20 Fun Facts About Hoover Alabama

The city of Hoover in Jefferson and Shelby Counties is known for great shopping, sports, and natural attractions, but it also has some quirky history and unique facts worth knowing. Here are 20 fun facts about Hoover, AL:

1. Hoover was incorporated in 1967 and named after William H. Hoover, owner of farmland where the city now stands.
2. The Riverchase Galleria is Alabama’s largest mall at over 1.5 million square feet and features a skylight the size of a football field.
3. Aldridge Gardens contains over 750 camellia plants and was built on the former site of a family home from the 1920s.
4. The SEC Baseball Championship has been held at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium since 1998, with the Hoover High School Buccaneers winning it in 2020.
5. Moss Rock Preserve features ancient boulders and outcroppings that give insight into the geology from over 300 million years ago.
6. Deerfoot Parkway was named after a Native American man known as Chief Deerfoot who once raced a horse down the route.
7. The Fame Theater on Highway 31 hosts community theater productions and concerts in a restored 1930s building.
8. Hoover’s AmStar movie theater was the second theater in Alabama to get IMAX screens.
9. Bluff Park was founded in 1959 and originally its own city before merging with Hoover in 1967.
10. The Blue Collar Comedy Tour with Jeff Foxworthy performed at the Hoover Met in 2006.
11. Oak Mountain State Park, Alabama’s largest state park, straddles the city and features over 40 miles of trails.
12. Hoover is home to the waterpark Alabama Splash Adventure, previously known as VisionLand.
13. John Wayne’s gun from True Grit is on display at Hoover Tactical Firearms.
14. Spain Park High School’s drumline won the world championship in its division in 2016.
15. Aldi grocery stores used to be headquartered in Hoover before relocating to Germany.
16. Hoover’s first library opened in 1963 and only held 2,000 books but now has over 146,000 items.
17. Locations in Hoover have been featured in movies like Talladega Nights and 42.
18. Former first lady Barbara Bush spoke at the grand opening of the Hoover Public Library in 2003.
19. Hoover was ranked one of the 100 Best Places to Live by Money Magazine in 2019.
20. The property for Riverchase was purchased for just $1,700 per acre in 1969, compared to a value of over $1 million per acre today.

With excellent shopping, nature sights, and local history, Hoover has plenty of surprising facts and activities waiting to be discovered. It’s an ideal Alabama destination for the whole family.