Significant additions are being forged for the future of Sloss Furnaces, one of Birmingham’s beloved National Historic Landmarks, and these changes could mean a big boost for the city’s tourism.

The brainstorming process started a few years ago, Sloss Executive Director David Arias said, but there had been ambitious plans for Sloss’s future that date back to when it became a park in 1981.

“What we were ultimately trying to do was figure out exactly how Sloss Furnaces was going to engage with the community.”
David Arias

After working with design firms since January 2025, Sloss now has a detailed plan of improvements and changes they aspire to complete in the next few years — as well as an estimated price tag of $12 million.

The framework includes plans for Sloss to go beyond just a landmark and become a park.

“We have always seen that Sloss Furnaces could become the eastern bookend of Railroad Park. We’re only about a mile and a half away, connected through the trail system. There really hasn’t been that kind of connection because we haven’t been a park. We’ve been a place to learn about the history of Sloss Furnaces and the history of Birmingham.”

Arias said a barrier to Sloss being a place where the community can thrive is their tight hours — 10AM to 4PM, Tuesday through Saturday.

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