A Family Weekend in Mobile, Alabama: What to Do, Eat & Know Before You Go

A Family Weekend in Mobile, Alabama: What to Do, Eat & Know Before You Go

Mobile, Alabama is close enough to the Emerald Coast for an easy weekend getaway, but there’s enough to do that you definitely won’t see it all in one trip.

We learned that firsthand.

For our first family weekend in Mobile, we ate seafood on the causeway, explored the National Maritime Museum of the Gulf, introduced our au pair to her first American football game, found a little Dolly Parton at an Irish social club, and somehow ended up on ESPNU.

We also learned when to abandon the itinerary and take tired kids home.

If you're planning a trip to Mobile with kids—especially from Pensacola, Navarre or elsewhere along the Emerald Coast—here's our Playbook.

Stop 1: Felix's Fish Camp

If you're driving to Mobile from the east, Felix's Fish Camp makes an easy first stop before heading into downtown.

Located along the causeway, Felix's has beautiful views, plenty of Gulf Coast atmosphere and a large menu with options beyond seafood.

Playbook Tip: Consider splitting meals for younger kids

The portions were generous. We ordered individual meals and ended up leaving with plenty of leftovers.

If you're traveling with younger kids who don't eat much, we'd consider having them split something.

After lunch, we continued into Mobile for our main attraction of the afternoon.

Stop 2: National Maritime Museum of the Gulf With Kids

The National Maritime Museum of the Gulf ended up being one of the biggest surprises of our weekend.

If you're picturing a traditional museum where kids spend two hours following their parents around while being told not to touch anything, this isn't that.

There were simulators, remote-controlled boats, a children's play area, multimedia experiences, theater presentations and plenty of opportunities to interact with the exhibits.

Our kids of different ages all found something they enjoyed.

Give yourself extra time to arrive and park

Getting to the museum took us a little longer than expected.

Parking was a little tricky during our visit, and we ended up waiting for a train to pass before we could continue toward the museum.

It was a good reminder that Mobile isn't just a city that teaches maritime history. It's still a working port city, surrounded by the trains, ships, containers and freight that move goods through the Gulf.

If you have something scheduled at the museum, give yourself a little buffer.

Check the Museum's Event Calendar

We happened to visit during a Young Entrepreneurs event featuring kid-run businesses.

Unfortunately, we arrived for approximately the last 15 minutes.

Most of the young entrepreneurs had successfully entrepreneured their way right out the door by then.

We still managed to grab some tasty drinks, pet a few bunnies and check out some of the remaining businesses.

Our kids were actually disappointed that we'd missed most of it.

The entrepreneurs ranged from young kids through teenagers, and we loved seeing kids learning how to create something, interact with customers and run their own businesses.

It also gave us a new rule for future trips: check the event calendar before visiting an attraction. A special event might be worth adjusting your itinerary around.

Don't Automatically Take the Elevator

The museum is organized almost like you're moving through the decks of a container ship.

If ramps work for your family, consider walking them instead of automatically taking the elevator.

Along the railings you'll find sailor sayings and maritime slang with explanations of what they mean and where they originated.

It turns getting from one level to another into part of the museum experience.

Try the Patrol Boat Simulator

The simulators were one of our kids' favorite parts of the museum, and they were included with admission during our visit.

An employee told us the patrol boat scenario—Scenario 3 during our visit—was the most popular and recommended that we try it.

Leilani listened.

Iliana decided she wanted to be different and selected the container ship docking exercise instead.

Approximately one minute later, she announced that it was boring and wanted to go back to the patrol boat.

Sometimes you listen to the experts.

The RC boats were another hit

There are also small remote-controlled boats that kids can maneuver around a tank.

Watching our children repeatedly slam their boats into the walls, I could only think:

These kids are the future of the Navy.

We're in good hands.

Maybe.

There's Plenty for Younger Kids, Too

The museum wasn't just a hit with our older kids.

There's a children's area with a pirate ship and green-screen experience that our younger kids enjoyed.

They also tried a glass-bottom-boat-style experience where you can put on headphones and listen to information and history.

There were even a couple of small theater rooms showing themed presentations.

To our surprise, some of our kids were completely invested in the historical shows.

Apparently they take after their dad.

Give Nick an old map or some historical information and we'll see him again in 20 minutes.

That variety is probably what we appreciated most about visiting the museum as a family.

The kids didn't all have to enjoy the same thing.

One could play. Another could use a simulator. Someone else could watch a presentation or listen to an exhibit.

Another family bonus: kids 5 and under were free during our visit.

Jimmy Buffett Fans: There's Something for You, Too

The museum also had a newer Jimmy Buffett experience during our visit.

We learned that Buffett was born in Mobile, something I didn't know before this trip.

Our kids did not fully appreciate the significance.

Little do they know we're taking them on Margaritaville at Sea, so they're going to have to get with the program eventually.

If you're a Parrothead, make time for this section.

A Few Things We'd Want to Know Before Visiting

There were active improvements happening around the museum during our visit, including some drilling.

Our kids aren't typically sensitive to noise, but even they were bothered by it at times.

If anyone in your family has noise sensitivities, tossing some ear protection into your bag wouldn't hurt.

And then there's the café.

Personally, I would not plan my day around eating a meal there. There was food available, but we'd eat before or after the museum instead.

More importantly, I went looking for coffee.

I asked what they served.

Folgers.

I passed.

Which brings us to...

Stop 3: Coffee Stop: Serda's Coffee Company

We had a late college football game ahead of us, so coffee was becoming less of a luxury and more of a requirement.

After leaving the museum, we stopped at Serda's Coffee Company to caffeinate and regroup before heading to the stadium.

If you're combining downtown Mobile activities with an evening event, building in a coffee or downtime stop before the second half of the day is something we'd do again.

Especially with kids.

Stop 4: South Alabama Football With Kids

Our evening activity was a South Alabama football game—and this one came with a first.

It was our au pair Mira's first American football game ever.

Not her first college football game.

Her first football game.

The stadium lights, music, crowd and entire college-football atmosphere made for a fun introduction.

We were there as away-team fans, which is worth mentioning if you're considering adding a game to your weekend.

Naturally, some of the experience is geared toward the home crowd. The mascot isn't spending as much time near you, and giveaways like T-shirts are more likely to head toward the home sections.

But the South Alabama fans around us were welcoming and kind despite the fact that we were clearly cheering for the other team.

Bring something for younger kids

For a late game, we'd recommend bringing a few simple activities for younger children.

We packed coloring activities for downtime.

And cowbells.

Obviously.

Before attending, check the stadium's current bag policy, too. Many stadiums have clear-bag requirements, and that's something you want to know before reaching the gate.

One other thing we learned:

Behave yourself in the stands.

We somehow ended up on ESPNU.

So don't pick your nose.

Your family at home might be watching.

Stop 5: Callaghan's Irish Social Club

Another Mobile stop we enjoyed was Callaghan's Irish Social Club.

It's tucked into a neighborhood and has a completely different atmosphere from the other places we visited.

The food was tasty, but some of our favorite details weren't actually on the menu.

Outside, we found a Little Free Library-style stand dedicated to Dolly Parton.

The kids grabbed a couple of books, brought them inside and read while we waited for our food, then returned them afterward.

Free restaurant entertainment. We'll take it.

Meanwhile, Nick found an old map of Ireland and became completely engrossed in it.

I still don't know what information he was searching for.

I have video evidence that it was apparently very important.

What We Didn't Get to Do in Mobile

Our original itinerary was more ambitious than what we actually accomplished.

We wanted to visit the Exploreum, but we ran out of time on Saturday. At the time of our trip, it was closed on Sundays.

Our backup plan was to visit the USS Alabama on Sunday as we headed east toward home.

Then we sat down at Callaghan's and looked at our kids.

They were done.

They had started the weekend with youth athletics and then stayed up late for a college football game. By Sunday, we had tired, cranky kids—and adding another attraction wasn't going to improve anybody's weekend.

Could we technically have squeezed in the USS Alabama?

Probably.

Would anyone have appreciated it?

Probably not.

So we called it.

Is Mobile Worth a Family Weekend From the Emerald Coast?

For us, yes—and we don't think one weekend is enough.

Mobile is close enough to Pensacola and the western Emerald Coast that you don't need to treat it like a major vacation or cram every attraction into 48 hours.

Pick a few things you genuinely want to do. Check the local event calendars. Leave some room in the itinerary.

And when the kids have reached their limit, believe them.

We still want to visit the Exploreum and USS Alabama, plus several other Mobile attractions we haven't gotten to yet.

So consider this Mobile Playbook: Part One.

We'll be back.

Add it to the list.

#EmeraldCoastPlaybook #MobileAlabama #GulfCoast