The Iron & Steel Museum of Alabama also known as the Tannehill Museum is an industrial museum located at Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park in McCalla

McCalla, Alabama

McCalla is an unincorporated community in Jefferson and Tuscaloosa Counties, Alabama, United States, southwest of Bessemer and the geographic terminus of the Appalachian Mountains.- Recreation :...

, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama

Tuscaloosa County, Alabama

Tuscaloosa County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama.It is named in honor of the pre-Choctaw chief Tuskaloosa. In 2010, the population was 194,656...

. Opened in 1981, it covers 13000 square feet (1,207.7 m²).

The museum is an interpretive center on 19th century iron making technology and features belt driven machines, tools and products of the times. It focuses on the Roupes Valley Ironworks at Tannehill which operated nearby during the Civil War.

The museum has numerous exhibits relating the production of iron and steel during the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

when Alabama once had 13 different iron companies and six rolling mills producing some 70% of the Confederate iron supply.

The museum underwent a major renovation of its exhibits in 2004-05. The collection includes rare steam engines, forge cams and war materials manufactured at the CS Naval Gun Works at Selma, Alabama.