Gulf Shores Museums

We love museums. I collect historical autographs and documents. My wife loves anything old and has collected everything from perfume bottles to dolls. We are serious Indian artifact hunters, sometimes from daylight to dark. Once I get home, I usually hit the Internet and research our finds.



We used to spend many hours at estate sales, flea markets and antique shops, but since my wife has returned to nursing and I have our websites to maintain ... well you get the picture, there are only so many hours in the day.

When we do have a couple hours to spare we sometimes visit local museums. Most of the museums in the area document the history of the Gulf Coast, most of it before the advent of tourism as we know it today. It is important to preserve our past, and the area museums are doing great work.

For beach tourists, museums are a great way to spend a rainy afternoon or get relief from the sun on a hot summer day without spending a lot of money.

Put some of these museums on your vacation schedule.

Baldwin County Heritage Museum, located on U.S. Highway 98, east of Elberta. This museum documents the history of the area's early settlers. You will not find priceless artifacts in this museum, but you will learn how the early inhabitants of the area lived their daily lives.

Baldwin County Historical Museum

Fort Morgan Historic Site and Museum, located at the very end of the Fort Morgan Peninsula. Here you can find military history with a backdrop of beautiful scenery. The famous phrase, "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!" originated here.

Check out my article on Fort Morgan here.

Gulf Shores Museum, located on West 19th Avenue in Gulf Shores, this museum accents the colorful history of Gulf Shores. A favorite attraction at the museum is the hurricane exhibit where you can learn how hurricanes are formed and how landfall can be predicted. The museum documents the impact Hurricane Frederick and Hurricane Ivan had on the community. Residents mark time by strong hurricanes like Ivan and Frederick.

Gulf Shores Museum

Indian and Sea Museum, located next to Orange Beach City Hall and in front of the post office on Highway 161. The museum displays local artifacts associated with the area's Native American and fishing history. Most of the items were donated by long time area residents.

Indian and Sea Museum

Holmes Medical Museum, located at 111 West Laurel Avenue in Foley. This museum showcases an actual early operating room, patient room and and x-ray. See how the cure for some ailments were worse than the disease. A museum favorite is the display of medicine and procedure prescribed by quack "doctors."

L & N Train Depot and Model Train Exhibit. This museum houses historical artifacts from Baldwin County's past. A new exhibit attracting a lot of attention is the Model Train Exhibit, covering a quarter mile of track; twelve different railroad lines are represented. The museum is easy to find. From the beach, take Gulf Shores Parkway to Highway 98 in Foley, turn right and look to your left. Call 251-943-1818 for more information.

National Museum of Naval Aviation. This is a world class museum, with a focus on naval aviation's impact on modern American history. For those who have an interest in America's space program, the museum will be very enjoyable. The museum is located in west Pensacola, an easy drive from Gulf Shores. Click on the link below for more information and directions.

National Museum of Naval Aviation

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