Florence AL (Alabama)

Florence AL is a Tennessee River/Ohio River cruise port and city in Alabama USA (Lauderdale County) with population around 40,000. The city is located on two artificial lakes (Wilson and Pickwick), which reservoirs were created by damming Tennessee River - by Wilson Dam (1924-opened) and Pickwick Dam (1938-opened).

Florence is best known for having Alabama's oldest college (UNA-University of North Alabama/1830-founded as "LaGrange College") and also as the principal city of the Florence-Muscle Shoals Metro (population around 200,000).

As cruise port, Florence AL was included in the 2022 schedule of one of the USA's largest river cruise companies - AQSC-American Voyages/Queen Steamboat Co. Next table shows American Duchess ship's 7-night/8-day itinerary that visits Florence. Prices started from ~USD 2500 per person with double occupancy.

This southbound cruisetour starts with an overnight hotel in Nashville TN and bus travel (on the following day) to Clarksville for boarding the riverboat.

Florence AL's main tourist attractions are its museums (Kennedy Douglass Arts Center, Indian Mound and Museum, Pope's Tavern, William Christopher Handy Home and Museum, Children's Museum of the Shoals, Forks of Cypress/cotton plantation house). Annual festivals held in Florence include Sam Phillips Music Celebration (January), UNA Film Festival (April), Arts Alive (May), The Spirit of Freedom Celebration (July), W.C. Handy Music Festival (July-August). Other popular annual events are the Trail of Tears Remembrance Motorcycle Ride (September), Alabama Renaissance Faire (October, held in Wilson Park).

In Killen (to the east of Florence AL) merge two major US highways (US 43 and US 72) and five Alabama highways (SR 13, SR 17, SR 20, SR 133, SR 157). Both US highways are carried by the O'Neal Bridge which interlinks Florence with Sheffield (Colbert County). Northwest Alabama Regional Airport (in Colbert County) serves commercial and general aircraft. Boutique Air provides regularly scheduled daily flights linking Florence to the capital cities of Georgia (Atlanta) and Tennessee (Nashville).