Tour Historic Sites Throughout Alabama’s Mobile and Baldwin Counties
As Alabama’s oldest city, Mobile is home to a number of historic sites, including landmarks, exhibits and parks that allow visitors a glimpse into the past. Historic sites around Mobile span the nearly 325 years of the city’s rich culture, from its beginnings in 1702 to the present day, with more history being uncovered by the year.
Colonial Roots
Built in 1723, Colonial Fort Condé is one of Mobile’s earliest preserved historical sites. Early French explorers built the fort to defend Mobile shortly after it was founded. The History Museum of Mobile now manages the reconstructed fort, which features views of the Mobile skyline and artifacts from colonial times. Historic interpreters add a feeling of authenticity by sharing stories, leading classes and demonstrating elements of colonial life.
“The preservation of this site, and others like it, allows the local community and out-of-town visitors the opportunity to experience the rich and diverse history that has shaped Mobile and the wider Gulf Coast,” says Jon Sexton, director of the History Museum of Mobile.
The museum, situated in the historic Southern Market/Old City Hall Building, has its own rich history; as a National Historic Landmark, the building has been in operation since 1858.
Civil War Era & Maritime History
Historic Fort Gaines on Dauphin Island was a critical site during the Civil War, when it guarded Mobile Bay for Confederate troops along with Fort Morgan on the opposite peninsula. The fort has withstood more than 200 years of wear, including the Battle of Mobile Bay during the Civil War. Today, visitors can tour the original ramparts and cannons that silently guard Mobile Bay, one of the first bodies of water charted by the Spanish in the New World.
Another significant Civil War site has been transformed into a thriving scenic attraction. At Historic Blakeley State Park in Baldwin County, visitors can camp and hike among the largest Civil War battle site in Alabama, the ghost town of Blakeley and early Native American settlements, all while taking in views of the Mobile-Tensaw Delta, one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the country.
Hailing from a more recent era, the USS ALABAMA Battleship Memorial Park features a battleship that was built in 1940 and began its journey in World War II. The Mobile Chamber initiated the first efforts to save the famed battleship in what culminated with the efforts of schoolchildren across the state in the 1960s, who raised nearly $100,000 toward the preservation effort.
African American Heritage
In the 1990s, Dora Franklin Finley took up the challenge of preserving and protecting the city’s rich African American heritage, resulting in a heritage trail that encompasses 39 sites, with more being uncovered each year. Today, tour director Eric Finley helps carry on the legacy of the Dora Franklin Finley African-American Heritage Trail.
“Dora’s vision 24 years ago was well ahead of her time,” Finley says.
On a bus tour, visitors can explore the sites, which include important civil rights landmarks and feature famous figures of Mobile’s Black history.
One major point of interest is the Africatown Heritage House where visitors get an educational experience with an eye toward the future. The Africatown Heritage House and Clotilda: The Exhibition dive into the history of the last known U.S. slave ship, the Clotilda, and the community of Africatown, which was founded by a group of West Africans who were illegally transported to the U.S. on the ship in 1860.
Along with the Africatown Heritage House, the Mobile County Commission built the Africatown Hall & Food Bank, which is home to multiple organizations working to preserve Africatown’s history and help propel it forward.
“Preserving local history means passing down the stories that define who we are,” says Mobile County Commission President Merceria Ludgood. “Countywide, when we share local stories with purpose and pride, we do more than remember – we strengthen the roots of our community and shape a brighter future.”
Beyond the established landmarks, ongoing community efforts ensure that the region’s rich heritage remains accessible and alive for generations to come.
