The Weekender Extended - Go Explore! Founded in 1702 as the original capital of the Louisiana Territory and nestled along the beautiful Gulf of Mexico, few American cities boast a history as rich as Mobile’s. The birthplace of Mardi Gras in the United States, the area’s sheer beauty, modern architecture, amazing museums and famous seafood continues to impress visitors and locals alike.
The Mobile Carnival Museum
This museum highlights the history of Mardi Gras in its true birthplace. See firsthand the intricate designs and artistry of majestic crowns , sceptersand robes of Mardi Gras monarchs. Discover the art of costume design and float construction. Experience a behind the mask view of the street party by climbing aboard a rocking float. Open Mon., Wed., Fri., Sat. – 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Shipwreck! Pirates & Treasure
See through September 2 at the GulfQuest/National Maritime Museum of the Gulf of Mexico. Odyssey Marine Exploration has discovered hundreds of shipwrecks across the globe. The artifacts, treasure and knowledge recovered from these fascinating time capsules provide a unique opportunity to share the excitement of shipwreck exploration in various exhibit venues. This interactive multi-media exhibit features over 500 artifacts recovered from deep-ocean shipwreck expeditions around the world. Visitors are also immersed in the technology and process Odyssey uses to find and recover shipwreck treasures.
The Exploreum
Through our 60 foot IMAX Dome, immerse yourself in the diverse landscapes and experience the wildlife in a larger than life environment unlike any other on the Gulf Coast! Come with us on a spectacular ride through Africa. Our guide through this enchanted kingdom is the giver of life itself — water. Water crafts wild Africa from its jungles to its deserts, conjuring up life wherever it journeys on its eternal continental cycles … traveling above the plains on seasonal winds, cascading along raging rivers, or sheltering coral cities. The whole of Africa are born of water — it dictates the character of the entire continent and will lead us through an epic visualization of the great water cycle, as it related to African wildlife.
Exploreum visitors can experience more than 150 hands-on science adventures in three permanent galleries: Hands On Hall, Wharf of Wonder, and My BodyWorks. Guests can also enjoy live demonstrations in the ChemLab and BioLab daily. A new exhibit opening in February is Drugs: Costs & Consequences. Most Americans are unaware of the tremendous costs associated with the production, sale and use of illegal drugs. 
The costs to society—estimated at more than $200 billion a year—are borne by all of us in some way. Despite the fact that the vast majority of Americans are not drug users, we pay for users’ loss productivity, their health care, criminal justice costs, child welfare costs, and the impact their drug use has on their own health and safety.This exhibit is designed to open eyes to the science behind illegal drug addiction and the myriad costs of illegal drugs—to individuals, American society and the world—and to provide food for thought on how each and every one of us can make a difference. >MORE
When You Get Hungry…
Wild caught Gulf shrimp, blue crabs, oysters and more are as bountiful as succulent. Or stack cornbread beside Southern fried chicken, collards, cheese grits and other soulful delicacies as good as Momma’s. Slow-cooked pit barbecue is a prized local favorite. Farm-to-table, locally sourced meals shared with friends has become a popular movement.
Dramatic view meets distinctive dining at Dauphin’s. The menu spans every flavor of French Creole, but it’s the panorama spanning Mobile Bay that first wows you on arrival to the 34th floor of the Trustmark Building. Overlooking Mobile’s downtown revival just blocks away from the canopy of oaks gracing historic homes that are the Port City’s hallmark – Dauphin’s combines appreciation of Mobile’s past with all the energy of her current renaissance. There is a waterfront view in the bar. The menu celebrates classic coastal cuisine with hints of Caribbean and Creole soul. Start your meal with Mobile Bay staples like West Indies salad or crab claws. Then go for the maple leaf duck breast or the chef’s Gumbo Z’herb – just named one of Alabama’s “100 Dishes to Eat Before You Die.”
