Weather Permitting

April Shower bring May Flowers. Yes, it rains in spring, but we have inclement weather plans.

• Tour St. Michael and All Angels

This church was built by John Ward Noble in 1888 for the working men of West Anniston. A drive through the grounds of one of the finest late nineteenth century churches in Alabama shows the Romanesque style of architecture designed by William Hulsey Wood, the architect of St. John the Divine in New York City. Features include hand-carved stonework by Simon Jewell, an imposing 95-foot bell tower housing twelve bells, a series of memorial windows, hand-carved interior trusses by Bavarian woodcarvers, and an Italian marble altar. The Parish Hall contains a set of lithographs showing the history of Christianity, said to be the only set of its kind in existence.

• See the Museums

The Anniston Museum of Natural History exhibits more that 2,000 natural history items on permanent display. There are exciting, diorama-style exhibits of pre-history with a life-sized Albertosaurus dinosaur model to the extremes of the African savannah, where a preserved African elephant rests under one of the world’s largest constructed baobab trees. One of the most fascinating exhibits is two Egyptian mummies from the Ptolemaic period.
The Berman Museum of World History exhibits more than 3,000 historical objects, works of art, and weapons spanning 3,500 years.

• Get a Massage

After a round of golf or a long drive, we can all use a massage, and several local businesses will be happy to help you relax. 

• Sample a Wine Tasting

From weekends at White Oak Vineyards to Tyson's Fine Wines and Things on Thursdays, local businesses offer samplings of local made wines weekly. Tyson's also features 99+ bottles of beer on the wall to create a local variety pack for you to take home. 

• Test Your Aim at CMP South

Open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:00-7:00 P.M., these centers are world-class air rifle and air pistol training and competition facilities that feature state-of-the-art electronic targets at each of the 80 firing points the locations house. All shots are instantly displayed on monitors beside each shooter and on display screens visible to spectators in the center area of the range. The facilities also feature common areas with classrooms, offices, restrooms and a foyer. The competition centers host an array of air rifle and air pistol events throughout the year.

• Shop til you Drop

Calhoun County has a great mix of national retailers and unique local boutiques that can help you find whatever you need. 

All The World's a Stage

Many know of the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, but few know of its founding. The festival did not actually start in Montgomery. It actually began as a summer program in Calhoun County's own Anniston in 1972. The original festival started in an old high school auditorium.
Martin Platt, known in the theatre world as a Shakespeare enthusiast, saw an opportunity, and through partnership and funding with the Alabama State Council on the Arts, he recruited unpaid actors from Pittsburgh and New York to host four productions, The Comedy of Errors, Hamlet, the Two Gentlemen of Verona and Ibsen's Hedda Gabler. For years, the company lived in Anniston, bringing large scale productions of classics to the southeast, but in 1985 ASF moved to its new home in Montgomery.
Thirty two years later, Shakespeare makes another triumphant return to Calhoun County, but this time it's at Jacksonville State for their production of The Tempest. The production runs February 16 through February 19 at the Ernest Stone Center for the Performing Arts.
This mystical production draws on the travel literature of its time and stories of violent windy storms causing fleets of ships to wreck. Shakespeare also seems to refer to the English colonial mentality of the time, the "What would I do if I king?" thinking.
 The tale begins as a tale of betrayal, with the wrongfully exiled conjuring a storm to shipwreck those he blames to an enchanted island. What mystical world will they enter? You'll have to see the show to find out!

The Tempest
Jacksonville State University's

Ernest Stone Center for the Performing Arts 

Feb. 16-18, 7 p.m., and Feb. 19, 2 p.m.

www.jsu.edu/drama

Tickets are $10.

A Natural Attraction for Local Charm

Many, when visiting, are searching for something unique to Alabama or made in Alabama.

Calhoun County has a great mix of national retailers, but we have an awesome selection of eclectic boutiques and shops to search for a one of a kind gift.

Unique to historic Main Street Oxford, one can find Sarah Cavender Metalworks, making jewelry for international retail and the runway or red carpet, selling for great prices in Calhoun County. While you're there, you can stop next door at the Main Olive for a tasting.

If you're strolling down or around Noble Street in Anniston, stop in Alexander's at Noble Shops for great gift items and clothes. From kitchen accessories to kid's boutique clothing, they have it. Just down the street, you'll also find great boutique shops like CD Cellar.

Something unique to Calhoun County is just off Highway 431, Blackberry Hill Alpacas Farm and Gift Shop, and just up the road the Anniston Museum & Gardens have a great gift shop with something for everyone! Just over the bypass, you'll find a shop that has an eye for made in the south items, Tyson Fine Wines & Things, featuring selections of local wines like White Oak's Southern Oak Wines and more!

If Antiques are your thing, we've got Calhoun Pickers in historic downtown Anniston, Cotton Antiques in historic downtown Oxford, Timeless Treasures just off Highway 78, and so much more within a 30 minute drive.

Just across from the new Freedom Riders National Monument, you'll find the family run Downing & Sons, still offering fabrics and farming tips and tools.

The Jacksonville area has many great boutiques. From Hannah Closet, to Swank, Quality Shoppe and Willow Tree, there is something for every price range. Jacksonville also makes sure you're gameday ready with the Bookstore on Mountain Street, just across from the new stadium, offering everything from sweatshirts to accessories.

Then local shops like Wakefield's, Martins, Griffins and Couch's offer items you could find at big box stores, often with affordable prices and charming southern customer service.

Shop Calhoun County and be sure to tell them we sent you!