Birmingham's Ruffner Mountain, just a five-minute drive from downtown, is larger than New York's Central Park. Birmingham is home to the first (and largest) Veteran's Day Parade in the US. Birmingham is home to two American Idol winners, Ruben Studdard in 2003 and Taylor Hicks in 2006. Bo Bice was the Idol runner up in 2005. Birmingham is home to a number of James Beard Foundation Award winners and nominees, as well as chefs recognized for their talents by such publications as Food & Wine, including, Frank Stitt (Highlands, Bottega, Chez Fon Fon), Chris Hastings (Hot & Hot Fish Club), James Lewis (Bettola), Chris DuPont (Cafe DuPont) and Christ Newsom (Ollie Irene).
The Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum is home to the largest collection of motorcycles (more than 1,200) in the world. Birmingham's Vulcan, the Roman god of the forge, is the largest cast iron statue in the world. The statue won first place in the 1904 World's Fair. The Alabama Theatre is one of only a handful of 1920s movie palaces still in operation.