Coastal Alabama is full of rich history. Come learn about our early settlers, Mardi Gras, and more at any of our museums around our coast.
All aboard! Come learn all about Foley’s beginnings through trains! The Foley Railroad Museum contains artifacts and stories of when Foley was a thriving agricultural center and how the railroad played a major role in posterity. You can also view dozens of model toy trains and their displays at the Foley Model Train Exhibitat the museum!
Come learn all about the beginnings of medicine in Baldwin County at The Holmes Medical Museum! The museum is actually housed in Baldwin County’s very first hospital. This hospital served the community from 1936-1958. On your tour, you will get to see many of the original medical tools they used during this time including surgical instruments, operating room machinery, and even a human skeleton!
“Damn the torpedoes! Full spead ahead!” Did you know this famous saying was sounded by Union Admiral David G. Farragut at Fort Gaines in Dauphin Island? Come learn about the beginnings of the island and the Battle of Mobile Bay at Fort Gaines! Fort Gaines still has its original cannons, blacksmith shop, kitchens, and tunnels. You can take a self-guided tour of the fort, or schedule a group tour for up to 15 people with a two weeks notice.
Bellingrath may be known for its beautiful gardens, but did you know there is also a 15 room, 10,500 square foot home on the property as well? The Bellingrath Museum Home once belonged to Walter and Bessie Bellingrath who started the famous gardens you know today! The home has all of its original furnishings, appliances, and even has all of Mrs. Bellingrath’s china, crystal and silver on display as well.
Now Hear This! Come take a tour aboard real war ships at the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park! Take a self-guided tour through the USS Alabama Battleship, USS Drum Submarine, the aircraft pavilion, and more. There are also park memorials where you can honor the men and women who have fallen during the wars. You can also view different tanks and artillery across the park.
Did you know the city of Fairhope was founded almost 115 years ago? Dive into their interesting beginnings at the Fairhope Museum of History! Come learn about how Fairhope got its name, the Single Tax theory, Jubilee phenomenon, and so much more.
The Poarch Creek Indians are descendants of the original Creek nation which once covered almost all of Alabama and Georgia. Now the only federally recognized Indian Tribe in the state of Alabama, you can learn more about the tribe and its past at The Kerretv Cuko (Building of Learning) Poarch Creek Indians Museum! In the museum, you will see how the Poarch Creek Indians ancestors lived with stoneware, pottery, tools, baskets and textiles. You will also find traditional forms of Creek art including pottery, shellwork, copper tooling, and quilting. The museum also has special artifacts for the Poarch Creek Indians specifically, including original copies of the Petition for Federal Recognition submitted to the United States Department of the Interior in 1980.
Check out the Gulf Shores Museum and experience what its like to fly through the eye of a hurricane! The Gulf Shores Museum a beach cottage that dates before World War II and houses both permanent and seasonal exhibits all year long.
The Orange Beach Indian and Sea Museum houses many local artifacts and memorabilia relating to our Native American and fishing heritage. The museum is housed in an old schoolhouse that was built over 110 years ago and fits a 500 year old canoe!
Let the Good Times Roll at the Mobile Carnival Museum! Learn all about the birthplace of Mardi Gras and the mystic societies of Mobile at the museum and view dozens of emblem costumes, robes, crown, scepters, and more! The museum also shows videos and pictures of parades and balls so that you can experience the Mardi Gras celebration at any time of the year.
Lover of the arts? Stop by the Mobile Museum of Art and view their permanent collection of 6,000 works of fine and decorative art from around the world! You can also spend your day outside viewing a few of their beautiful sculptures as you walk along their pathways or near the pond.
Come and learn how the city of Mobile came to be at the History Museum of Mobile! The museum features over 117,000 objects in their exhibits to show viewers the rich, diverse, and often turbulent histories of Mobile and its surrounding areas from the prehistoric past to the present.
Whether you are a native or visiting, we guarantee that you will learn something new!