Mobile

First, let’s go on a “Dark Secrets” Tour. On Fridays nights, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.  Begin at the Admiral Hotel and learn of the night spots of this Port City. There’s an abandoned bride, a woman in red, a brutal murder, and grisly disasters that brought Mobile to its knees. Our guests will hear many more stories before concluding the tour with a second drink and selfies with Todd, our dark-suited guide. Price is $20. Get into ghost hunting with a special app for your phone. Take photos, use the ghost radar, and share what you find on your social media page! For reservations, >More

Next, for the not-so-scary activity, is the Thriller Night of Lights. This is a family-friendly drive-thru light show synchronized to music playing through your car radio. Displays of giant spiders, spooky eyes, friendly ghosts, and tumbling scarecrows are just a few of the displays to see dancing to a fun variety of music.

On Oct. 18, spend the evening at the History Museum. From 5-9, activities include a historical scavenger hunt, storytelling, Halloween crafts & games, live music, and costume contest. Come dressed as your favorite person throughout history or in your Halloween costume! Price is only $5. >More

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.