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Deck 3

Discovery Hull Theater

This theater showcases “Port of Victory”, a film on the history of the Port of Mobile during World War II, focused on the shipbuilding and shipping industries that helped the nation sustain the war. With sound, lighting and fog effects, the film features the role of Waterman Steamship and Alcoa in shipping bauxite for airplane production despite persistent attacks from German U-boats and shipbuilders such as Alabama Dry Dock (ADDSCO).

El Cazador

Step into a glass-bottom boat and witness the amazing shipwreck of El Cazador, a Spanish galleon that could have changed history had it completed its mission in 1784 to deliver new currency to Spain’s struggling Louisiana colony.

Shipwrecks of the Gulf

This large wall mural highlights the Gulf of Mexico’s most significant shipwrecks, from large cargo vessels to small pleasure craft. Ship icons at each wreck site show which type of ship lies there, and brief descriptions provide the ship’s name and details.

Portholes to the Sea

Peer through a porthole to glimpse a parade of vessels transporting goods to the Gulf from distant ports. Whimsical animation portrays ships from the 18th to 21st centuries delivering their cargo – and then picking up Gulf goods for the return trip home.

The Hunley

Visitors will sail onboard the Civil War submarine H. L. Hunley on the fateful night it became the first sub to destroy an enemy vessel: the Yankee warship Housatonic. Experience this historic event through the eyes of Lt. George Dixon, the Hunley’s captain.

Pelican Girls

Visitors will gaze into an old mirror, where the ghostly images of two French women tell about sailing from Paris to Mobile on the ship Pelican in 1704 as “cassette girls” – young women chosen as prospective brides for the single French-Canadian settlers.

Fish Tales

Visitors can watch two media presentations projected on a large ship’s sail: one program on the Dauphin Island Fishing Rodeo; the other on harvesting oysters in the Bay. Overhead are three large fish: recreations of record-setting catches from the Fishing Rodeo.

Riverboat Run

The vessels that traversed the inland rivers of the Gulf evolved from paddle to steam to diesel over the years. Witness the evolution of riverboats in a fun way as an animated sequence “morphs” from canoe to keelboat to flatboat to steamboat to diesel tow.

Tools of the Trade

Methods used by stevedores to handle and stow cargo have evolved from primarily manpower to the computerized technologies of today’s ports. In this display, view the many and varied tools used to handle maritime cargo.

MariTimeline

The comprehensive maritime history of the Gulf of Mexico and Mobile is displayed in a user-friendly format designed for the casual viewer as well as the history buff. On parallel timelines, visitors will explore early discoveries, inventions, economic events, political upheavals, and social milestones that defined Gulf Coast maritime history. Reproduced engravings, paintings and photographs illuminate fascinating facts from the Gulf’s storied past.