If you ever find yourself on deck down in Florida, chart a course straight for the National Naval…read moreAviation Museum at Naval Air Station Pensacola. First order of business: secure a seat in their giant-screen IMAX theater. That screen is massive one of those experiences where the engines roar, the jets scream across the sky, and you feel like you're strapped into the cockpit yourself. It's the kind of show that makes you sit up a little straighter in your seat and remember why naval aviation has always been the sharp end of the spear. Now the museum itself shipmate, this place is the real deal. Founded back in 1962 by Rear Admiral Magruder H. Tuttle, it started small with just a handful of aircraft. Today it's a full-on aviation hangar of history with more than 150 restored aircraft from the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard spread across huge exhibit bays. My son and I spent hours there, and the best part for him was getting up close with the aircraft climbing into cockpits, checking out helicopters, and seeing the machines that once launched off carrier decks into the wild blue. Top highlights include the historic Curtiss NC-4 (the first aircraft to cross the Atlantic), Blue Angels jets hanging in formation overhead, and flight simulators that let you feel like you're launching off a carrier deck. Bottom line: if you've got even a drop of saltwater in your veins or a love for aviation, this place is squared away. Bring the kids, bring your curiosity, and be prepared to spend a full day walking through the proud history of naval aviation. From one proud American to another this museum is absolutely mission ready.

Amazing place, must see. Great aviation history from pre WWI Kitty Hawk, to WWI battleships…read moreconverted to carriers, WW2 planes, Korea, Vietnam to current aviation.

An amazing day at the Battleship Memorial Park. First time here and we had an incredible time self…read moretouring the ship and watching the history of the USS Alabama in the theater onboard. Parking was only $5. Admission was $15 for veterans and seniors, $18 for adults, $6 for children 6-11 and children up to 5 are free, as are active duty soldiers and dependents. Pictures are taken after you pay for admissions and there are quite a few military backgrounds you can choose from. If you choose to purchase the pictures, they're priced at $33 each or 3 for $66 with a magnetic stand frame for each 6x9 inch picture. There are picture packages of various sizes for purchase. There is a gift shop and the prices were relatively reasonable with an abundance of items to choose from. Adjacent to the gift shop is a restaurant in case you'd like to dine after making a day of the trip. We didn't visit the Drum aka the submarine because I don't like tight spaces lol but the history of the battleship was fascinating and viewing all of the decommissioned vessels/aircrafts really made me even more appreciative of the service of our military personnel. This is a place to you must visit. It's very informative, clean and well operated and I would recommend it to anyone.

There are 8 Battleship museums in the US, and this one has been on my bucket list since the 70s-…read moreand I finally made it here! This visit marks my 6th battleship, only 2 to go! What a great time I had! As my Uber approached her, her size almost indescribable, her silhouette unmistakable in the distance. She loomed larger and larger, we stopped and even though it was pouring rain, I stood there and beheld the incredible machine in front of me. Again, as with other ships, I walked the decks in awe and amazement of what happened on the ship over 80 years ago, the men that walked these decks, lived, fought, and died in service to our great country. Their sacrifices not forgotten, but thankfully live on through these museum ships dotted around the USA. Silent sentinels to those who sacrificed so much. They really did a great job with this museum, and they definitely take care of the ship. I wish I and more time, as there are so many other things to visit here- aircraft, a sub, you could easily spend 2 days here! 2 more ships and I will have visited all of them... But I will definitely come back here again!

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 were on vacation and needed an activity indoors for a chilly/windy day. We went on a whim with…read moreno prior research- I didn't have high expectations of the Science Center and I was wrong. It is a small building but they have packed it with activities that seem to cover a wide age range. We went on a Monday so it was mostly small kids, but my fifth-grader spent three hours going through all the indoor and outdoor exhibits before we left for lunch. We sprang for the planetarium and it was a bit long for the small kids but mine was interested the whole time. We were impressed with the inflatable planetarium.

What a fun place to visit!…read more Brought both grandsons here on a recent visit and all of us thoroughly enjoyed the visit. Lots and lots and lots of hand-on activities (although a few of the robotic ones did not function correctly or had limited range.) Excellent place for a rainy day activity or for a family picnic on a sunny day (outdoor areas are nice.) Plan to recommend this to our future condo renters. Staff is very, very helpful and congenial.

I happened to be in Mobile playing tourist and decided to have a look around at this museum. The…read morerotating exhibit of Sunken Treasures was very interesting. Of course there are 50billion11 things on the sea floor given how many ships have sunk. The wide variety of things to explore here, I could have easily spent several hours here. There is a section on Mardi Gras, the history of the lands, the peoples who were here before the Europeans. The kids' section was super cute. The exhibit on mourning was also great. I do like knowing about the history of mourning. The timeline that included slavery was eye-opening. The area with all of the buggies was delightful, and I wish I could ride one! Take it out for a spin.

A must see when visiting Mobile is the Historic Museum that is currently hosting a display of…read moreJapanese Samurai's armor and historical artifacts. The curated exhibit is very educational and informative on the Shogun era's. Additionally the museum provides a wide range of interactive experiences on Mobile's history. From the founding of the city that predates the formation of the State to the arrival of the first African slaves to the history of Mardi Gras, it's all there.

Interesting art many unusual prints easy to get too Great place for a tour group to visitread more

Our family loves to visit and shop their gift store. They have great art camps in the summer, too.read more

I love medical history! That said, the museum is in the original hospital which is on the second…read morefloor. Evidently, when they were actively taking patients, if there was one that could not navigate the stairs, they would go across the street to a pool hall and get a guy to carry the patient up. I love how everything was maintained and well kept. I would recommend to anyone in the area, especially if you can do stairs.

This place was so cool. Located on the square in a cute town surrounded by tons of shops and…read morerestaurants. The volunteer up front was very kind and knowledgeable. There were tons of displays and educational materials. It's a must see for anyone remotely medical or the generally curious. My dad is a retired Pharmacist and my husband and I are Registered Nurses. We really enjoyed the museum. It was so interesting to see how they did things in the "olden days". This will definitely be a permanent stop during our yearly beach vacation.

We were in the Mobile area and decided to visit this expansive estate. Azaleas and camellia were…read morethe primary bloomers in mid-March, but there were other things to see in the gardens. Bellingrath is not among the gardens giving reciprocal admissions. After we paid, we were given a map and a brief explanation. Many of the garden paths are shady, while others are wide open. There are areas where there are lots of mosquitoes. Sunscreen and bug repellant are recommended for your visit. We enjoyed the water features, bridges, and the beautiful reflections. The so-called Asian-American garden near the end of the tour had some interesting hardscape but wasn't well maintained. The greenhouses were definitely worth a visit. There were lots of plants for sale during our visit. We didn't visit the Bellingrath Home Museum, which had an extra charge. All in all, we got some exercise and saw beautiful scenery during our visit. I'm guessing the gardens will be much nicer beginning in May. Hopefully the roses will be blooming by then.

It's inexpensive but not very expansive. For anyone traveling from out of state it's nice but…read morenothing incredibly memorable. There are some attractive water features and trees but a lot of the other plants will be garden flowers. It takes about an hour or so to walk through. If possible, avoid during the evening because even during the winter there will be mosquitoes unless it's actually cold. A nice walk and not that expensive so it's worth a trip if you're in the area.