Wilson Dam (photo by Lee Roberts)
Shoal Creek has a rich culture
This 65 mile stretch of fishing holes and sand bars from Lawrenceburg, Tennessee to Lauderdale County Alabama, was once home to many native tribes and provided early industrialists with much of the water and power that made this area synonymous with whiskey distillation and its history is inextricably intertwined with such figures as Davey Crockett and the Allman Brothers Band. Browse our Digital Guidebook below for more to discover about the area, and plan your next stay at the Shoal Creek Chateau.
Book Your Stay Today
Ready to book your next stay with Shoal Creek Chateau? Follow the link below to be taken back to our booking site or contact our concierge at info@shoalcreekchateau.com with any additional questions or for help making reservations.
what To eat
360 Grille
Stanfield's River Bottom Grille
Stanfield's River Bottom Grille
For a high-end dining experience and a great view that just keeps giving, look no further than 360 Grille. It's the restaurant that spins! Very slowly. Check out their site for more.
7 days 11a-10p
Stanfield's River Bottom Grille
Stanfield's River Bottom Grille
Stanfield's River Bottom Grille
Stanfield's is a Florence landmark. Great seafood and a fun atmosphere with an amazing view of the Tennessee river and Florence Marina. Menu on website.
Schaffer's Happy Hollow Marina
Stanfield's River Bottom Grille
Schaffer's Happy Hollow Marina
Drive your boat up, or take the car, either way Schaffer's is the closest eatery to Shoal Creek Chateau, and they do not disappoint. Classic southern seafood.
Th-Su 11a-7p
Pop's BBQ
Rosie's Mexican Cantina
Schaffer's Happy Hollow Marina
A quick 12 min. trip to St. Florian, and you're at one of the best BBQ places bar none, Pop's BBQ. This mouth watering generational joint will have you returning time after time.
M-Sa 11a-8p
The Boiler Room
Rosie's Mexican Cantina
Rosie's Mexican Cantina
In the basement of the historic Stricklin in Downtown Florence, there is this gem of a bowling alley and bar. Enjoy a pint and a roll while your in town.
Rosie's Mexican Cantina
Rosie's Mexican Cantina
Rosie's Mexican Cantina
If you know, you know. Rosie's is a small local chain favorite from Huntsville to the Shoals. Another Court St. mainstay, Rosie's can feed even the teens that never stop eating!
Ricatoni's Italian Grill
Ricatoni's Italian Grill
Ricatoni's Italian Grill
Located in beautiful historic downtown Florence, Ricatoni's is one of the only handmade brick pizza ovens in the state, just like in the old country. With a wide variety of classic Italian dishes to cater to everyone’s desire.
The Pie Factory
Ricatoni's Italian Grill
Ricatoni's Italian Grill
Funky restaurant & bar serving specialty pizzas, salads & more, with a large craft beer selection.
Dine-in or carry out
Has outdoor seating and serves great cocktails.
Yumm Sushi and beyond
Ricatoni's Italian Grill
Mugshot's Bar and Grill
Thai cuisine & Japanese sushi served in a contemporary bistro with a full bar & sidewalk seats.
Vegan friendly.
Mugshot's Bar and Grill
Mugshot's Bar and Grill
Mugshot's Bar and Grill
Convivial spot for burgers, sandwiches & salads, some with a Hawaiian twist, plus beer.
Happy Hour
Good place to watch sports!
Sweets and treats
Big Bad Breakfast
Big Bad Breakfast
Big Bad Breakfast
Court St. is full of gems for a shopping spree, and the best place to start your day is BBB. This place has a fun vibe, fantastic staff, and food that redefines southern comfort!
Red Cow Coffee
Big Bad Breakfast
Big Bad Breakfast
This is your new hometown coffee shop experience with ethically sourced coffee and exceptional hospitality. Excellent quality coffee created with great local ingredients.
Odette
Big Bad Breakfast
Rollies
Rustic-chic bistro offering New American fare with Southern & global flavors, plus a bar & a patio.
Rollies
Trowbridge's Ice Cream Bar
Rollies
For a high-end dining experience and a great view that just keeps giving, look no further than 360 Grille. It's the restaurant that spins! Very slowly. Check out their site for more.
Trowbridge's Ice Cream Bar
Trowbridge's Ice Cream Bar
Trowbridge's Ice Cream Bar
Also on Court St., this is an enduring ice cream parlor serving classic cones, shakes & sandwiches in a cozy, unassuming space.
Also serves Lunch.
Sweetwater Bakery
Trowbridge's Ice Cream Bar
Trowbridge's Ice Cream Bar
In the basement of the historic Stricklin in Downtown Florence, there is this gem of a bowling alley and bar. Enjoy a pint and a roll while your in town.
Miami Ice
Miami Ice
Miami Ice
Shaved ice in a variety of 165 flavors and over 100 combinations with 3 convenient locations across Lauderdale County. Funky surfer vibes abound.
What to see
Frank Lloyd Wright - Rosenbaum House
The Rosenbaum House is a single-family house designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright and built for Stanley and Mildred Rosenbaum in Florence, Alabama. A noted example of his Usonian house concept, it is the only Wright building in Alabama, and is one of the only 26 Usonian houses built pre-World War II.
Wilson Dam
The Wilson dam is one of several dams in a system that determines the level and flow direction of our creek. Visitors enjoy camping, boating, and fishing at what has become known as the Smallmouth Capital of the World for the trophy smallmouth bass caught there.
For more information visit the following link:
https://www.tva.com/energy/our-power-system/hydroelectric/wilson
Or find directions to the visitor center below:
Alabama Music Hall of Fame
The Alabama Music Hall of Fame, first conceived by the Muscle Shoals Music Association in the early 1980s, was created by the Alabama Music Hall of Fame Board, which then saw to its Phase One construction of a 12,500 sq ft facility after a statewide referendum in 1987. According to its site its primary purpose is to honor all styles of music and to preserve and celebrate Alabama's musician's and the state's great musical heritage.
Fame Recording Studio
Fame recording studios, located at 603 E Avalon Ave in Muscle Shoals, was founded by Rick Hall, Billy Sherrill and Tom Stafford in the 1950's, and over the decades has been responsible for recording some of country music's greatest hits, from artists like Aretha Franklin and The Allman Brothers Band.
3614 Jackson Highway
In 1969, the four primary Muscle Shoals Rhythmn Section members, Barry
Beckett, Jimmy Johnson, Roger Hawkins, and David Hood left Fame Studio to found a competing business, the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, originally at 3614 Jackson Highway in nearby Sheffield, AL. The studio was long ago sold off, but the 3614 location was reopened in 2017 as a museum operated by the Muscle Shoals Music Foundation.
Shoal Creek Preserve
Shoal Creek Preserve allows visitors to explore 298 acres of fallow fields, mature upland hardwood stands and scenic creek bottoms in Lauderdale County. Waterways on the tract include Indian Camp Creek, Lawson Creek, Jones Branch and Shoal Creek.
Florence Indian Mound and Museum
The Florence Indian Mound was the heart of a large prehistoric cultural center that dominated this section of the Tennessee River Valley thousands of years ago. It was originally built between AD 100 and 500, during the Woodland Stage. 1,000 years later, people associated with the Mississippian Stage added more earth to the summit and continued to use the mound as a cultural center. Today it is a museum displaying Native American artifacts and providing a foundation for education, community engagement, and public discourse.
George H. Carroll Lion Habitat
The George H. Carroll Lion Habitat on the campus of the University of North Alabama offers a unique opportunity to visit our live lion mascot, Leo III. The habitat was built in 2002, funded by donations from David Carroll in honor of his late father George H. Carroll.
What to do
RTJ Golf Trail at Muscle Shoals
RTJ Golf Trail at Muscle Shoals
RTJ Golf Trail at Muscle Shoals
The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at The Shoals is home to two 18-hole championship courses and sits high above Wilson Lake on the Tennessee River.
(pictures linked)
Killen Time Mini Golf
RTJ Golf Trail at Muscle Shoals
RTJ Golf Trail at Muscle Shoals
This 36 hole mini-golf course has traditional features such as a light house, windmill, water obstacles and more. But the real adventure comes with watching the wild-life throughout the course.
Children's Museum Shoals
RTJ Golf Trail at Muscle Shoals
Children's Museum Shoals
Designed especially for them, our venues and programs offer children the opportunity to explore, learn and create in a variety of attractions. Many of the venues are influenced and inspired by the wonderful history and heritage of the region.
Skyzone Trampoline Park
The Escape Room Florence
Children's Museum Shoals
Looking for Something Fun for the Whole Family? Visit Sky Zone Trampoline Park. Make Memories that Last a Lifetime.
The Escape Room Florence
The Escape Room Florence
The Escape Room Florence
We're bringing a new brand of fun to Florence. We pour our heart and soul into every detail of our original escape game experiences.
And it's a difference you can feel.
shopping
Florence Mall
Florence Mall
Florence Mall
A fully enclosed shopping mall filled with a variety of shopping and dining options. Here you can support and shop from small local vendors as well as nationally recognized anchor stores, Dillards and Belk. Want that classic shopping mall experience, complete with a warm cookie or soft pretzel from the food court while you browse sneakers? Just off Cox Creek Parkway in Florence.
301 Cox Creek Pkwy, Florence, AL
(256) 766-2176
Billy Reid
Florence Mall
Florence Mall
From the runways of New York to the waterways of Florence, AL, Billy Reid is a creative firebrand with a pheonix style rising-from-the-ashes back story and his finger on the pulse of high-end men's fashion with an eye for recycling styles of the past in uniquely fresh ways. The warmth of their flagship store is a perfect environment to display these dapper styles on beautiful racks and towering shelves adorned with perfect chic accents.
114 N Court St, Florence, AL 35630
(256) 767-4692
Seasonal stuff
Shoals Fest
Arx Mortis/Frankenville
Arx Mortis/Frankenville
In early October, the folks in the Shoals gather for two days at McFarland park for the annual folk and Americana music celebration known as Shoals Fest, created by Jason Isbell and Traci Thomas.
(Click photo for official site)
Arx Mortis/Frankenville
Arx Mortis/Frankenville
Arx Mortis/Frankenville
Arx Mortis is the top-of-the-line haunted house attraction inside Killen Time Adventure's marvelous theme park alongside Highway 72. Frankenville is their kid-friendly family fun
Halloween park next door.
(Click photo for more info)
St. Florian Oktoberfest
Arx Mortis/Frankenville
St. Florian Oktoberfest
Early in October, St. Florian throws a proper German shindig with a rotation of live German bands and a sizzling brat and beer menu that's sure to knock your lederhosen off.
(Click photo for more info)
Christmas Village
Bass Fishing Championship
St. Florian Oktoberfest
On the weekends starting in late November, Mr. and Mrs. Clause drop in to Rogersville to entertain visitors at their castle. Come see the lights and enjoy the cookies and hot chocolate with the holiday's most popular couple.
(Click photo for more info)
North Alabama State Fair
Bass Fishing Championship
Bass Fishing Championship
An Alabama family tradition for over 89 years, the North Alabama State Fair is a must in September. The fair plays host to one of the largest carnival midways in the area, featuring a variety of attractions from Wade Shows.
(Click photo for more info)
Bass Fishing Championship
Bass Fishing Championship
Bass Fishing Championship
Pickwick Lake is the site of the annual BoatU.S. Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship sponsored by Bass Pro Shops. Every year fishermen flock to the shoals to pull record breaking fish from these waters.
(Click photo for official site)
UNA Events
UNA Events
UNA Events
"Go! Fight! Lions!" University of North Alabama is our beautiful local alma matter, and definitely worth a visit and a stroll through the quad, or check out a game while you're in town.
(Click photo for official site)