BUCKET LIST UPDATE No. 201: Visit the Museum of Mobile

History Museum of Mobile

I’ve wanted to visit the History Museum of Mobile for a number of years, and I’ve had this trip on my “bucket list” for a while. This past Saturday morning, my young son and I were geocaching in Mobile and stopped by the Visitors Center at Fort Conde in downtown Mobile before we got started. The attendant there asked us if we were planning to visit the museum, and he also mentioned that admission to the museum was free.

Our geocaching route took us right by the entrance to the museum at 111 South Royal St., so we decided to check it out. We ended up spending the next hour or so touring the museum, and I’m glad that we took the time to see everything the museum had to offer. I was honestly surprised by the number and quality of the many exhibits at the museum, and I highly recommend it, especially to those who have never been.

The museum is located within the Old City Hall building, which was constructed in the 1850s. This two-story building, which was also once known as the Southern Market, was declared a National Historic Landmark on Nov. 7, 1973. It has housed the History Museum of Mobile since 1997.

While touring the museum on Saturday, I was especially impressed by two exhibits, one from the Civil War and another from Major League Baseball. The Civil War exhibit that I liked the most was the six-inch smooth-bore 32-pounder cannon that was recovered from the wreck of the CSS Alabama in the English Channel. Just to imagine this cannon sitting at the bottom of the Channel all of those years before being brought to Mobile was somewhat amazing.

The baseball exhibit that really grabbed my attention was the 754th home run ball hit by Mobile native Hank Aaron. You’ll find this cool piece of baseball history on the museum’s second floor, where it sits under the watchful eye of an expensive-looking security camera. Aaron hit this home run ball in the second game of a doubleheader against the Texas Rangers on July 11, 1976.

I also enjoyed the Mardi Gras section of the museum and the replica of the CSS Hunley submarine that you can actually climb inside of to see what being inside the old sub was really like. I was also very impressed by the wide variety of old firearms, swords and military uniforms they had on display. There was also a large portrait gallery, a room filled with model houses, an old Indian canoe and much, much more.

If you’ve never been to the History Museum of Mobile, I highly recommend that you check it out. Except for major holidays, the museum is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit www.museumofmobile.com.

In the end, how many of you have been to the History Museum of Mobile? What did you think about it? Which of the displays or exhibits did you like the most? Let us know in the comments section below.