Great little get away for kids out for the summer. It was a nice place to let the kids run around…read moreand the lady who greeted us was friendly and kind.

We were in town for a few days and wanted to take the kids to different places they like. My son…read morewanted to see trains so we stopped by this museum. It's free, self guided, easy to walk through. You can do the whole thing in probably 20 minutes. It's small but nice.

This is the coolest and very charming homegrown little museum I've ever had the pleasure of…read morevisiting and the fact that it's right here in my neighborhood rocks! We love stopping in to see what's new and they do get new items and exhibits loaned to them that keeps it fresh. Our visit yesterday was to support their open house that included some very nice refreshments. Besides some delish coffee, tea & excellent punch there was chic salad sandwiches, fresh fruit, veggies with dip and delicious cup cakes. Why am I reviewing food? Well I can't help myself LOL Okay before I talk about what's inside let's look at how it all came to be. Located at 244 W. 19th Ave. in Gulf Shores, AL the building has an interesting history. It was originally a beach house for the Mobile family of Valorie Cole dating back to before World War II. It was always here on 19th street, in fact, it was located on West Beach, and was donated to the city following Hurricane Frederic in 1979. The building has been in use by the city since 1982, first as the library, then as the youth center. It's kinda like the little building that could :-) The land was generously donated by Claude O'Connor, and Wade and Pat Ward. Also Oyster Bay Baptist Church donated their steeple in 1999 to watch over the garden which has dedicated benches and is quite zen-like. Out front is another donated item, a 40-foot mast donated by Walter Nelson and Jimmy Nelson of Nelson's Boat Yard that's used as a flag display. The mast was built in 1940 and was on a local shrimp boat the Sea Biscuit. They have done a great job making this place into a comfortable, warm and invitingly charming experience for the whole family. There's a couple rooms that really tell the story of Gulf Shores with some interactive displays, maps, photos and artifacts. A music section, a room dedicated to hurricanes, complete with a movie, and really a whole lot more. If you haven't checked it out when visiting or if you're a local you'll be glad you did once you see all they offer. Christie Shannon is the museum administrator and is VERY knowledgeable about everything inside and out of her charges and she's friendly, articulate and just a terrific representative of what I now refer to as "my little museum". She has always welcomed us and walks us through what's new and up and coming stuff as well. I know I keep using the term "little" but that's because I've made many visits to the many Smithsonian's in DC, and museums in Boston, Chicago & L.A. just to name a few and of course this one is in someone's former beach house, so relatively it is little. But they make use of every square inch and it's bigger inside than it looks. Bottom line: I highly recommend this great local museum. Explore new and permanent exhibits as well as seasonal programs and events. Admission is free to the public.  Follow them on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/GulfShoresMuseum/

This little museum was better than I thought it would be. It is small, and city is only sixty years…read moreold but it was well put together and informative. The video on hurricane Ivan was outstanding and that raised them to four stars. If you have the time take it in. Also it is free.

We had so much fun at Dinos in the Woods in Elberta! The dinosaur hunt was a great adventure for…read moreour family. We found all four dinosaurs--two are hidden in the woods, and one is on the other side of the road, which made the search even more exciting. Definitely get out of the car and walk up to the dinosaurs. Pictures don't do them justice, and it's much more fun to see them up close. The trails were easy to explore, and it was a great way to get outside and enjoy nature while keeping the kids engaged. Be sure to keep your eyes open because some of the dinosaurs are well hidden! Definitely worth the stop if you're in the area and looking for a fun, free family activity.

Ok well this place is super cool. We drove from place to place, I would love the know the LORE. Was…read morea fun free adventure for the day. Bonus points if you geocache! There's tons along this route!

I had a random weekday off and decided to come here to see what it was about. Let me tell you, it…read moreis EXACTLY what I expected. I walked in, called out hello a few times, no one responded. I walked around and there is really a lot to look at. Run off donations. Everything was well organized.

An interesting pit stop while we were touring around the Orange Beach Alabama area. There is no…read moreadmission fee to walk through the building which has a ton of taxidermied animals and stories about hunting and traveling. It was a unique way to spend 45 minutes to an hour with our kids. If you are not a fan of hunting or if you are against the idea of hunting for animals you probably will not like this place but if you do enjoy hunting and traveling and find animal taxidermy unique you will find this worth a stop and walk through. It is amazing how much they crammed into this building and how many animals this guy hunted. Lots of different species, including many dangerous species. Crazy. If anything is free so doesn't hurt to stop peak in and see if you'd like it.

The museum has captured the essence of life in the area as well as service members who served in…read morenumerous actions and as a vet, I truly appreciate reading the many stores and looking at photos of fellow brothers and sisters.

We've driven by this place on our way back and forth to the Pensacola Airport. One day, we had…read moresome time and decided to stop. It was free to get in. It was really neat to just stroll thru and learn about the history of Baldwin County. The building was huge and we were the only people visiting at that time. We also got followed thru the museum by their resident cat. Super friendly little guy! Fun place to stop and educate yourself and see really neat old objects.

There are lots of local historical items! The gentleman there was very nice and spoke with humor…read moreand intelligence! Making the experience more enjoyable than the other droning boring museum guides. I very much would encourage anyone thinking about going to check this place out!!!

Excellent museum for kids & adults. Friendly & knowledgeable staff. Hands on exhibits show local…read morehistory, in the last surviving one room schoolhouse in the area. A must see!