Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark
Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark at 20 32nd Street in Birmingham operated as a working ironworks for 90 years before becoming a National Historic Landmark museum in 1981. Its Visitors Center has an indoor East Room that seats 280 alongside the outdoor furnace grounds, and self-guided tours are free, 10am to 4pm Tuesday through Saturday and noon to 4pm on Sundays. For more than forty years it has hosted festivals including Furnace Fest, where re-entry runs until 6pm daily and kids 10 and under get in free.
Before you go
- Address
- 20 32nd Street
- Capacity
- East Room seats 280; conference room for 10
- Indoor or outdoor
- Both: indoor Visitors Center rooms and outdoor furnace grounds
- Official site
- slossfurnaces.org
- Next festival here
- Furnace Fest, Oct 10 to 11, 2026
Worth knowing before you go
- The site was a working ironworks for 90 years before the iron stopped pouring in 1971.
- Nearly 50,000 guests attend Sloss's events, festivals and concerts each year.
- At Furnace Fest, one non-shaded lawn chair per person is allowed, carried in without a bag or sleeve.
- Pets are not allowed at Furnace Fest, though trained service animals are welcome.
- Medically necessary food and prescription medication are allowed in with a doctor's note and original packaging.
Festivals here
Venue basics: Free self-guided tours, 10am-4pm · Indoor East Room seats 280 · Outdoor furnace grounds and plaza.
Is it for you
Choose it if
- You want live music set against a real 20th-century ironworks.
- You are bringing kids 10 or under, who get in free.
Think twice if
- You wanted to bring a pet: only service animals are allowed at Furnace Fest.
- You need shade for your lawn chair: only non-shaded chairs are permitted.
Getting there and parking
A self-guided tour of Sloss Furnaces is free, and the site is open 10am to 4pm Tuesday through Saturday, and noon to 4pm on Sundays.
Festival-specific · Furnace FestRe-entry to the festival grounds is permitted until 6pm daily. Furnace Fest offers a General Weekend Parking Pass, and organizers recommend buying parking tickets in advance to save.
Accessibility
Festival-specific · Furnace FestADA viewing areas are available at each stage.
Confirm your specific needs with the venue before you travel (slossfurnaces.org).
Camping
We don't yet have confirmed information about camping at Sloss Furnaces. The venue's own pages are the place to check: slossfurnaces.org.
Food, water and what you can bring
Festival-specific · Furnace FestFurnace Fest is half music festival, half food truck festival, with food vendors throughout and free water refill stations on the grounds.
Festival-specific · Furnace FestYou can bring an empty reusable plastic water bottle or hydration pack, and one non-shaded lawn chair per person, carried in without a bag or sleeve. Bags do not have to be clear but are subject to search, and professional cameras and audio recording equipment are not allowed. With a doctor's note, medically necessary food can be brought in, and prescription medication is allowed if it stays in its original packaging.
Quick answers
Is Sloss Furnaces free to visit?
A self-guided tour is free. Hours are 10am to 4pm Tuesday through Saturday, and noon to 4pm on Sundays.
Is Furnace Fest ADA accessible?
Yes. ADA viewing areas are available at each stage.
Can I bring a chair to Furnace Fest?
Yes. One non-shaded lawn chair per person is allowed, carried in through security without a bag or sleeve.
Can I bring my own water bottle?
Yes. Empty reusable plastic water bottles and hydration packs are allowed, and free water refill stations are on site.
Are pets allowed at Furnace Fest?
No, except trained service animals, which are welcome.
Is admission free for kids?
Yes. Ages 10 and under get free general admission; all other ticket types must be purchased.
Can I re-enter the festival if I leave?
Yes, until 6pm daily.
When did Sloss Furnaces stop making iron?
The furnaces stopped producing iron in 1971, and the site became a National Historic Landmark in 1981.
A little history
Sloss Furnaces operated for 90 years before the iron stopped pouring in 1971, and it opened as a National Historic Landmark museum in 1981. More than 15,000 people visit to learn about the site each year, and about a third of them travel from other countries.
Sloss received National Historic Landmark designation in 1981 and opened its gates as a city museum in September 1983. Its collection includes two 400-ton blast furnaces and about forty other buildings, with the oldest structure dating to 1902.
For more than forty years, Sloss Furnaces has hosted festivals and concerts, including Furnace Fest, Dia de los Muertos, Magic City Art Connection, Taco Fest and Festa Italiana. Nearly 50,000 guests are entertained at its events, festivals and concerts each year.