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.

Whoa! This place is super cool. Lots of restored aircraft from navy and military history. Lots of…read moreinteractive exhibits, displays, and even flight simulators. With special areas featuring World War I, World War II, Korean, and the Vietnam war. Can easily spend 3-4 hours here. Great for kids and adults.

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.

3/27/2025: Cute displays of old time businesses in Pensacola (or everyday America years ago). This…read morewas part of the ticket we purchased at the museum of history. They only have a few displays, but it was worth the time. Took us about 20 minutes to view.

I went here for an introduction session of the past mayor, Ashton Hayward and current UWF…read morepresident, Martha D. Saunders. I absolutely love the set up of this museum! It's a reconstructed 1890s era streetscape. On exhibit are historic shops featuring toys, hardware, music, households, and leather goods. An interesting collection of horse drawn buggies and an antique local trolley car are also part of this nostalgic recreation of yesteryear. The University of West Florida Sea3D Additive Manufacturing Laboratory is located inside the Museum of Commerce. Prices are $12 for adults, $11 for AAA, Military, and 65+, and UWF alumni, kids 3-14 are $7 and under 3 are free. Hours of operation are 10am-4pm Tuesday-Saturday. If you are interested in taking a deeper dive into the historic side of Pcola, make sure you drop by. A very nostalgic feeling for sure.

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.

Can't miss this museum with the train outside! I absolutely enjoyed how this museum is laid out!…read more The exhibits are all in one huge room with partitions. The building was built in 1884 for the Pensacola Ice Company. I walked in from the area out back where Julee Cottage is. The main entrance is on Zaragoza St. It felt as natural entering from there as from the front. The restrooms are near the rear entrance. I was a little fascinated by the different types of bricks! In the sawmill, you can push buttons to learn about the machines. In the fishing exhibit, you can see the gear they used as well as what fish they caught. When you open the door to go out to the train, there is a recording with a train whistle... it's pretty cool! There is the T.R. Miller Engine #12 & a Caboose. Unfortunately, you can't get too close-up of a look inside either. But you can see plenty of information about the railroad industry inside. I bought the Unified Admission Ticket which permits admission to all museums in the Historic Trust museum complex for seven (7) days. With my AAA, it cost $9 in Aug. of 2022. For the number of places you can visit, it is a great inexpensive way to learn about Pensacola's history! These museums are closed on Mondays! Come check it out and also the other museums nearby! I visited this museum, Museum of Commerce, the Pensacola Historic Village (Julee Cottage, John Appleyard Storytelling Cottage, the USO house exhibit), Museum of History, and the Museum of Art.

Great Hands-On Museum exhibits with many pictires plaques demonstrating how things work, why we had…read morethem & how they have progressed through time. Includes a real steam engine from 1923.

Definitely worth spending some time here doing the various tracks and soaking up the AC in the…read morearcade!!! We had so much fun and we might go back today before we head out of town to do the giant swing!!!

We had an okay time at The Track in Gulf Shores, but it didn't quite live up to our expectations…read more The facility was clean, and the staff was friendly, but the prices were pretty high. Paying around $9 per person for a single family go-kart ride felt expensive for what you get. The family go-kart itself was also much slower than we expected, and the ride was pretty bumpy, which took away from the experience. It was still a fun activity to do once, but I was hoping for a little more excitement and better value for the price. Overall, it's not a bad place to visit, but I think the pricing could be more reasonable for the experience.

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!

This is a cool place to see amazing trees. It doesn't take long at all to walk through the area…read more Lots of benches to just sit and enjoy the nature all around you. But let me mention this - you won't see any goats. Yep we were disappointed about this too but still worth a visit to see the trees.

This is a beautiful place to take a walk and enjoy nature and learn about the goat trees. Enjoy…read morethe beautiful trees, blooming wild flowers and flowering vines. A good place to bird watch or just enjoy their bird songs.