Best Things to Do in Mobile, Alabama: My Picks After Living There

I’ve been to Mobile, Alabama several times throughout my travels along the Gulf Coast. I spent a month living there as a digital nomad, and I was pleasantly surprised with how many things there are to do there. It’s not far from the beach, it has a charming downtown, and it has plenty of nightlife options.

Mobile is also known for its Mardi Gras culture, with the first Mardi Gras being held there (or at least some folks say. That’s another story).

Oh, and you can throw out any preconceived notions of Alabama. When I lived there, they had billboards advertising the fact that Mobile is “not like the rest of Alabama.” Do with that information what you will.

Here is my list of the best things to do in Mobile, Alabama, including historic downtown, nightlife, a weird museum, and an iconic battleship.

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Explore Historic Downtown Mobile

If you’ve been to New Orleans, you’ll see similarities right off the bat. The downtown is charming and is almost like a “mini-Nola,” with many of the street signs named after NOLA streets. Here are a few things to keep an eye out for:

Bienville Square: Charming little park right downtown.
Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception: Beautiful cathedral to visit or take photos of.
Public art and sculptures: There are so many unexpected, interesting sculptures to be found throughout downtown. Take a look around and see what you can find.

Visit the USS Alabama

I did not expect to enjoy this place as much as I did–I’ve never been into boats or aircraft or tanks, but I decided to go because it is a fascinating piece of history, and I’m glad I did.

My number one piece of advice is to allow yourself at least two to three hours to visit the ship and park. I arrived an hour before closing and got to tour only the battleship, and I didn’t even get to see all of it. There are planes, tanks, and a submarine you can explore.

In my panic and desperation to try to see all of the battleship, I opted to skip the self-guided tour and just started climbing. Don’t do that–you’ll run into people and annoy everyone around you.

There are three tours on the ship–a yellow, red, and green tour. The red and green are where you start, and they take you down into the ship’s hull where you get to see where everyone slept, ate, and passed the time. The outside of the ship, however, was the highlight. It was just plain fun climbing up that thing, and you get amazing views of Mobile Bay.

If you’re ever in Mobile, the ship will definitely catch your eye–you can see it looming on the horizon, and it will pique your curiosity. Well worth the price of admission.

Spend a Night on Dauphin Street

Mobile’s nightlife is surprisingly good–you can often hear live music, and you can get alcohol in “go cups.” It isn’t Bourbon Street, and that’s probably a good thing, but if you like going out, don’t assume Mobile shuts down after dinner.

A few of my favorite spots:
The Brickyard: Excellent live music at this spot.
LoDa Bier Garten: Great selection of beer and good food, too.
Hayley’s Bar: Your classic dive bar with interesting music memorabilia on the walls.

And you never know who you might meet. I ran into a nice gentleman at the beer garden, and we hit these spots plus some others together. It was love. For about an hour.

Experience Mobile’s Mardi Gras Culture

Did you know Mobile is where Mardi Gras began? I didn’t until I visited.

And Mardi Gras isn’t something you only notice during Carnival season. The culture is all over the city. You can visit the Mobile Carnival Museum, where you’ll find elaborate costumes, crowns, old photos, and other Mardi Gras memorabilia, or stop by Mardi Gras Park downtown.

If you happen to visit during Mardi Gras season, even better. Mobile has parades with plenty of flying beads and MoonPies. It’s a huge part of the city’s identity and one of the things that makes Mobile feel distinctly different from other Gulf Coast cities.

Get Weird at the Mobile Medical Museum

If you want to go off the beaten path a bit, this is one of the more unusual things to do in Mobile.

You can see old medical devices, such as an iron lung and a cardiac bypass machine, as well as old prescription bottles, like cocaine. It’s not unlike the Pharmacy Museum in New Orleans and will make you appreciate modern medicine.

Visit Bellingrath Gardens

About 30 minutes outside downtown Mobile, Bellingrath Gardens is a 65-acre garden surrounding the former home of Walter and Bessie Bellingrath.

You can tour both the gardens and the Bellingrath home, although you can also buy admission to the gardens only. I’d give yourself at least a few hours here, especially if you plan to tour the house.

Explore the Oakleigh Historic District

Mobile has no shortage of beautiful old houses, but the Oakleigh Historic District is one of the best places to see them.

The centerpiece of the neighborhood is the Historic Oakleigh House, an antebellum Greek Revival home built in the 1830s. You can take a guided tour of the house if you want to dig deeper into Mobile’s history, or simply spend some time exploring the surrounding neighborhood.

Spend a Day on Dauphin Island

Dauphin Island is the closest beach to Mobile. It’s never crowded, and unlike the more-traveled beaches nearby, there are no busy streets lined with souvenir shops and imposing resorts.

The area consists mostly of beach houses and a few restaurants. And if you want to explore more of the Gulf Coast, there’s a ferry that goes to Fort Morgan.

Best of all, Dauphin Island is dog-friendly. If you have a dog and want to spend some quality beach time with your pooch, go here! The more touristy beaches do not allow dogs.

Things to Do Near Mobile

Looking to venture out a bit and explore more of the Gulf Coast? I’ve got you covered.

Hit the Beaches in Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, or Pensacola

If you’re looking to hit up a beach with a lively atmosphere, these three are all roughly within an hour of Mobile. Pensacola Beach is one of my favorite beaches in the country, and sometimes you can catch live music there.

Fort Morgan

If you’ve never been to a historic fort, this one is worth touring. It has a nice beach as well as plenty of great photo ops. There’s a ferry that goes there from Dauphin Island.

Flora-Bama

If you really knew me, you would know that the Flora-Bama is my favorite beach bar in the country. Here, you can sample the drink the Gulf Coast is known for–the Bushwacker–and enjoy live music from one of their 5 stages.

Is Mobile, Alabama Worth Visiting?

Yes, what I like about it is the combination: you get a historic downtown, interesting architecture, Mardi Gras culture, surprisingly good nightlife, and some genuinely unusual attractions. And when you do want the beach, you’re not far from one.

Mobile also feels different from the resort-heavy destinations along this part of the Gulf Coast. You can spend the afternoon touring a battleship or wandering around downtown, go out on Dauphin Street that night, and head to the beach the next day.

Who might not like Mobile?

If you’re looking for a beach destination, Mobile is not it. It’s not far from the water, but if beaches are primarily what you’re after, I’d stay in Gulf Shores or Pensacola instead.

Where to Stay in Mobile

For a first visit, I’d stay downtown if you can. You’ll be within walking distance of restaurants, bars, historic architecture, and several attractions, and you can drive to the USS Alabama and other sights from there.

Map of where to stay in Mobile:

FAQ: Things to Do in Mobile, Alabama