Combat to Commerce
There is no better way to study the history of the sea than to listen to the stories chronicled in the vessels that have sailed her waters. The Gulf of Mexico and Mobile Bay have rich and fascinating histories stretching from the age of European exploration to modern commercialization. The Gulf witnessed power struggles among empires, served as a battleground for devastating attacks during World War II, provided vital materials and ships for the Allied war effort, and led the way in contemporary shipping. With its storied past and dynamic future, the Gulf of Mexico is as magnificent and diverse as the vessels that have called her home.
Featuring finely crafted models of the ships that made history and stories from the men and women who rode them, this new exhibition is our first installment in a years-long look at the dynamic history of Mobile Bay. Guests will go on a journey through centuries of Mobile’s maritime past and present, learning why Raphael Semmes’s crew called him “Ole Beeswax,” why the U.S.S. Constitution docked at the foot of Government Street, and how Alabama Dry Docks changed the course of WWII.
Located on the 4th floor. Included with museum admission.
