What Is Vulcan?
Vulcan is a 56-foot, 120,000-pound, cast iron statue of the Roman god of fire and smithing!
What Makes It Historical?
Iron mining and forging were the key to building Birmingham in the years after the Civil War, and to celebrate, Birmingham’s Commercial Club sponsored the creation of a huge statue to present in the Alabama exhibit at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition! The artist was Giuseppi Moretti, already known for his sculpting work at Gettysburg and the Kentucky state capitol, and over a year, he cast the world’s largest cast iron statue from Sloss No. 2 pig iron!
Vulcan was dedicated on June 7, 1904, then dumped on the side of Red Mountain for two years while Birminghamians debated where to put him next! He was reassembled on the Alabama State Fairgrounds from 1906 until 1936, then got disassembled for another three years before the divine smithy got his pedestal here, atop Red Mountain, in 1939!
How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?
- Pay the entrance fee to help maintain trails, signs, structures, and other visitor services!
- Volunteer at Vulcan Park & Museum!
- Donate to Vulcan Park & Museum!
- Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!
How Do I Get There?
1701 Valley View Dr
Birmingham, AL 35209
(Take Me There!)
When Should I Visit?
The park and museum open at 10:00 AM each morning, and most everything closes at 6:00 PM except Thursday through Sunday, when the park grounds and observation tower stay open until 10:00 PM!