The church is a canting charge for the village's name, which means “old church”. The arms have been borne since 1986 when they were approved by the now defunct "Regierungsbezirk" administration in Neustadt an der Weinstraße. The following are listed buildings or sites in Rhineland-Palatinate’s Directory of Cultural Monuments:  Altenkirchen holds a village festival on the first weekend in July. The church consecration festival, locally known as the "Kerwe", goes back to the year 1839 and is held on the first weekend in October. A Christmas Market is held on the first day of Advent. In the 1950s, there was also a Cherry Blossom Festival at which a Blossom Queen was chosen. The "Heimatmuseum Altenkirchen", opened in 1987, shows life and work as it was in days of yore. Altenkirchen has an old tree at the "Römerbrunnen" (“Romans’ Spring”) known as the "Dicke Eiche" (“Fat Oak”). Originally, the village's commercial life was oriented towards agriculture, in which sweet cherry growing, begun in 1742, promoted by Elector Karl Theodor, played a role. Cherry growing is still important today. Beginning in the mid 18th century, coal for household heating was also mined within municipal limits, at first only for a few families’ needs, but later very extensively. The biggest collieries were Carls-Fundgrube (founded in 1768) and Maximiliansgrube. In 1775, the Elector Palatine bestowed bequests upon the mine foremen Meixner and Weiß, thereby starting the more extensive phase of local coalmining. In the 1880s, mining ceased. There was further mining after each of the world wars, but neither revival lasted long. Today, Altenkirchen is a residential community for people in many occupations, and local businesses are mainly service businesses or small production facilities. Altenkirchen lies on "Landesstraße" 355, which leads to Schönenberg-Kübelberg, and which meets "Landesstraße" 352 (Quirnbach-Ottweiler) north of the village. "Kreisstraße" (District Road) 5 links the village directly with the village of Breitenbach to the west.