Alabama Welcome Center

Driving into Alabama from Texas, we have always made a point of stopping here. Alabama the Beautiful. We Dare Defend our Rights. Such a beautiful location with the scent of pine trees in the air is always a sweet welcome home to this native Alabamian. Restrooms are clean. Staff is friendly and well-​informed.

Alabama welcome centers like this one are better than others I have been to in other states. As others have stated, theirs are definitely on the high end side.
This rest area is actually very nice. Rolling up and down the hills to come in and out is fun too, especially since where I live the land is flat as a pancake. They offer quite a few amenities. They have nice, clean restrooms and this place has staff on hand. In the welcome center, you can get maps and other things as well. Definitely get the road construction maps that they update quarterly; you’ll thank me later. There are also outdoor picnic tables available to use if having something to eat as well.
If you are coming into AL from the west, you should definitely make a quick stop here. It’ll help make your travel through Alabama easier.

Plenty of trees with shade, clean facilities, plenty of parking. Shoot. Now this is a rest stop! While there were enough picnic tables to feed at least a dozen families stopping in for lunch after traveling the Mississippi countryside that I-​20 offered, there are also some areas that need improvement. Namely, overflowing trash cans and an old pay phone that doesn’t even have a phone in it. Folks seriously use pay phones in 2015?
One of the few rest stops that I’ve seen that has the current governor’s name all over it. Be it the Welcome To Alabama sign, the rest stop’s building markers, or the interior– the governor’s name seems to be everywhere. Just an interesting observation.
Certainly one rest area that I feel confident in stopping for an extra long period and taking a nap under the trees. Sweet Home, Alabama!

First of all, this is not your standard rest stop, this is High End rest stop. CLEAN, manned and welcoming. Large facility and many parking lots/​picnic tables. Air conditioned! Lots of trees, and shade.

I was actually pretty impressed with this Welcome Center (well except for my first view being a gutted old pay phone booth; see my photo).
The bathrooms are recently renovated and were really clean and modern.
The overall space is attractive with ample room to picnic, walk your dog, stretch your legs, whatever.
Definitely a welcome respite as you cross from Mississippi on I-​59.