Museum of Mobile - Mobile, AL - history housed in history and encouraging children to learn

The Museum of Mobile is located at 111 South Royal Street in Mobile, Alabama. The building that houses the museum was originally built between the years of 1855 and 1857. There were three functions when the building was first completed. The meeting place for the City Council and the Mobile Mayor's office were on the top floor. The council still meets in the building to keep up the tradition that has been in place since 1858 when the building opened.

The Mobile Cadets were the most notable of the local militia units that used the second floor for their headquarters. The cadets were formed in 1848 during the Mexican War and held marching practices and training sessions as well as formal dances in the building for a rather long time. The Southern Market of Mobile was the third function of the Museum of Mobile building. The museum atrium once housed the stalls for the market which was not completely shut down until 1942.

The complex for the Southern Market and Mobile's City Hall was designed in an Italianate architectural style and consisted of four buildings that took up two thirds of the block between Church and Royal Streets. An addition was put on the rear of the building sometime between 1997 and 2000 to hold the staff offices and permanent exhibits for the Museum of Mobile.

The facility offers educational activities for children and adults. There are interesting artifacts in the museum's galleries. There are also interactive and audio exhibits in the facility. Visitors can self guide through the museum at a rate they are comfortable with by going on a scavenger hunt.

The Museum of Mobile is open from nine in the morning until five in the evening on Monday through Saturday. On Sunday the museum opens at one in the afternoon and closes at five in the evening. The cost of admission is $5for adults, $4 for senior citizens and $3 for students. Children under the age of six are admitted to the facility free of charge. There is a dollar off of admission given to group tours and active members of the military that produce an I.D. Admission to the museum is free on the first Sunday of every month.

Tours of the Phoenix Fire Museum, Historic Fort Conde and The Museum of Mobile at the Southern Market are all booked through the Museum of Mobile. The three locations have various rates and hours although each one has the option of self guided or guided tours. Those wishing to tour the facilities should contact the museum directly for additional information.

In Mobile's historic downtown the museum is just a short distance from the Mobile Convention Center, Forte Conde Welcome Center, Adams Mark Hotel and a number of restaurants. There is both lot and street parking available close to the facility. The parking is metered; in addition visitors may use the Riverview Hotel parking garage. Buses and passenger cars can use the unloading area that is directly across from the museum.