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GulfQuest - National Maritime Museum of the Gulf of Mexico, Mobile

4.6

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GulfQuest National Maritime Museum of the Gulf of Mexico opened on September 26, 2015, is a non-profit interactive maritime museum dedicated to the maritime heritage and culture of the Gulf of Mexico. The 120,000 square foot museum, located on the riverfront in downtown Mobile, Alabama, is designed to look as if it were a ship headed into Mobile Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. The museum features 90 interactive exhibits, simulators and theaters, a museum store, a museum café and event space, complemented by artifacts and memorabilia displayed throughout “multiple decks” inside a full-sized replica of a container ship, displayed as if dockside.
Named Attraction of the Year for 2016 by the Alabama Department of Tourism, GulfQuest is one of only two interactive maritime museums in the United States (one of only three in the world) and the only museum in the world dedicated to “America’s Sea”, the Gulf of Mexico.
Because of lower-than-expected attendance, the museum was scheduled to close to the general public on Nov. 14, 2016. GulfQuest reopened in February of 2017.
During the 1990s, City of Mobile and Alabama state leaders formed a non-profit organization to create a maritime museum to serve as an educational resource for the region and the nation.
During the planning portion, then-current Mobile Mayor Mike Dower campaigned for the museum to be the centerpiece of “Mobile Landing”, a downtown waterfront development meant to restore public access to the Mobile waterfront.
“Mobile Landing” would eventually become home to the Alabama Cruise Terminal, the Arthur C. Outlaw Convention Center, and Cooper Riverside Park.
The construction of GulfQuest began during Sam Jones’ tenure as Mobile’s Mayor. Construction ran from 2010 through 2015 with installation of the museum’s exhibits completed in the summer of 2015. Make GulfQuest - National Maritime Museum of the Gulf of Mexico a part of your Mobile vacation plans using our Mobile sightseeing website.

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GulfQuest - National Maritime Museum of the Gulf of Mexico reviews

TripAdvisor traveler rating

328 reviews

Google

4.6

By Mandy Z

What a wonderful experience! Honestly, I thought with a five year old and 11 month in tow that the museum would not hold the 5 year olds attention and it would be a quick trip. Almost 3 hours later...

What a wonderful experience! Honestly, I thought with a five year old and 11 month in tow that the museum would not hold the 5 year olds attention and it would be a quick trip. Almost 3 hours later... more »
By Fishahead

We had a great learning experience at GulfQuest. It was clean and sanitized. The piloting simulator was awesome, but unfortunately it was monopolized by children on the day that we visited. I...

We had a great learning experience at GulfQuest. It was clean and sanitized. The piloting simulator was awesome, but unfortunately it was monopolized by children on the day that we visited. I... more »
By Beth43323

We briefly visited this interactive modern museum at the harbor. Great exhibits, brief videos and simulators. We had 1.5 hours, bummer they close at 4 pm. Definitely a highlight of Mobile!

We briefly visited this interactive modern museum at the harbor. Great exhibits, brief videos and simulators. We had 1.5 hours, bummer they close at 4 pm. Definitely a highlight of Mobile! more »

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By Charlsie Pecoraro

Family friendly and so much for you to learn! Plan to spend a few hours here and take your time exploring. The movies and short films shattered throughout the museum are definitely worth watching. Stop and read the quotes posted on the rails. I was amazed at all of the sayings that have a nautical origin. I really enjoyed my visit.

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By Tim Tribo

A few people said it was geared towards kids and wasn't great for adults, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. There were a number of displays not working so admission was half off which even at full price is a bargain. I was tickled by the trivia knowledge bits that are glued to the hand rails, some of them were things I did not know. I was thrilled to learn that container shipping was invented in Mobile. I would like to see more of that discussed or exhibited in the museum. Also I would like to see more on shipwrecks, the exhibits they had really piqued my interest. There are 2 areas where you can drive boats in tanks and I don't care how old you are sitting down to control one makes one giddy like a child. Good fun. There was a room all about oil and gas in the Gulf and that was fascinating! The traveling Bob Hope exhibit was cool! I enjoyed the museum and would recommend it.

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By Glenn D Rolloff

Definitely bring the kids.... or anyone who enjoys fun learning about Mobile Gulf. They also explore the history and development of the entire Gulf region from initial inhabitants to the Spanish, French and modern day shipping, fishing and environmental topics. Lots of hands-on displays in a remarkable setting!

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By Steven Bitner

Really well done museum. Informative movies and displays that were entertaining and educational. We spent a little over three hours but I could see spending as little as an hour and a half or as much as five. The interactive things were a lot of fun, but several things were not working.

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By Donna Salsbury

Grandson says, "Give it a 5, because it's FUN!". No crowds and half price tickets right now because some exhibits with certain technologies are not working. WIN, WIN for us because there was still tons of great interactive exhibits. We had a great time!

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