Huntsville is considered the birthplace of Alabama, since area leaders met there in 1819 to petition the United States Congress to grant the area statehood. Their success is commemorated at a popular Huntsville attraction, the Alabama Constitution Village. Visitors enjoy strolling through the re-created 1800s village that features eight federal buildings, picturesque gardens and the meeting site of the Alabama Territory leaders. However, Huntsville is also known as the space capital of America since it is home to the world's largest space attraction. The U.S. Space & Rocket Center features dozens of interactive exhibits, including a force of gravity demonstration, shuttle shows in the Omnimax Theater and displays about the Apollo lunar missions. Every year the streets of Huntsville are abuzz during the Big Spring Jam, a three-day event in September that features live country, jazz, rock and blues performances on a number of stages.