Mobile, one of the more important ports and industrial towns on the Gulf of Mexico, lies in a bay in south-western Alabama that reaches over 25 mi. inland. The town was founded by French immigrants at the beginning of the 18th C, Mardi Gras (Carnival) is still a lively annual event. A number of well preserved antebellum houses (e.g. Oakleigh Mansion, De Tonti Square) and beautiful gardens planted with azaleas, give the town its special atmosphere. Other places of interest are the Fine Arts Museum of the South, the Museum of the City of Mobile, the Cathedral (1835) and an old French fort (rebuilt), Fort Condé.
In Battleship Memorial Park are the destroyer "Alabama" and the submarine "Drum", which fought in the Second World War and the Korean War.
Fort Conde in Mobile was built in 1702 of wood and relocated in 1711. The French Fort was built of brick, stone, earthen dirt walls, and cedar wood beginning in 1723. Today visitors can view the equipment and stores that were necessary for the fort's operations.
The current Fort Conde is a replica of the original fort. Guides in period costumes can be found throughout the fort and there are demonstrations of cannon and musket firing.
Fort Conde defense in Mobile.
Hours:
9am-5pm
Always closed on: Christmas - Christian (December 25), Mardi Gras - Shrove Tuesday - Christian
The USS Alabama was launched in 1942 and decommissioned in 1947. The Battleship Memorial Park is dedicated to Alabama veterans who served from WW II to Operation Desert Storm. The decks, turrets, mess, berth compartments, bridge, wardroom and captain's cabin of the USS Alabama are open for tours. Various aircraft and military equipment are also on display.
The Bragg-Mitchell Mansion in Mobile is a combination of Greek Revival and Italianate architecture. The Bragg-Mitchell Mansion, built in 1855, is considered one of Mobile's finest antebellum mansions. The mansion is furnished with antiques and draperies although only a few original items remain.
Visitors can glimpse life in the Old South with a visit to the mansion, once the center of a lively social life in the thriving port of Mobile.
Address: Bragg-Mitchell Mansion, 1906 Springhill Avenue, Mobile, AL 36607-2304, United States
Phone: 1 (251) 471-6364, Fax: 1 (251) 478-3800
The Carlen House is a Creole Cottage built in 1842 for Michael and Mary Carlen and their 12 children. Exhibits in this Irish immigrant family farmhouse include antique period furnishings, the Carlen Family Bible, kitchen utensils, candle making equipment, and a cigar machine.
The Condé-Charlotte Museum House was built in the 1840's to serve as the City's first official jail. Each room is furnished to reflect a period and a nationality - French Empire, 18th C English, American Federal, and the Confederate room.
A walled Spanish garden, designed in an 18th C plan, complements the house.
Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center in Mobile is home to interactive science exhibits and an IMAX theater. The Hands On Hall has numerous interactive stations; the Wharf of Wonder delights junior scientists, under the age of 5; Minds On Hall features exhibits such as a virtual rollercoaster, virtual fish tank and virtual choreographer.
The IMAX theater shows science-based films daily.
Hours:
9am-5pm; Sun:12pm-5pm; Sat:10am-5pm
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), Thanksgiving - USA (4th Thursday, November ), Christmas - Christian (December 25), Christmas Eve - Christian (December 24), Mardi Gras - Shrove Tuesday - Christian, Easter - Christian
The Mobile Museum of Art features decorative arts, African art, contemporary crafts and American art from a permanent collection of over 6,000 items that spans a period of 2,000 years.
Address: Mobile Museum of Art, 4850 Museum Drive, Mobile, AL 36608, United States
Phone: 1 (251) 208-5200, Fax: 1 (251) 208-5201
Hours:
10am-5pm; Sun:1pm-5pm
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), Memorial Day - USA (last Monday, May ), American Independance Day (July 4), Thanksgiving - USA (4th Thursday, November ), Christmas - Christian (December 25)
The Phoenix Fire Museum was the restored home of the Phoenix Volunteer Fire Company No. 6. Exhibits include turn-of-the-century horse-drawn steam engines and early motorized vehicles. The history of the volunteer fire companies of Mobile, from their organization in 1838, is displayed on the second floor.
Hours:
10am-5pm; Sun:1pm-5pm; Closed: Mon
Tips: Free admission on the first Sunday of each month.
Richards DAR House Museum is a restored Italianate townhouse built in 1860 for Charles G. Richards, a steamboat captain. The house is furnished with Victorian and Empire furnishings from the early 19th C.
A notable iron lace fence surrounds the house and neo-classic figurines of the Four Seasons are featured on the arabesques and scrolls.
The formal gardens on the north side of the house feature beds of camellias, azaleas and sweet olive.
Hours:
11am-3:30pm; Sun:1pm-4pm; Sat:10am-4pm
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), American Independance Day (July 4), Day after Christmas, St Stephen's Day, Boxing Day (December 26), Christmas - Christian (December 25), Christmas Eve - Christian (December 24), Mardi Gras - Shrove Tuesday - Christian, Easter - Christian
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USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park, Mobile
Oakleigh Garden District, Mobile
Old Dauphin Way, Mobile
USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park, Mobile
Oakleigh Garden District, Mobile
Old Dauphin Way, Mobile
USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park, Mobile
