The Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association (AMLA) recently launched the North Alabama Mural Trail, featuring over 125 works of public art in the 16th most northern counties in the state. The paintings depict the communities they reside in, many offering an artistic perspective of each town’s history.

The mural trail encourages residents and visitors alike to discover the beauty and heritage of the state throughout the cities and communities that make up North Alabama. The tour is self-guided and can be accessed through AMLA’s North Alabama Mural Trail Mobile Passport.   The murals are located close enough together that several can be visited in one day.

Some of the murals included on the trail are:

1. 1st Leeth Bank — Muralist Donald Walker painted the side of one of Cullman’s first banks. The Leeth National Bank became SouthTrust, then Wachovia and finally Wells Fargo.
2. Old Railroad Bridge Train — Painted by Scott Campbell, the train mural is on a wall at the Old Railroad Bridge, the oldest in Alabama, on Ashe Boulevard in Sheffield.
3. OBA Artwork — The OBA Artwalk is located on the 200 block of downtown Oneonta, with entrances on 1st and 2nd Avenues and features several pieces by many artists, including Hope Beason (Water’s Edge), Graeson Bittle (Making Waves), Jess Burnette (Bent, Not Broken) and Janice Cook (ON E ON TA)
4. One Tribe, One Day — A 15-by-40 foot piece painted by Dallas artist, Michael McPheeters, the work of art was the first of 30 murals planned for the city of Decatur as part of the “Chasing Art Project” spearheaded by Decatur local, Glen Mitchell.
5. The Year of Gadsden Makers — Painted on the side of a building on Broad Street in Gadsden, the mural features products made in Etowah County and is painted by Christian Dunn, a professor at Jacksonville State University.

So hop in the car, camera at the ready, and start traveling the North Alabama Mural Trail. Be sure to use the hashtag #NorthALMurals when visiting each unique and creative design across North Alabama. Simply check in at each location through the AMLA mobile app using GPS to access the North Alabama Mural Trail Passport and record each visit.