old cahawba archaeological park

I visited Jan. 11th. The park seemed to be abandoned, although I was greeted by a big buck deer. I assume that the nice building at the entry will be the new Visitor Center. That will help a lot! The sites are well marked and maintained and very interesting. I wish that there had been someone there to give me more info about the park. There is a nice driving tour brochure in the kiosk at the temporary visitor center. All in all, it was enjoyable to spend the afternoon wandering around Old Cahawba.

I had never heard of this place and we went based on Tripadvisor reviews. It was the highlight of our trip to Selma, Alabama. We felt like we had stepped back in time. You must use your imagination to "see" the town where ruins dot the landscape of a once thriving town - once the capitol of Alabama! Very small admission charge. Highly recommend.

Wonderful park but was wet and rainy day . There was people that new just what to do for that day we must go back.

Had a wonderful time last night.It was very interesting. The guides and volunteers were very knowledgable and entertaining.

Great place to soak in the history of not only the South, but of the United States. We visited during one of the nighttime Haunted History Tours, and enjoyed nearly every minute of it. A member of our group actually photographed something unexplainable during a visit to the Slaves' Quarters. Can't wait to visit this park during the day, unencumbered by other guests' issues. The bonfire and snacks available for purchase were a nice touch. The gift shop had lots of local books and a few crafts, as well as items pertaining to the town of Old Cahawba. What a terrific jewel, and it feels good to support the archaeologists and preservationists that are tirelessly working to uncover even more!

Dutch hubby loves all things related to the Civil War in the USA,,We both are fascinated with this tiny little ghost town that was spread out and the small cemeteries,,the time we spent there was worth it,, If you love history and ghost towns this is a place to visit ( it is well kept and very clean) Oh hubby had a fantastic treat, he saw a few armadillos and got to see one very close up :-)

Granted special permission to investigate the Civil War Cemetery after twilight/dark and it was a profound experience that left me and my team sobbing from overwhelming feelings, sounds, and voices from the graves. A must-experience for clairvoyants who are truly respect, value, and exhibit humility in the presence of such an amazing historical site It's not necessarily 'what' you see with your eyes that's incredible--there is a tremendous amount of residual energy and paranormal activity that can best be experienced with eyes closed. Take a good camera and plenty of tissues. If you’re simply grave-kickers looking for excitement, do the dead a favor and do not go.

This was the capital of Alabama from 1819 to 1826 and is located 15 miles from Selma, AL. At one time 3000+ people lived in Cahawaba and house a confederate prison during the war. Today it is nothing but a ghost town with a few buildings, a cemetery and historical signage. Most of the buildings burnt to the ground in 1900. It is a part of Alabama history and on the national register. They are in the process of building a welcome center and there is a nice handout and map. It is had to visualize that this was once the second state capitol in Alabama. If you want to stretch our legs and have an hour or two to kill I would recommend taking the time to visit this site.

We had a little time and decided to take a trip to Old Cahawba and loved it. I hadn't been there since I was a kid and it has really changed for the better. We loved learning about all the history of the old town. The entire park was beautiful and clean. Next time we go we're going to pack a lunch and spend more time there.

Any Alabamian and even anyone that just loves history should visit Cahawba at least once. The staff at the welcome center is beyond helpful and was happy to tell us stories as well as well as provide us with any info we needed. The picnic area is right at the fork in the two rivers and is awesome for a lunch. The old town still has a few buildings from the old days still standing including the slave quarters from a massive plantation (with the hanging tree that was used to hang slaves also still standing) as well as an old slave cemetery nearby. It's an amazing, if even sad at times, experience. I will definitely be coming back soon.

This is one of the first capitals of Alabama that is now abandoned and left in ruins. You need some mode of transportation to see the whole site car or bike. It was a town at one time. Get a map from the visitor center on your way in and some good tips from the care taker stationed there. Some of the sites require a little walk from the road to visit them. There have been ghost sightings here so be on the lookout especially near the face well.

So interesting, I enjoyed walking the location and picturing in my mind what it was like when it was a bustling town. I'm going to try and get together a guided tour next time!

Alas, the information hut thingy was closed when we were there, so we took a map and saw ourselves around. Some neat stuff in there, and the information boards were pretty informative. Sounds weird, but I expected it to be spookier. Mind you, if it were nighttime I'd probably feel very differently about the level of spook. An interesting stop but I imagine a guided tour or some such thing would be waaaaaay better. Also, I would love to ride a bike around rather than be in a car. Seems like a good spot for biking to really get a feel for the place.

TIP: Be sure you go and speak to one of the guides or gentleman in the very small and affordable gift shop. They are very knowledgeable and can answer many questions. Of course, a group tour would be even better I would imagine. Now, we stopped on our way through to check out some unknown Alabama history (unknown to us). It is and interesting place, but as previous posters mentioned you will see many places of this ghost town which do not exist other than to tell you what they were. However, my daughters enjoyed the simple pleasure of walking the trails and touring the "Upjohn" church. There is a beautiful old home which hopefully in time and funding will be refurbished. There is an interesting story behind a well in the town and you have al this in a map that you receive in the gift shop. I love old cemeteries and this one does not disappoint except that it is falling apart. I believe in time, this old capitol city can be awesome...it is just going to take funding. Consider dropping by if you are in the area; it is interesting and free. I gave a donation and I hope you will too. Oh, they have many picnic tables and a clean bathroom for anyone wanting to picnic and explore.

Drive around the town where the no-longer-existing roads are marked between those that are left. See the remains of buildings that include brick walls and columns. A couple of houses are still standing. Don't miss the "new" cemetery. It is not kept up and is full of broken headstones, tombs, and wrought iron fencing. I was disappointed that there is nothing left of the previous Alabama capitol building, but I loved exploring this entire area!