Libraries and museums

The Tuscaloosa Public Library is a joint city-county agency with nearly 200,000 items on catalog. A total of 46,857 registered patrons use the library on a regular basis — roughly 28% of the population of the county. There are currently two branches in the city, the Main branch on Jack Warner Parkway and the Weaver-Bolden branch in western Tuscaloosa, and a third branch in suburban Taylorville (Brown branch).

Additionally, the University of Alabama, Stillman College and Shelton State Community College have campus libraries that are open for use to the public.

Museums in Tuscaloosa are located all over town, but are primarily concentrated in the downtown area or on the campus of UA. Museums that are downtown include CHOM: the Children’s Hands-On Museum of Tuscaloosa and the Murphy African-American Museum. The Alabama Museum of Natural History and the Paul W. Bryant Museum are located on the UA campus. The Westervelt Warner Museum of American Art is located on the grounds of NorthRiver Yacht Club in northern Tuscaloosa. Additional museums and galleries are found across the river in Northport. The Jones Archaeological Museum is located 15 miles south of Tuscaloosa at the Moundville Archaeological Park in Moundville.

Performing arts

Numerous performing arts organizations are active in the Tuscaloosa area. The Arts and Humanities Council of Tuscaloosa County is an association of various performing arts organizations in the Tuscaloosa area. Many are affiliated with UA or Shelton State Community college, but several are independent organizations. A few of the performing arts groups active in Tuscaloosa include (a full list of Arts Council members can be found here):