Mobile, Alabama sits on Mobile Bay in soutern Alabama. This city, with over 300 years of history, truly mixes historic charm with modern-day life. The city has streets lined with beautiful antebellum homes and oak trees that are over 100 years old. In addition, the city's downtown has a nightlife district that attracts visitors from all around. Mobile is truly a city for an vacationer.
Mobile is a port city sitting
on the edge of Mobile Bay in southern Alabama.
The city, which is over 300 years old, is full of history. Its beautiful streets are lined with oak
trees that over 100 years old. In
addition, you can see homes that date back to the Civil War era.
Mobile
is also a city that has not been passed over time. Mobile’s
downtown is home to skyscrapers housing banks, hotels, and other businesses
making up the economic base for this city.
However, the city’s downtown is not just for business, it also has a
thriving district dedicated to nightclubs, restaurants, and bars that attracts
visitors from around the Gulf
Coast.
The city is home to nearly 200,000 people within its city
limits. However, when you count all of
the individuals that call the mobile and its surrounding area home, the
population totals over a half million.
From the antebellum homes to the modern buildings and business, Mobile is truly a city
where history and the 21st century live in harmony.
Mobile
makes a great place to vacation. In
addition to its rich living history that would attract any history buff, the
city is full of attractions for single individuals, couples, and families. You can easily spend a few days in the city
and not get bored. In fact, spending a
few days in this city will probably make you want to return and experience more
of its rich and diverse culture.
Historic Sights
USS Alabama—The USS Alabama was a battleship which played a
major role in World War II. The ship,
which was commissioned in 1942, saw many battles in the Philippines and the islands of the
Pacific. She has a storied history of
shooting down Kamikaze planes and protecting troops on the ground. The ship received nine battle stars on the
Asia-Pacific Service Medal.
Today, the battleship is docked in Mobile Bay
where thousands of tourists walk the same decks of the ships where men saw
battle during World War II. Visitors can
walk most of the ship, including see where the men ate, showered, lived, and
were cared for when they were sick.
Touring the ship is the true definition of taking a walk back in time.
In addition to the battleship, Battleship Park
also features a hanger full of planes from the World War II era. The park is also covered with tanks and other
machines from military history.
Finally, the park is also home to the USS Drum, a submarine
from World War II. Visitors can tour
this vessel and experience the close quarters in which the men who served
aboard the submarine lived and fought during the war.
Fort Conde—Fort
Conde dates back to the
early 1700’s when it protected the city from attack by the British and
Spanish. The fort, which covered about
11 acres of property, was constructed out of brick and stone. After being used by the French, British, and
Spanish, and the United
States, Congress authorized to dismantle the
fort in 1820 because it was no longer needed.
The fort which sits in downtown Mobile today is only a small replica of the
original. Here, visitors can look out
into the Mobile River from it perches. They can also tour the replica fort and see
artifacts from the original fort’s time period.
Visiting this fort truly gives tourists an idea of how Mobile mixed the modern world with its very
eclectic history.
Oakleigh Historic Complex—The Oakleigh Historic Complex is
actually three museums in one. The main
house, Oakleigh House, is a Greek revival home dating back to about 1833. In this home, visitors will experience
American and Empire furniture, collections of silver, china, jewelry, and even
timepieces.
The Cox-Deasy Cottage on the site dates back to 1850 and
shows visitors the typical life of a mid 19th century middle-class
family. In the museum, you will find
simple furniture from the period, along with personal items and portraits.
The third museum on the grounds pays tribute to a yearly
event that Mobile
is known for worldwide: Mardi Gras. The
Mardi Gras Cottage Museum features the history of Mardi Gras in Mobile. Visitors can see beautiful gowns and regalia
worn by Mardi Gras queens dating back to the 19th century. In addition, pictures and other items give a
history of this treasured Mobile tradition.
Bragg-Mitchell Mansion—In order to truly experience one of Mobile’s antebellum homes, the Bragg-Mitchell Mansion
is a must see. Inside, Visitors can tour
a home that was built in 1855. The home
features beautiful parlors and a large dinning room filled with antiques dating
back to the home’s period.
The grounds of this home are as beautiful as the home
itself. The property surrounding the
home features beautifully planted flowers and impressive oak trees. In fact, this home makes such a beautiful
backdrop, it is often used for weddings by local residents.
Museums
Mobile Museum of Art—The Mobile Museum of Art is truly a
world-class museum in this southern city.
The museum, which sits on beautiful grounds on the western side of the
city, features permanent collections of art from Africa and Asia,
paintings from the 19th century, and European artwork.
In addition, the museum also features traveling exhibits
which are always changing. The traveling
exhibits including pieces of wood art, Mexican art, and sculptures from
American history. The museum is truly a
living, breathing part of the Mobile area.
Gulf Coast Exploreum—The Gulf Coast Exploreum is a science
center located in downtown Mobile. Here, visitors can experience hands-on
exhibits in science, chemistry, and even the human body. In addition, the complex is also home to an
IMAX theatre where high definition films can be viewed in the domed theatre
from all vantage points.
NightLife
After experiencing history, science, and art, a night of fun
and entertainment may be just the way to end the day. Downtown Mobile has the place for that. The area known as Lower Dauphin is a street
where young and old alike can enjoy the nightlife of this city.
On Lower Dauphin, you can find nightclubs catering to those
looking to dance the night away, and restaurants and clubs with menus that are
as diverse as the people on this street.
The area is known for being safe thanks to police patrolling the area on
horseback and cameras to protect the area when the police are not present.
Mobile, Alabama is truly a city that enjoys over 300
years of history. From its beginnings
with Fort Conde to the antebellum homes that still
line its streets; this city has history at every turn. For anyone is wants to experience a city that
has not forgotten its history, Mobile
is the place to visit.