Reviews of Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark (Museum)

Tommy Richardson

The cool factor comes from the fact that it's located in a haunted factory that was in an episode of ghost adventures. I was passing through for the night on my way back to SC. I thought that it would be cool to check out, but unfortunately the best thing about it was the furnace itself. The haunted trails themselves were disappointingly cheesy. The line for the furnace trail absolutely sucked, as there was no air movement and they have these tents along the way that you stand in that almost overheat or suffocate you.

Nicole A

They have done a great job keeping up with the facility. It’s really amazing to walk around and see the development of industry and have an appreciation for the hard labor that was once done. They have a great informative brochure they give out that helps guide and inform you through the facility. There are stairs to see certain pets but you don’t have to go there- besides them it’s a nice flat walking path. Definitely a must see if you’re into history and how things work.

Nathanael Yarger

Fantastic historical spot. Good museum and lots of areas open to explore and walk around. Lots of awesome photography opportunities. History is documented in a self guided tour. Admission is free, but well worth a donation.

Marshall Mooney

I love historical places and this is an historical place, so I love it. It is interesting to actually be where people worked and struggled so long ago.

Barry Swift

Kind of a remarkable place. Scary in all the right ways if you're on a ghost kick, interesting in all the right ways if you want to learn about iron smelting.

Vickie Price

This is one really cool place to visit...

Wink

Excellent place to spend weekday. Amazing historic landmark. One of the kind jewel single stroke steam engine installed in 1911. Boiler, furnaces, power plant and big portion of production process. Supper friendly stuff and pets are allowed in the outdoors.

alabama sarah

Really neat place to see.

Lara Polk

So much history and such a nice place check it out

Jared Powers

Great place to visit/explore. So much neat history. Definitely worth a stop!

Gabrielle Burrell

It is very fun.the history behind this place is so interesting.over all I really like it

David Baker

Incredible historic foundry with world class arts metal arts program.

Andrew Carter

Free to go to walk around. Neat history of what Birmingham used to be famous for and how it works! Staff is super friendly!!

Dane Whitehead

Very interesting. Very important piece of Birminghams history.

Vaneishia Carpenter

This was the first time I've been to a daytime event here and it was surprisingly much different from what I'd remembered and I really enjoyed myself there for the Pridefest!!! I'll be keeping up with events there from now on.

kadie stephens

Love it, hope to have my dream wedding there one day

Glenn Fuller

Interesting place to visit, well preserved historic industrial site.

Angela Clayton

Loved my experience at sloss. Very interesting

Kay Wilks

Interesting place, frustrating as not enough information is given for the self guided tour. Need more info for visitors to be able to enjoy this historic place more.

Holly Gibbs

My parents were visiting and I wanted to take them somewhere to see the sights and I decided on Sloss. Talked my husband in to putting off work and going with us. It was a great experience! Free, with a tour guide! And my husband loved it so much he bought a t shirt. We’ve lived here over twenty years and he had never been, I had been once on a field trip. Great experience!

Amos Vickers

This place is really interesting...and creepy. Fantastic overall experience. Will definitely return.

Mike F

This is an amazing place. Very interesting and educational

J. I. Bennett

Great piece of Alabama history.

Jamey Hurst

The old furnace and buildings are pretty neat, signage could be better explaining the history of the sight. If you’re planning on seeing the sights, plan to spend no more than 1 1/2 hours. However, it’s a great place to picnic, bring a hammock, and generally enjoy the day.

Jen Vlasman

We didn't go for the tour, we just went to take some pictures. It is very impressive, huge, old. I drive by all the time and have always been mesmerized by it. I finally made it and it was even more impressive up close.

Johnny Lewis

I can remember going through Birmingham as a child with my family on vacation when the sloss furnaces was still in operation I'm so glad this part of alabama history has been preserved

Jennifer Jolley-Brown

Love to visit historical places so this was a must see on our recent vacation. It's hard to believe it was actually a working steel mill at one time. Highly recommended if you've got the time to stop.. especially loved that it's self guided and you can take as long as you want to look around.

Robert Waterhouse

Awesome place if you love industrial history.

B A Buckland

Last historical location devoted to Birmingham steel industry

Richard Gullbrand

This is cool! If you like this you have to visit Völklingen, Germany.

Amy Cairns

Super cool to check out!

Daniel Fleck

A very interesting visit. Sadly it was very hard to navigate and see due to the Halloween haunted house set up through the grounds. I was a bit worried about the structural condition of all that heavy rusty iron overhead. I wouldn't visit on a windy day...

Tracy Bush

SLUMFEST 2019 WAS AMAZING! THE SHOW WAS FU*"@N LIT!!!

Guillermo Fernandez

Pretty cool but closed on Mondays! Be careful as we go on a Monday and found it closed. Likewise it looks very cool and interesting from the inside, part of Birmingham and Alabama's history.

BELONG GTA

'll be going back for Halloween. Love this place

Nikki Guthrie

The Sloss Furnaces is another Birmingham landmark that is historic, easy to find and, best of all, it's free! All you need to do is sign in once you get there and you're free to go on a self-guided tour that lets you get remarkably close to all the machinery that powered this massive complex. There's also a video in the theater, restaurant gift shop on site. Parking can be touch but not off putting. The site is so massive you can spend a whole afternoon exploring. It's a must-visit spot in Birmingham.

Eva Gordon

Ever since we moved to Birmingham we've always wanted to go see Sloss furnaces. All they do is accept donations there is no charge. I recommend that you watch the 15-minute video before you go on your self guided tour. It's amazing to see that and also Envision all the men that used to work there and probably some that died there also. Birmingham was built around this Historic Landmark.

Opal Gordon

I seriously never would have considered visiting the Sloss Furnace but will now take all our visitors there. It is a perfectly preserved industrial furnace facility that allows you to walk around almost all the sections. Photographers will love the lighting and striking industrial sight lines. The welcome center is informative and well laid out. If you have time, visit the sculpture school located on the property and take a lesson in iron forging.

Billy Casey

Wasn't a bad way to start the Halloween season. Enjoyed the thrill with family and friends.

Thy Godafrid

Cool place. First time I went was during the sloss music Festival. Had a blast

Enrico Seebach

A really interesting historical place to visit. Most of it is not wheelchair accessible. But it is free and really puts it's historical presence in perspective. Well worth doing if you're in the area. There's a free movie which lasts about 15 minutes available when you first get there. Is that a self-guided tour off of a map, which is a bit confusing oh, and the direction you should travel for the tour is quite unclear. If you don't mind kind of roaming around and figuring out where you are, the things that you see are quite interesting.

Kyle Johnson

Really amazing experience to walk through. Very cool! It's amazing that this place is still here and that it is open to the public.

matt cencarik

Awesome experience and place to explore. Alot is ropped off, but what all you can see is cool historical stuff.

David J Le

This really is a cool place. So very interesting to see the old equipment.

Anthony Cornelius

Love visiting. Part of the Birmingham skyline for years. Can be a creepy place when you're there alone. They keep it lively with all types of events year round. You have the historical side and the event side. Plenty of parking and I believe they built a new museum or something that I have yet to check out.

Button Bright

Great site that lets you get up close to large machines that where used to produce steel. There are plaques that describe the process and the people. It was windy, and some dust was blown into our eyes, so be prepared for that.

Mark Smith

I had not been here in 25 years - glad I came back. My wife and I were in Birmingham and wanted to stop by. Easy way to spend a couple of hours. The furnaces are very impressive - it would have been amazing to see them in operation back in the day. No admission charge and a small gift shop.

Ann Martin

Pretty cool. Full of history

Don S

Well maintained. Not our cup of tea.

Dave K

Fascinating and well worth the trip. One can explore for hours here. Guided tour or self-Guided, it is worthwhile. Amazingly, it is 100% free (donations accepted).

Erica Congress

Went to a music fest and had an awesome time. Perfect location for it too.

Tow Monster

I have loved going to sloss furnace ever since I was a kid. I'm glad to see them still offering tours of the place.

Elaine Hild

The garden was very interesting. Loved the roses

Juliette Leader

So cool! Well worth a self-guided trip and exploration. Just watch out for the relatively early closing time!

Scott Griepentrog

Sign in at the visitors center first, then skip the movie (full of feelings and not a lot of facts) and read the details on the place between the bathrooms to the left of the sign in desk . Then walk about the place. You can easily spend an hour if you take the time to really look at everything. Recommend good walking around shoes (no high heels ladies!) as there is a lot of ground gravel and grates to cover. BTW this is free!

kenton harkness

Beautiful place. Worthy of a return trip there, even

Paul Baker

Great way to learn about how iron was made in the good ole days.

Mellanie Herard

I went on a Sunday and they have a guided tour. The man that does the tour is amazing. He knows his stuff and he is very passionate about what he does. Great place to visit!

FeC ENG

LOVE!!!! Ive been to concerts here, weddings, the haunted house, and just to tour the site! There is so much history here, culture, and beauty. It is free, but I highly recommend people donate to keep this place up and running. Sloss is the only reason Bham made it on the map. This place reminds people that the metalcasting industry is still HERE! Plus, there's a foundry onsite that I've been meaning to get my hands on. Love Sloss and what they do.

Angela Fischer

I enjoyed it, unfortunately the tunnel was closed due to structural reasons, but will open back up in maybe a month or so. I will come back to check that out!

wayne wright

Ran the Vulcan Run from it's new venue, Sloss, last Saturday. Awesome set up and site. Cool how they have incorporated old and new. Looks great cool.

Paul Wright

Went to an event here. It is easy to navigate and find. Plenty of parking

Phil Hatcher

There's nothing else like it around. Sloss is a must-visit if you're in the Birmingham area. You'll learn a lot about the process of making iron, and the people that made it all happen. Very cool items in the gift shop for purchase as well.

Valencia Barham

Love the place...Great 4 any Event

R CJ

Take some time here, it's well worth 2 or 3 hours of your time. My wife and I did the self-guided tour using the written guide pamphlet that leads you from place to place. We left with a thorough understanding of this amazing place. We're do glad people fought to save this piece of history.

Norma Large

Nice to learn the history. Interesting.

Jennifer Pipas

Love that this is free and you can walk around at your own leisure. I went on a Saturday afternoon in late March on an absolutely beautiful day. Plenty of parking and it was not crowded at all. I took about a hundred pictures. Such a cool place and I’ve never seen anything like it! I highly recommend visiting here. There were no tour guides available and I wish there had been, would have loved learning more about this place.

Jugomugo

Do you love exploring factories and industrial sites? If so, this place is for you! Such a cool price of history to explore. Mostly untouched since the furnaces were shut down, you mostly get free reign of the place. Would be awesome for photographers.

Brent Olsen

Awesome tour. You can pretty much walk around wherever you want. I love these type of museums that are just left the way they were. I wanted to run behind every nook and cranny and check out everything.

Amanda Champion

Always have such a great time here,I have been to concerts at sloss and the haunted trails during Halloween and it's by far the place to be if u want to get a good scary thrill..

Ravi kiran Reddy Bommareddy

It's a very interesting place if you have a heart for long lost history. Please do a little background study before you go there. It is a explore yourself place.

Anne Hicks

We spent over an hour walking through the rusting boilers and furnaces of Sloss. It was making pig iron only 40 years ago and now it is a great place to see how the Industrial Revolution really was. Hard work. Tough conditions. Great products. There's a video and gift shop in the visitors center. For sale are iron curiosities made by artisans who make form into something cool. We saw iron peanuts for sale that look and feel like the real thing. Visitor center closes by 4 on most days so plan ahead. Note: there are active train tracks on the road leading to the entry gate. Sometimes, the freight trains take a long time so know how to reverse course and go a different way if you feel stuck at the railroad crossing.

Ashley Carmichael

Took my daughter here for sloss fright furnace which she loved it cost the pockets but she was worth it. But also have walked through on my. Own and it was real nice. Wouldn't advice going by yourself cause it can be some-what scary. It's fun to pretend to be a ghost Hunter here too.

Mike Hiatt

A look at the Birmingham steel industry. Really pleasant people working here, who are real knowledgeable about the place. You have to watch a video of the history of Sloss Furnaces, which is not boring. After that you are free to venture through the site on your own. If you are traveling through Birmingham this is definitely a place to stop and spend a little bit of time.

T. Rowe

Very good historical place to visit, good stories about past events that took place here. It’s in a rough part of rtown though.

marcel g

Very cool place. Supposed to be haunted had an uneasy feeling there like I was being watched, creepy.

Jürgen Lobert

Awesome location for Urban exploration and learning a little history about steel manufacturing as well as Birmingham. Even the daytime access allows for a lot of good photos, tripods are allowed. I was fortunate enough to get night access, when the whole place just transforms into something entirely different.

Brian Dunaway

Me and my girlfriend had an amazing time here. There is so much to explore and there is so much history. It was great being able to walk around in a place like this.

Tammy Johnson

We loved this place! My two sons and my niece came with me and we had a great time. There's much to see!

Lindsey Mccord

I went here for Iron City Cosplay day for twenty years now. It is very educational and a great spot for photos

Jenne Gaston

What a scary and fun night at Sloss!

Jeff Harvey

Cool historic place here in Bham.

Ashley Sims

Great place for photography! Parking and entry is free. Check the hours before going because they have a short window of being open. There is also a gift shop inside.

Priya Raghu

Awesome educational well preserved historic industrial heritage..lots of events added year around .

G. C.

Taco Fest was Super, plus never miss an Adventure at an ICON of a Location Birmingham's Own...SLOSS FURNACE!!!

Charissa Williams

Beautiful place. Everything is well marked and organized. You almost get transported back in time surrounded by the stacks and rust. Definitely visit

Nathanael Holden

I thought it was pretty cool but there was no food i could find

Angie Cacioppo

Walked the Alzhemir Walk with family. Brutally hot, but, the event was coordinated beautifully.

KY Harris

Great place for meetings and creative iron works

Lisa Hitchcock

Had a great time. Seen a great show.

Wesley Brown

Every time I've been here for whichever event the staff and facility are nice.

Blanquito Chulito

Historic things like this and the ability to walk around in it for free don't exist anymore. Neat to see it and touch it firsthand. Everything was free to the public, fun experience. Recommended if you want to see how B'ham really became what it is today.

Mike House

Really cool venue for many different events

Curtis Adams

Wow! Sloss is amazing in scale and industrial decay. It is incredibly beautiful. I want to visit every time I'm in Birmingham.

Bevan Shores

TripAdvisor informed us about Sloss Furnaces, and we’re glad we went. We enjoy factory tours, and this is a self-guided one, of an abandoned pig iron factory. Although no longer a working factory, and looking quite derelict, it’s really interesting to visit, as they have done a great job to safely guide you around, explaining how the plant worked for over 90 years. Only thing that could improve the experience would be a tour guide to answer questions, or some animations to show how things worked.

Andrew Crommie

Rich history and a man made marvel

ReD RuM

It doesn't matter if you live in Alabama, from Alabama or just visiting. I would recommend checking out Sloss Furnace. Honestly you can literally feel the presence of those who tragically perished still hanging around the place!

Paul Dillard

Fun place to go for a free history lesson the people are really friendly there and if you like self-guided type tours you will like this place they claim that it is haunted and it has even been on some of the ghost hunting shows but we had no experience there when we went overall fun place to go a lot of history there

Richard Shepard

Incredible piece of history. Thank goodness they didn't tare it down for an amusement park!

Amanda

Such a cool place! Visited for the first time during the 2018 Sloss Music Festival. The grounds are beautiful and there is still a functioning metalsmithing workshop. Old machine is now displayed as sculpture all around. This was a great place for a festival (kudos to the location scout!) And would also be great for photo shoots or videos.

Novica Prekpala

Historic "Pittsburgh of the South" venue, fascinating history lesson and they have a haunted house during the season that is a scary.

Andrea Sullivan

Beautiful place wish we could have had more to time to look and enjoy it. Will be back for another visit soon!

Kira Renée Darling

It’s so hot during the summer and I’m betting all the sun baked iron is the reason, but I love this place during cooler months. I wish more sections were accessible but there’s still a lot to see and learn. If you’re really adventurous, there’s an underground tunnel and it’s perfect for spooky photos and also for making out with one of your girlfriends. And I would love to see it all at night without lighting!

David Eubanks

Very neat place, full of history. Must see!

Patrick Tice

There is lot of metal and some is tall but some is close to the gorund overall very good place to meet woman

John Moseley

Nice outdoor venue. Plenty of parking.

donnie pugh

Love going to this historic place

Shir Carson

Great facility! Lighting and interior is modern. Has a rustic look. There are small tidbits of history everywhere you look.

Rebecca Nicodemus

Thank goodness for the Clean Air and Water Acts. Environmental regulations are good thing.

Adam Sealy

After hearing so many people talk about the haunted house we had to try it. Don't see what all the hype is about. Maybe the Sunday night crew isn't their best but wasn't impressed.

Christina Fanning

The Educator workshop was mind-blowing and emotional at the same time. The history of the company and its role during and after Reconstruction touched on the hard history of the conditions for blacks in the South. Touring the relics of the furnaces and imagining the conditions for workers during the Industrial Revolution was heartbreaking. Appreciate that much of the truth is not being sugarcoated or glossed over too much for the experience to be effective. So many ways my instruction of the Turn of the Century will be enhanced. Truly an experience I will NEVER forget and will always think about.

Ola L

Saw a Children's Theatre play here and it was wonderful! It was our first time at Sloss and we enjoyed exploring after the play. Very well maintained and a cool place to learn a bit about Alabama history.

Carol Haywood

Interesting historic site. The iron furnaces were important to the development of Birmingham. They must have been telling places to work, but I'm glad one was preserved.

Travis Prange

This place is amazing. What a cool view into such an interesting industry that is historic for many reasons to the U.S. and Birmingham especially. I left no stone unturned on my visit and could have spent many hours there. The frequent passing of trains really ups the ambiance, and is a place I won't hesitate to visit again should I be back in Birmingham.

Michael Bradford

Impeccably rude staff make the experience a very unenjoyable one. I would not go back nor recommend this place to anyone

Tammy Earnest

Was there for the Girls on the Run 5K Tutu Run! Was so much fun!

Sharon

Waste of time. Lots of employees...no one stopped to talk to us etc.

Joel Munoz III

Such a cool place to visit. I've been there during their "SLOSS music festival" and just to tour. I had an equally fun time either way.

TightLines & TanLines

Place is very importqnt to Birmingham history and I love the fact that its preserved in its natural state.

C Pilkington

Awesome place! It is not the furnace from my childhood....so much care and attention has gone into preserving this piece of history!

Johnny Welch

Great afternoon with team. Team sloss is awesome and made us feel welcomed and engaged. Great for team events. Will return!

Darryl Burton

A Birmingham Landmark and Treasure. A must see!

Will Frasier

Really amazing industrial site. If you are interested in old school industry this is a must see.

don ventura

Awesome place. So much history. Walking through you can almost see & hear the workers of old. So glad they were able to preserve this piece of our history!

Michael Tucker

Sloss Furnaces is a very unique place and you can feel the history as you wander around under its rusty pipes. Former mayor Larry Langford called it an eyesore and wanted it torn down. Well, he's in jail now and the buildings are still there... It is usually very quiet and a little spooky, especially inside the blower hall. It used to be that you could climb on top of the machines and even to the very top of furnace #2, but they seem to have closed off those stairs and ladders, which is a shame. It's a great place to take pictures.

Edward Hyde

Went for a class for beginners blacksmithing. Great teach, awesome place to learn

Clayton Nickell

Amazing place! They let you roam around and experience it for yourself. Very cool part of history.

Heather Whitmore

What a great place for a family-friendly day trip! The free historical self-guided tour of the furnace was super interesting and I really enjoyed getting to explore the place on my own. Just a word of advice, though. Make sure you visit no less than a few days after a heavy rain as certain areas are closed at times due to flooding.

gail tucker

Lovely facility and staff with desire to share the history

Dennis Simpson

Amazing... Simply put.. Amazing... To think this was nearly torn down and to see what it is today, muesum, concert venue, history... Really amazing

Andrew McCulloch

What an awesome historical site! I gave been here many times before but on this particular occasion we were here for Iron City Cosplay Photography Day.... Awesome staff and a fantastic photo background!

Michael Bridgmon

Lots of ancient history. And very educational.

John Hall

The tour was very educational and interesting. It's all about industrialization and history. You learn about steel manufacturing and some history of when industrial manufacturing started. The tour is free and you get to learn from a guide too.

Nancy Gravlee

It's where my Dad worked as a crane operator when it was U.S. Pipe. I remember many stories he told. My brother's son's Celebration of Life was held there in auditorium. There were over 300 friends and family members for Dr. Joshua Hodge who published a history book before his death. He became an Alabama author and historian.

Brandon Evans

It's a great place to explore and go back in history. There's a self guided tour of the notable buildings, and many others are open to explore. Many of the places look just as they did when the plant opened, making for a great place to visit history.

kkitty69

This place is cool, and haunted. My friends worked her for the haunted house and i got to volunteer. They history is crazy here! Not a big place, but a lot of history!

Babin Shrestha

Short, yet wonderful visit at Sloss. Has much to say about history of Birmingham and it's economical activities back in the day. Also experienced something paranormal. Great place for photoshoot.

DJ RC

This was a really neat place to visit. Not your typical historic site, but really interesting

Kenneth Kuk

Really fun place to check out! It was interesting to learn the significance Sloss Furnaces played in the history of the city. You can spend hours wandering around the area. I'd love to come back during the "golden hour" of light - this place is a photographer's playground! Admission and parking are free.

CJ Paxinos

Neat place. Free part was nice. Would have like to climb up on more parts of the workings but many are blocked off. Artists all around working on projects, some haunted house set stage contraptions strewn about were interesting to peruse also.

Jim and Jennifer Sandberg

Excellent walk through museum of the past.

John Phillipson

Easy to get around with the self guided tour sheet. Pre video is worth watching to put into context.

Brent Curtin

Very cool and interesting place to visit. Can go on your own or do a guided tour

Rikesha Foster

My school used the meeting area for a professional development day for us as a change of scenery from where we normally meet. Sloss is usually closed on Mondays, but they graciously welcomed us with open arms at this event. The rich history that Sloss offers is 2nd to none and the curator did an excellent job speaking about it during her introduction. I can tell she is very passionate about preserving its legacy. The grounds were very serene, despite the trains that were close by in the area. I liked the small waterfall area. I would love to go back to embark on the tour that was offered but due to time constraints we were not able to partake in. Thank you Sloss for being such hospitable hosts and for providing such a unique backdrop for our workshop.

Scott McDaniel

Four stars for just being able to shoot pictures from the parking lot. Would probably be 5 stars if we had the time to enter. If you are a photographer, this is like shooting fish in a barrel.

Jennifer Yee

Our industrial past in all its cold, hard and raw beauty! Very educational and immersive experience walking through all the nooks and crannies of the factory and reading the detailed plaques along the way. Reminds us of how this country was built and who built it. When in Birmingham, this is a MUST visit. Also, it's free!

Tonya Williams

Went to the Fright Furnace event during the month of October. Highly recommend. All ages are welcome. You will be startled and you will laugh. If you pay more they can touch you. We bought the standard passes so no touching allowed.

Timothy Mckinley

Self paced tour. Very nice staff. The history behind Sloss you learn in the tour is great

Melissa Bates

Great historical site to experience. Learned a lot while we were there and was able to get some pretty awesome photos. We will definitely visit again the next time we are in the area.

Melinda Dickerson

Self guided tour. Unexpectedly interesting. In have recommended to friends.

C W

I didn't know much about it, but it was a gorgeous day for pictures, and it's free so why not. What a massive structure. We didn't take the tour, but we watched the movie and walked all over. It was very interesting and could be educational for the kiddies, but keep an eye on them because there are something things the little ones could get into.

Christina Brister

Great place to explore!!! Love that it has a self guided tour so you can take your time and look!!

lookitslana aka sweets

Went for fright night (try to go every year) it was awesome! If you're in the bham area during October and like being scared its worth the visit!

George Smyly

A great venue for large events.

stephanie haworth

It was fun but we had to wait in line in the most awful inflatable tunnels...WAY too hot and zero air flow!

Brian Glenn

Best experience of my life keep doobie coming back

lasioncox

Man, this place scary asf for real even in the day time!! I could feel evil and hatred all around the place. Never again going back. Lol

Ralph Damsgard

Very cool atmosphere in the furnace. We were at Back Forty Brewery for their one year anniversary.