If you're a tourist who ends up in Hollywood, Alabama, looking for something to do, odds are you're lost. Or perhaps you're visiting someone in this small town adjacent to the Tennessee River in the northeast corner on the state. Hollywood is most well-known for its unfinished nuclear power plant whose inactive cooling towers loom over the surrounding landscape. And that's about all there is to see in Hollywood. But shoppers, history buffs, birders and outdoor enthusiasts will find some worthwhile spots near this tiny municipality founded long before that more famous Hollywood out west.
By far, the No. 1 attraction anywhere near Hollywood is the Unclaimed Baggage Center in the city of Scottsboro next door. This giant retail center is one of the top tourist attractions in the state. Visitors come from all over the region to browse other peoples' unclaimed baggage that the airlines have released to the center. You can find great deals on an astounding and ever-changing selection of merchandise; many people come just to gawk at it. Some items, such as rare ancient Egyptian artifacts, have been deemed "too wonderful to sell" and now sit as permanent exhibits at a small museum on site.
Hollywood is part of Jackson County. The town of Bellefonte was once a thriving river port and the seat of Jackson County from the 1820s until the Civil War left it mostly in ruins. Scant remnants of the town remain. One of them is the Bellefonte Cemetery, with headstones dating as far back as 1826. The inoperative nuclear plant in Hollywood is named after the old town. Learn more about Bellefonte and the history of the surrounding area at the Scottsboro-Jackson Heritage Center in downtown Scottsboro.
Despite the existence of cities and towns, the Jackson County area is still quite rural, with Appalachian ridges and a major waterway running through it. This makes it a prime area for bird-watching. Birders come to the area for the stops along the Northeast Loop of the Alabama Birding Trails. The stops closest to Hollywood are at North Sauty Creek and Goose Pond Colony in Scottsboro to the south and the Mud Creek Wildlife Management Area just north of town.
Where the Tennessee River runs into the upper reaches of Lake Guntersville just south of Hollywood, you'll find Jackson County Park on the banks of the lake. This county park is in the city limits of Scottsboro and a good spot for scenic relaxation by the water. Swimming and fishing are allowed, and there's a marina for boaters and anglers. The park is home to special annual events such as fishing tournaments and the Catfish Festival each spring.
