Alabama State Fairgrounds

The Alabama State Fairgrounds are located in West Birmingham, adjacent to the Five Points West shopping area. Birmingham International Raceway (BIR) is located inside the gates of the Fairgrounds. There used to be football games played on a field in the middle of the racetrack, but the field has been condemned and will be torn up by the end of 2008. In addition to the racetrack, there is a go-kart track and batting cages on the premises, though both are inactive at present. The parking lot has a capacity of 7,500 cars.

The State Fair Arena and Exposition Building covers a combined total of 110,000 square feet. The 117-acre fairgrounds were acquired by the City of Birmingham in 1947.

For many years, the grounds were home to the Alabama State Fair. The grandstand (now BIR) was home to both automobile and harness racing, as well as shows and concerts. The statue of Vulcan, which is now a Birmingham landmark atop Red Mountain, was originally displayed at the Fairgrounds, either whole or in pieces during its construction.

The state fair discontinued regular use of the facility because of poor attendance and high crime in the adjacent neighborhood. The Alabama State Fair Authority went bankrupt, and was dissolved sometime around the year 2001. No state fair has been held on a regular basis since; an effort to revive the state fair again in 2008 is taking place at the Verizon Wireless Music Center in Nearby Pelham. (The "Alabama National Fair" in Montgomery is unrelated.)

"Kiddieland," a small amusement park located at the Fairgrounds, was a popular attraction for many years but closed in the early 1990s. A steam locomotive which once worked on the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway is on display on the grounds.

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