Signature Shoals

That Muscle Shoals sound

The Shoals has a long and proud musical history, including numerous hits pounded out, particularly in the 1960s and 1970s, from such studios as Muscle Shoals Sound and FAME.

Major names have recorded here, including Paul Simon, Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Little Richard and Clarence Carter – just to name a few.

The line, “Now Muscle Shoals has got the Swampers,” in Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home, Alabama,” is a tribute to a local recording studio group who backed up many hits over the years.

Great smallmouth bass

The Shoals has been called the “Smallmouth Bass Capital of the World,” due to its reputation for reeling in the big ones.

There are numerous fishing spots along the Tennessee River in the Shoals, and the fishing reputation is so renowned that it has attracted the attention of major national tournaments.

Whether it’s from a riverside, pier or boat, chances are you’ll learn how the area got its reputation if you drop a line.

Wilson Dam

Even by today’s standards, Wilson Dam is quite an engineering marvel.

The dam was built across the Tennessee River by the federal government starting in 1918, during World War I. It was to provide power for two nitrate plants. The plant’s completion was in 1924, well after the war, and the Tennessee Valley Authority acquired it in 1933.

The dam is 137 feet high and 4,541 long, and can produce 675,400 kilowatts of electricity.




Tennessee Valley Authority

Muscle Shoals is the birthplace of TVA, and the federal agency continues to have a large presence in the area.

TVA’s Environmental Research Center, as well as the International Fertilizer Development Center, are among programs on TVA’s sprawling reservation in the middle of the Quad-Cities.

TVA, founded as part of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s “New Deal” in 1933, has numerous projects relating to economic development, environmental concerns and public power.

College football title decided here

Since 1986, Florence’s Braly Municipal Stadium has been the site of the NCAA Division II Championship Football Game.

The game is nationally televised live and brings in thousands of fans.

The evening before the game, the Harlon Hill Trophy is presented at the Florence Conference Center. The trophy is the Division II equivalent of the Heisman Trophy.

It’s named for Hill, a former standout of Florence’s University of North Alabama and the National Football League’s Chicago Bears.

Frank Lloyd Wright home

Built in 1939-1940, the Rosenbaum House near downtown Florence is the only Frank Lloyd Wright home built in Alabama.

The home, built for Stanley and Mildred Rosenbaum, boasts many of Wright’s unique architectural features.

The home is at 601 Riverview Drive, and has been bought by the city of Florence. It is used as a museum and is open for tours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesdays through Saturdays.




Leo and Una

The brother and sister are the only live lion mascots on a college campus.

The University of North Alabama, in Florence, is home to the lions, which also serve as the school’s mascot.

They were born in 2002, and within months were old enough to live at the 12,764-square-foot George H. Carroll Lion Habitat.

Visitors are welcome to check out the lions, who are safe behind a double cage.

They also can be seen live on the Web at www.lioncam.una.edu.

Football trifecta

It’s only happened once in the history of NCAA scholarship college football.

Only once has a college football team won the near-impossible “three-peat.”

In 1993, 1994 and 1995, Florence’s University of North Alabama Lions did just that, winning the Division II National Championship all three years.

Many teams in Division I and I-AA have won two in a row, but only UNA can claim the trifecta.

Great food, great view

The food and atmosphere at the 360 Grille are so good, you’re head will spin.

Well, not literally. But you will enjoy a full, 360-degree view of the Shoals while dining at the upscale restaurant, 300 feet atop Renaissance Tower.

The revolving restaurant just past Wilson Dam in Florence features a unique menu, terrific atmosphere and new scenery every time you look out the large glass windows.

FORE! Well, three, anyway

If you yearn for the famed Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, you’ll certainly enjoy the experience in the Shoals.

The area has three 18-hole courses designed by Robert Trent Jones.

Two courses, “The Schoolmaster” and “Fighting Joe,” are in Ford City in Colbert County.

The third is at Turtle Point Country Club in Killen.