Vulcan was designed by Italian sculptor Giuseppe Moretti and cast in Birmingham by the Birmingham Steel and Iron Company in 1903-1904. The statue was created specifically for the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition (World's Fair) in St. Louis, where Birmingham hoped to showcase its iron industry. The statue was cast in sections - over 20 major pieces - from Birmingham iron. Assembled in St. Louis, Vulcan won the Grand Prize for metals and mining at the fair. After the exposition, the statue was disassembled and shipped back to Birmingham, where it languished in pieces at the state fairgrounds for decades before finding its permanent home.

After the World's Fair, Vulcan had an undignified few decades. The statue was reassembled at the Alabama State Fairgrounds, but incorrectly - he faced the wrong direction, and his spear was replaced with an ice cream cone (promoting the fair's ice cream vendor) and later a Coca-Cola bottle. He stood amid carnival rides and livestock exhibits. In 1936, Birmingham finally gave Vulcan a proper home on Red Mountain, erected on a 124-foot pedestal with an observation deck. The spear returned. But years of exposure and improper assembly had damaged the statue; by the 1990s, Vulcan was deteriorating dangerously.

By 1999, Vulcan's condition was critical - cracks in the iron, structural instability, and years of weather damage threatened the statue's survival. Birmingham launched an $14 million restoration project. Vulcan was disassembled piece by piece, each section repaired, cracks welded, surfaces treated. The restoration revealed original details obscured by decades of paint. The statue was reassembled correctly for the first time since 1904. The pedestal was rebuilt, the park redesigned, and a new museum added. Vulcan reopened in 2004, exactly 100 years after his World's Fair debut, finally receiving the treatment Birmingham's symbol deserved.

Vulcan represents Birmingham's industrial identity. The city was founded in 1871 at the intersection of iron ore, coal, and limestone - the three ingredients for making iron. Birmingham became the 'Pittsburgh of the South,' its economy built on steel mills and foundries. The iron in Vulcan came from local ore; the god of the forge was literally made from Birmingham's earth. As industry declined in the late 20th century, Vulcan became nostalgic - a reminder of what Birmingham once made. Today he's a tourist attraction, but also an identity marker: Birmingham was built by working people who made things from fire and metal.

Vulcan Park and Museum is located at 1701 Valley View Drive in Birmingham, Alabama, atop Red Mountain. The park is open daily; admission is charged. The observation deck inside Vulcan's pedestal offers 360-degree views of Birmingham. The museum tells the story of Birmingham's iron industry and Vulcan's history. The park grounds include walking trails and overlooks. Downtown Birmingham is visible below. The park is 3 miles south of downtown via US-31. Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport is 6 miles northeast. Allow 1-2 hours for the museum, observation deck, and grounds. Evening visits offer city lights; the statue is illuminated at night.