#1 of 20 Things To Do in Brent
Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge
AL
~10.75 miles from Brent city center
Hotels Close to Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge
The Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge is a 3,577 acre (14.4 km²) National Wildlife Refuge located in central Alabama, along the Cahaba River downstream from Birmingham, Alabama. The refuge was established on September 25, 2002. Additional purchases are under negotiation which will increase the size of the refuge to 7,300 acres (29.5 km²). The facility is unstaffed, but is administered by the Mountain Longleaf National Wildlife Refuge in Anniston, Alabama.
The refuge extends from just north of the confluence of the Little Cahaba and Cahaba Rivers to the Piper Bridge in Bibb county, approximately five miles east of West Blocton, Alabama. Approximately 3.5 miles (6 km) of the Cahaba River flow through the refuge.
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#2 of 20 Things To Do in Brent
Downtown Vance (Neighborhood)
Vance AL
~16.59 miles from Brent city center
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#3 of 20 Things To Do in Brent
Tannehill Park
Birmingham AL
~23.84 miles from Brent city center
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The Iron & Steel Museum of Alabama is a southeastern regional interpretive center on 19th century iron making featuring both belt driven machines of the 1800s and tools and products of the times. It focuses on the Roupes Valley Ironworks at Tannehill which operated nearby, first as a bloomery beginning in 1830 and later as an important battery of charcoal blast furnaces during the Civil War. The ironworks gave birth to the Birmingham Iron & Steel District.
One of the best collections of Confederate ordnance can be found at the Tannehill museum including shells actually in the inventory of Maj. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest.
Along with Tannehill artifacts that have survived, museum exhibits graphically demonstrate how iron was made during the Civil War when 13 different iron companies and six rolling mills made Alabama the arsenal of the Confederacy. During the last two years of the war, Alabama furnaces produced 70% of the Confederate iron supply. Exhibits include a display of rare CS artillery projectiles manufactured at the Selma Arsenal and Gun Works, a part of the Steve Phillips Collection, along with Civil War weaponry actually used in battle including a 52 Cal. U.S. Spencer Repeater.
The Tannehill museum, which includes 13,000 square feet of floor space, first opened in 1981. It underwent a major make-over of exhibits in 2004-05. New exhibits include one of the oldest steam engines in America, a power source once used on a rice plantation in South Carolina. The 1835 Dotterer engine was a part of the collection acquired by Henry Ford in the 1920s and was formerly exhibited at the Henry Ford Museum at Greenfield Village. It is similar to the Tannehill blast engine once in place here.
Other displays feature a complete mid-1800s machine shop including a Townsend cannon lathe dating to 1864 and a Putnam planer built in 1860. The shop’s steam engine dates to 1870. Visitors can also see original parts of the Six Mile Bloomery Forge dating to 1863 including one of the few helve hammers in the United States. Exhibits also focus on geology, furnace fuels, cookware and Birmingham’s cast iron pipe industry which today accounts for over half of the U. S. output.
Visit the Alabama Ironworks Source Book web site for a Guide to Alabama's 19th Century Charcoal Blast Furnaces And Ironworks
Various interactive displays bring the viewer into historical environments. The museum has a 25-seat theatre, gift shop and a timeline which traces growth of the iron trade from ancient Egypt to U.S. Steel’s modern Fairfield Works in Birmingham.
Behind the museum, visit the May Plantation Cotton Gin House which dates to 1858, and the heavy industrial display building which houses artifacts from Birmingham steel mills of the 1930s-1950s.
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#4 of 20 Things To Do in Brent
Bryant-Denny Stadium
Tuscaloosa AL
~26.44 miles from Brent city center
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#5 of 20 Things To Do in Brent
Us Marine Corps
225 University Blvd E Tuscaloosa AL - 205-758-0277
~26.49 miles from Brent city center
Hotels Close to Us Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the United States armed forces responsible for providing force projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States. In the civilian leadership structure of the United States military, the Marine Corps is a component of the United States Department of the Navy, often working closely with U.S. naval forces for training, transportation, and logistic purposes; however, in the military leadership structure the Marine Corps is a separate branch.
Captain Samuel Nicholas formed two battalions of Continental Marines on 10 November 1775 in Philadelphia as naval infantry.[10] Since then, the mission of the Marine Corps has evolved with changing military doctrine and American foreign policy. The Marine Corps has served in every American armed conflict and attained prominence in the 20th century when its theories and practices of amphibious warfare proved prescient and ultimately formed the cornerstone of the Pacific campaign of World War II. By the mid-20th century, the Marine Corps had become the dominant theorist and practitioner of amphibious warfare. Its ability to respond rapidly to regional crises gives it a strong role in the implementation and execution of American foreign policy.
The United States Marine Corps includes just over 203,000 active duty Marines (as of October 2009) and just under 40,000 reserve Marines. It is the smallest of the United States' armed forces in the Department of Defense (the United States Coast Guard is smaller, about one-fifth the size of the Marine Corps, but is normally under the Department of Homeland Security). The Marine Corps is nonetheless larger than the armed forces of many significant military powers; for example, it is larger than the active duty Israel Defense Forces, or the entire British Army.
The Marine Corps accounts for around six percent of the military budget of the United States. The cost per Marine is $20,000 less than the cost of a serviceman from the other services, and the entire force can be used for both hybrid and major combat operations, that is, the Marines cover the entire Three Block War.
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#6 of 20 Things To Do in Brent
Bear Bryant Museum
Tuscaloosa AL
~26.66 miles from Brent city center
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On the suggestion of former head football coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, a planning committee was created in 1981 to establish a museum that would honor former coaches and players who helped Bryant set the intercollegiate coaching record for the most victories. The committee considered Bryant's suggestion and established that the museum would take on two missions: "inclusion of the entire football history from the first team in 1892 and creating a collections component establishing the foundation of our current institution."
Since its inception, the museum has grown in staff, services, and exhibits. It has become a central source of information for both journalists and writers interested in the history of university athletics. In addition to building its collection, the museum has begun focusing on public programming such as informational and education services and tours for school groups. The University of Alabama campus and the local communities' support have helped to establish the museum as one of the attractions to the region.
Originally organized under the supervision of the University of Alabama Museums system, the Bryant Museum has recently become a freestanding unit reporting directly to the Vice President/Provost of the University in response to the growth in mission and function of the museum.
On April 21, 2007, the museum posted its largest ever attendance at 4,367. This was in connection with the school's annual A-Day football game which also saw a record 92,138 fans in the seats.
The museum is part of the University of Alabama Museums, which also include the University of Alabama Arboretum, Alabama Museum of Natural History, Discovering Alabama, Gorgas House, Moundville Archaeological Museum and Office of Archaeological Research.
Among the exhibits at the museum are a Waterford Crystal houndstooth hat which commemorates the Coach's head-wear and the Daniel Moore painting used to create the 32-cent U.S. postage stamp which celebrated the life of Bryant. The museum also houses a research room where all of Alabama's games, both victories, defeats and even embarrassments can be viewed and studied. Officials claim over 1,000 such videos The museum also maintains a listing of people who were named for Bryant. Bryant's former players and fans have named their children Bryant, Paul, Bear and even Paula after Coach Bryant. Every September the Paul W. Bryant Museum hosts a namesake reunion and there are over 600 namesakes that have attended this annual event. The oldest namesake (besides Coach Bryant's son Paul Bryant, Jr.) is Bryant Darrell Brown, son of Junction Survivor Darrell Brown who, due to being academically ineligible to play in 1956, surprised even Coach Bryant when he came back to play his last year of eligibility on Texas A&M's 1957 team which was ranked #1 at the time Coach Bryant accepted Alabama's offer. Darrell was the only Junction Boy to also play in Coach Bryant's last season at Texas A&M. Darrell Brown's grandson, Bryant Andrew Brown is a second generation Bryant namesake. At over 600 names it is not definitive, but the list supports the idea that many Alabamians were enamored enough of the coach to name their children in his honor.
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#7 of 20 Things To Do in Brent
Alabama Museum of Natural History
Tuscaloosa AL
~27.08 miles from Brent city center
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#8 of 20 Things To Do in Brent
Alabama Museums Natural Hstry
Box 870340 Tuscaloosa AL - 205-348-7550
~27.44 miles from Brent city center
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The Alabama Museum of Natural History, located in Smith Hall, is one of the finest examples of Classical Revival architecture in the region. http://amnh.ua.edu/about.html
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#9 of 20 Things To Do in Brent
Us Army Rotc
Capstone Dr Tuscaloosa AL - 205-348-5917
~27.44 miles from Brent city center
Hotels Close to Us Army Rotc
The United States Army is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven uniformed services. The modern Army has its roots in the Continental Army which was formed on 14 June 1775, before the establishment of the United States, to meet the demands of the American Revolutionary War. Congress officially created the United States Army on 3 June 1784 after the end of the war to replace the disbanded Continental Army. The Army considers itself to be descended from the Continental Army and thus dates its inception from the origins of that force.
The primary mission of the Army is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities ... in support of the National Security and Defense Strategies." Control and operation is administered by the Department of the Army, one of the three military departments of the Department of Defense. The civilian head is the Secretary of the Army and the highest ranking military officer in the department is the Chief of Staff, unless the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff or Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff are Army officers. In fiscal year 2009, the Regular Army reported a strength of 549,015 soldiers; the Army National Guard (ARNG) reported 358,391 and the United States Army Reserve (USAR) reported 205,297 putting the combined component strength total at 1,112,703 soldiers.
The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) is a college-based, officer commissioning program, predominantly in the United States. It is designed as a college elective that focuses on leadership development, problem solving, strategic planning, and professional ethics.
The U.S. Armed Forces and a number of other national militaries, particularly those countries with strong historical ties to the United States, have ROTC programs. The Republic of the Philippines established its program in 1912, with the creation of the first unit at the University of the Philippines during American colonial rule. ROTC in the Republic of Korea started in 1963.
ROTC produces officers in all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces except the U.S. Coast Guard. ROTC graduates constitute 56 percent of U.S. Army, 11 percent of U.S. Marine Corps, 20 percent of U.S. Navy, and 41 percent of U.S. Air Force officers, for a combined 39 percent of all active duty officers in the Department of Defense. The Philippine-based National ROTC Alumni Association (NRAA) estimates that 75 percent of the officer corps of the Armed Forces of the Philippines come from ROTC.
With the exception of the U.S. Coast Guard, each of the U.S. Armed Forces offer competitive, merit-based scholarships to ROTC students, often covering full tuition for college in exchange for extended periods of active military service. For example, in the U.S. Army ROTC, students who receive an Army ROTC scholarship or enter the Army ROTC Advanced Course must agree to complete an eight-year period of service with the Army after college. U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force ROTC students are referred to as cadets, while U.S. Naval ROTC students are known as midshipmen; these terms coincide with their service academy counterparts. The Naval ROTC program commissions both U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps officers. The U.S. Coast Guard sponsors only a JROTC program.
Army ROTC units are organized as brigades, battalions, and companies. Air Force ROTC units are detachments with the students organized into wings, groups, squadrons, and flights, like the active Air Force. Naval ROTC units are organized into Naval battalions. If the Marine students are integrated with the Navy students, there are companies; but having the Navy students in departments and divisions like a ship, and the Marines in a separate company is only done when an ROTC unit has sufficient members to warrant an extra division.
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#10 of 20 Things To Do in Brent
Us Defense Contract Adm Svc
1118 Greensboro Ave Tuscaloosa AL - 205-752-4166
~27.69 miles from Brent city center
Hotels Close to Us Defense Contract Adm Svc
The United States Department of Defense (USDOD, DOD or DoD, initially briefly referred to as the National Military Establishment or NME) is the U.S. federal department charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government relating directly to national security and the United States armed forces. The Department of Defense is an evolution of the Department of War. The organization and functions of the DoD are set forth in Title 10 of the United States Code.
The DoD is the major tenant of The Pentagon building near Washington, D.C., and has three major components – the Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Among the many DoD agencies are the Missile Defense Agency, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Pentagon Force Protection Agency (PFPA), the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), and the National Security Agency (NSA). The department also operates several joint service schools, including the National War College.
During 1945, specific plans for the proposed DoD were put forth by the Army, the Navy, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In a special message to Congress on 19 December 1945, President Harry Truman proposed creation of a unified department of state defense. A proposal went to Congress in April 1946, but was held up by the Naval Affairs Committee hearings in July 1946, which raised objections to the concentration of power in a single department. Truman eventually sent new legislation to Congress in February 1947, where it was debated and amended for several months.
DoD was created in 1947 as a national military establishment with a single secretary as its head to preside over the former Department of War (founded in 1789) and Department of the Navy (founded in 1798; formerly the Board of Admiralty, founded in 1780). The Department of the Air Force was also created as a new service (previously under the War Department as the Army Air Forces). DoD was created in order to reduce interservice rivalry, which was believed to have reduced military effectiveness during World War II.
On July 26, 1947, Truman signed the National Security Act of 1947, which set up the "National Military Establishment" to begin operations on September 18, 1947, the day after the Senate confirmed James V. Forrestal as the first Secretary of Defense. The Establishment had the unfortunate abbreviation "NME" (with a pronunciation virtually identical to "enemy"), and was renamed the "Department of Defense" (also described in the Act under "Title II - The Department of Defense", and later abbreviated as "DoD") on August 10, 1949.
The name-shift from "Department of War" to "Department of Defense" has been seen as an acceptance of Carl von Clausewitz's second maxim from his famous work On War. Clausewitz states: "The aggressor always pretends to be peace-loving because he would like to achieve his conquests without bloodshed . . . Therefore, aggression must be presented as a defensive reaction by the aggressor nation." Hugh Nibley comments: "Nobody ever attacks. You're always just on the defensive. After World War I, the German War Office, Kriegsamt, changed its name to Wehrmacht, "defense power." We changed our War Office to the Department of Defense. We're just defensive now, that's all. Both sides must take the defensive position, whether they are aggressors or not."
In addition, the Secretary of Defense was given greater authority over three of the branches of the military (Army, Navy, and Air Force). Prior to the creation of the National Military Establishment / Department of Defense, the Armed Forces of the U.S. were separated into different cabinet-level departments without much central authority. The Marine Corps remained as a separate service under the Department of the Navy, and the Coast Guard is under Department of Homeland Security, ready to be shifted to the Navy Department during time of declared war (as it was in both world wars).
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#11 of 20 Things To Do in Brent
Murphy African American Museum
2601 Paul W Bryant Dr Tuscaloosa AL - 205-758-2861
~27.84 miles from Brent city center
Hotels Close to Murphy African American Museum
overview : Tuscaloosa?s first licensed black mortician built this The Murphy-Collins House is the home of the Murphy African American Museum -Tuscaloosa?s first licensed black mortician built this two-story craftsman bungalow in the early 1920s as his private residence. - Materials from the old state capitol building a few blocks away, such as bricks and window sills, were salvaged when it burned in 1923 and used in the house?s construction. - Today, the structure operates as a museum focusing on the lifestyle of affluent blacks during the early 1900s.
Hours (subject to change) : 10 - 12 and 1 - 4 Tuesday through Friday .. Tours available by appointment
2601 Paul West Bryant Drive
Tuscaloosa, AL, 35401
205-758-2861
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#12 of 20 Things To Do in Brent
Children's Hands On Museum
2213 University Blvd Tuscaloosa AL - 205-349-4235
~27.96 miles from Brent city center
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Mission
The Children’s Hands-On Museum is a dynamic learning experience that stimulates curiosity, creativity, and shared discovery in all ages.
History
The Children’s Hands-On Museum is a private, non-profit, community-based organization. The idea for CHOM began in 1984 with a group of children in the Tuscaloosa County Schools’ TARGET program. Their idea gained support from the community, and in 1986, CHOM opened on the University of Alabama campus. CHOM relocated to downtown Tuscaloosa in November 1988, and it reopened in January 1989.
CHOM’s permanent exhibits were designed to stimulate children’s curiosity about their community and their place in it, and to involve children, parents, teachers, and others in participatory education. Early exhibits included a Choctaw Indian Village; a historical gallery including a general store, a bank, a print shop, and Grandmother’s Attic; a hospital; and a planetarium. Newer exhibits include the replica of the wheelhouse of a towboat; a developmental center for preschoolers called Beavers’ Bend; the Japan House; Central Drug; and the Arts Studio. The most recent additions include Once Upon a Farm, Lil’ Sprouts Farmer’s Market, the Creation Station, a hands-on center for art and creativity and Beyond the Garden Gate. With the support of the community, the City of Tuscaloosa, the state of Alabama, and the City and County Schools, CHOM has become an established and vital part of the community and is a highly-regarded educational institution and tourist destination.
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#13 of 20 Things To Do in Brent
Robert Cargo Folk Art Gallery
2314 6th St Tuscaloosa AL - 205-758-3111
~27.97 miles from Brent city center
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The Robert Cargo Folk Art Gallery has been in continuous operation since 1984. After twenty years in the original location in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, we moved to our new Philadelphia Main Line location in January 2004.
Collectors are welcome to schedule appointments in our residential gallery in Paoli, just over half an hour from the city. We also invite you to visit our virtual gallery to preview paintings, sculptures, carvings, and drawings by more than seventy artists. In many cases, we have additional works available that are not published on these web pages. Please contact us with your questions.
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#14 of 20 Things To Do in Brent
Downtown Tuscaloosa (Neighborhood)
Tuscaloosa AL
~28.06 miles from Brent city center
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#15 of 20 Things To Do in Brent
Old Tavern Museum
500 28th Ave Tuscaloosa AL - 205-758-2238
~28.22 miles from Brent city center
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THE OLD TAVERN
500 28th Ave.
The Old Tavern has been a fixture in downtown Tuscaloosa since the time of the capital era. Innkeeper William Dunton built the structure in 1827 three blocks from its current site as a tavern and hotel on the stagecoach route that passed through Tuscaloosa. One of the few remaining nineteenth-century inns in the state,the Old Tavern provides visitors with a rare glimpse of early Tuscaloosa commercial architecture. During its operation as a hostelry, it served as the temporary home and meeting place of legislators, Confederate soldiers, and countless people traveling to or through the city. At one time, it was even the temporary home of of Governor John Gayle (1831-1835).
From 1882 to 1964, the structure was occupied as a private residence by several local families. The Tuscaloosa County Preservation Society acquired it through a deed in 1964. It was shortly relocated, and TCPS began a much-needed restoration on the tavern. Today the Old Tavern is a museum showcasing the early history of Tuscaloosa County and serves as the headquarters for the Preservation Society.
Admission is free to public Tue.-Fri. 10:00-12:00 and 1:00-4:00.
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#16 of 20 Things To Do in Brent
Stillman College
Po Box 1430 Tuscaloosa AL - 800-841-5722
~28.29 miles from Brent city center
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Stillman College is a historically black liberal arts college founded in 1876 and located in the West Tuscaloosa area of Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
The 105-acre (0.42 km2) college campus offers programs of study leading to the bachelor's degree. The Division of Arts and Sciences includes: Art, Biology, Business with concentrations in Accounting, Marketing, and Management; English, History, Mathematics, Music, and Nursing. The Division of Education includes: Psychology, Elementary Education and Health & Physical Education. It currently enrolls approximately 1,000 students.
Stillman College, authorized by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States in 1875, held its first classes in 1876 and was chartered as a legal corporation by the State of Alabama in 1895. At that time, the name was changed from Tuscaloosa Institute to Stillman Institute. The institute was a concept initiated by the Reverend Dr. Charles Allen Stillman, pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Tuscaloosa. The mandate for the Institution expanded over the years and it acquired its present campus tract of over 100 acres. A junior and senior high school was organized and the Institute established a junior college program, which was accredited in 1937. In addition, between 1930 and 1946, it operated a hospital and nurse training school.
Under the administration of Dr. Samuel Burney Hay (1948-1965), the school sought to expand into a senior liberal arts institution and in 1948 the name was officially changed to Stillman College. The following year, Stillman expanded into a four-year college and graduated its first baccalaureate class in 1951. The College was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 1953. Under Dr. Hay, seven new buildings were constructed: a gymnasium, a library, an administration-classroom building, two women’s residence halls, a prayer chapel, and a student center.
Dr. Harold N. Stinson (1967-1980) was the first African American to assume the presidency. Under his dynamic leadership, new programs designed to improve educational quality were instituted, and the physical plant was expanded with the addition of two men’s residence halls, faculty apartments, a maintenance building, and a mathematics-science center. Snedecor Hall, Batchelor Building, and Birthright Auditorium were renovated.
Under the leadership of the College’s fourth president, Dr. Cordell Wynn (1982-1997), the appearance of the campus improved dramatically; Winsborough and John Knox Halls were renovated; and the Marie Lundy Wynn Hall and Johnson/Robinson Student Health Center were erected. The enrollment grew beyond 1,000 students; the endowment increased significantly; and the educational program was broadened to include the Stillman Management Institute and a community-service component.
On July 1, 1997, Dr. Ernest McNealey was named the fifth president. Since then, Stillman has garnered national attention in the areas of technology, athletics and scholarly pursuits. One of the leaders in wireless computing, the College received the National Innovation in Technology Award by Apple Computers and continues to be on the cusp of technological innovations in higher education. The College’s football program and marching band were revitalized and the College experienced its largest enrollment in the history of the institution. Dr. McNealey infused new life into the academic component by strengthening the curriculum, and attracting a highly qualified faculty (84% hold terminal degrees), improving admissions standards, and enhancing the value of a Stillman education with the addition of guaranteed outcome programs. Notwithstanding, in 2004 the College received its first-ever ranking among top tier schools in U.S. News and World Report and continues to hold this distinction.
The McNealey administration has transformed the campus in order to create a sense of place. A stately, iron and brick fence and formal entrances were constructed and all campus buildings were renovated. Additionally, four new structures were erected (School of Education building, Wynn Fine Arts Center, Roulhac Residence Hall, and the stadium with accompanying playing fields, buildings, and a NCAA regulation track). This sense of place is further manifested in the current construction of the Thomas E. Lyle Band Center and NCAA regulation tennis complex. With a focused vision, Stillman celebrates its past as it advances confidently into the future, embracing excellence for the common good. http://www.stillman.edu
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#17 of 20 Things To Do in Brent
Kentuck Art Center and Museum
503 Main Ave Northport AL - 205-758-1257
~28.93 miles from Brent city center
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Visit the Kentuck Arts Center and Museum to see the finest arts and crafts created by an array of skilled local, regional and national artisans. Rotating exhibits and the extensive permanent collection provide for an excellent time no matter when you visit. At various times of the day, working artists showcase their skills live for audiences, and on the first Thursday of each month, Kentuck is the central starting point for Northport's monthly Art Night.
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#18 of 20 Things To Do in Brent
Downtown Calera (Neighborhood)
Calera AL
~28.99 miles from Brent city center
Hotels Close to Downtown Calera
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#19 of 20 Things To Do in Brent
Northport Heritage Museum
1991 Park St Northport AL - 205-345-9007
~29.11 miles from Brent city center
Hotels Close to Northport Heritage Museum
Visit http://www.fhnonline.org/ for information.
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#20 of 20 Things To Do in Brent
Downtown Northport (Neighborhood)
Northport AL
~29.84 miles from Brent city center
Hotels Close to Downtown Northport
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