rocket. This is the perfect place for space enthusiasts.

Magee Farms in Mobile - Magee Farms is a preserved historic Civil War site. This is the location where General Richard Taylor surrendered. Magee Farms also has a historic farmhouse that is still in its original state. Nothing on Magee Farms has been rebuilt. Everything remains the same as it was on the day of the surrender.

All of these attractions are a must see when visiting Alabama. From haunted colleges to museums full of art, Alabama is the perfect place to go on vacation.