The University of Alabama has one of the most beautiful campuses you will see in America. It’s hard enough picking one spot that encapsulates its gorgeous aesthetic that draws students (and college football fans) from all over the world, so we picked 13 of our favorites, some of them quite famous and other hidden gems you need to visit in person.

Bryant-Denny Stadium

Let’s start with the obvious. Inside and out, the Alabama Crimson Tide football team’s home stadium provides one of the all-time greatest sports environments fans flock from all over the world to see with their own eyes. It goes without saying that Bryant-Denny, opened in 1929, belongs on anyone’s college campus bucket list regardless of their affinity for the gridiron. The structure seating 101,821 screaming fans for seven Saturdays each fall is a stunning edifice that, put simply, provides a backdrop for history.

Marr’s Spring

Widely considered a hidden gem at the Capstone, you can’t miss this campus landmark (located just below the Student Center) that draws students and faculty seeking a peaceful respite from the hustle-and-bustle of a busy semester thanks to its walking paths, benches and man-made lake. Flanked and shaded by gorgeous trees and other greenery, you can’t pass up at least one stroll (or nap) in your precious time at UA.

The Quad

The scenic centerpiece of an already-picturesque campus. Tailgating headquarters during college football season (the best in the country for that practice, in our opinion), the Quad’s 22 acres of green space, shade and traditional architecture gives students a needed home base to decompress between classes. Sprinkled with Adirondack chairs, a volleyball net, cornhole boards and woodland critters to stop and say hi, the Quad remains a pristine college mainstay that defines the visual aesthetic of the Capstone and gives visitors a glimpse into all the beauty the campus has to offer. And the autumn colors on gamedays? Forget about it.

The Gorgas House

Built in 1829, this museum is the oldest structure on UA’s campus and one of four buildings to survive the 1865 campus Civil War burning. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971, and when you take one look at it, you’ll know why. Often surrounded by blue and pink hydrangeas, the house sitting between the English building and B.B. Comer Hall is a popular spot to take photos or just lounge around in an Adirondack chair under its sweeping trees out front.

University of Alabama Wildflower Habitat

Just up the road from Marr’s Spring is the wildflower habitat for honey bees and butterflies, but if you keep walking the paved path, you’ll find a hidden brook or creek in one of the most beautiful spots on campus very few seem to even know about. It even has chairs and tables if you want to enjoy a quiet lunch with a colleague or in solitude. Don’t miss it.

Denny Chimes

One of the most prominent and popular spots on campus, and arguably Tuscaloosa’s greatest landmark. Located at the southern edge of the Quad right on University Boulevard and across from the President’s Mansion, the tower was named in honor of former university president George H. Denny. Built in 1929, the Chimes offers carillon performances throughout the day. At its base, you’ll find the Walk of Fame featuring the handprints, footprints and names of Alabama Crimson Tide football captains, including Joe Namath, DeVonta Smith, Derrick Henry and Bryce Young.

Lakeside Community

This residential area for students living on campus provides charming scenery thanks to a man-made lake, green space, gazebo, string lights, Adirondack chairs, cornhole boards and more. The Lakeside Dining Hall also has a shaded patio where you can enjoy a meal, some music and one of the best views at UA. Underrated.

Crimson Promenade | Student Center Plaza

The Crimson Promenade is designed to celebrate the achievements of generations of UA students, alumni, leaders, and others who want to preserve their legacies at the Capstone, with brick pavers etched to signify graduate dates and other well-wishes, located between B.B. Comer and Woods Quad near UA’s Student Center. The area is usually adorned with pretty flower arrangements as students saunter to the Student Center Plaza, another lovely spot.

Woods Quad

The original campus quadrangle built after the Civil War and, if you can believe it, the site of a few Alabama football games. Woods Quad is what you picture in your head when you say or hear “college campus.” The gorgeous architecture of Woods, Presidents, Clark and Garland Halls would be enough, but the square also has a sculpture garden, with even pieces on the grounds including a robot named Goldie (forged at Sloss Furnaces in Birmingham) lying on its side. We’d spend all semester here if we could.

Amelia Gayle Gorgas Library

Along with all the knowledge and information you’ll find inside, Gorgas library is also quite the looker. Named for Amelia Gayle Gorgas, the first female UA librarian, it marked the first academic building on campus named for a female. The library has several rotating exhibits a year in the Pearce Foyer and features the A.S. Williams III Americana Collection. Similar to Denny Chimes, it’s one of the most visible spots on campus thanks to its central location on the Quad, but also the Ionic columns and concrete steps where you’ll often find students resting. At the top of the steps is another terrific view of the Quad.

President’s Mansion

Originally built in 1841, this structure also survived the 1865 Civil War burning of the campus and still serves as the private residence for the UA president. The school will also use it as a reception center for dignitaries and events hosted by the president, but from our vantage point on University Boulevard, we mostly see it used for photo ops for new graduates in their caps and gowns, as proud parents look on.

Presidents Hall

Previously Manly Hall (renamed in 2020), this 3.5-story Gothic Revival structure in red brick was originally finished in 1885, where it opened as a dormitory. It now houses the Department of Religious Studies, the Department of Women’s Studies, the Department of Gender and Race Studies, offices of the English department, and the office of the literary magazine Black Warrior Review. All told, it’s also just one of the most beautifully designed buildings on campus.

Tuska

UA relocated this seven-ton, 19-foot elephant statue named Tuska to the corner of University Boulevard and Wallace Wade Avenue, where the Strip meets campus — not far from near Bryant-Denny Stadium. The statue depicts the elephant looking skyward with his two front feet slightly off the ground and trunk fully extended. It’s a go-to selfie spot for fans on gamedays and a perfect addition in creating the best atmosphere in college football.