Take a little time to enjoy some of our beautiful history while at the beach. With an amazing history and fantastic guided tours Historic Fort Morgan should be on your list of places to visit while in Gulf Shores.
Completed in 1834, Fort Morgan was active during four wars — the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, and World Wars I and II. The fort is most famous for its role in the Civil War Battle of Mobile Bay. Union Admiral David Farragut damned the torpedoes and went full speed ahead to win the battle. The massive fort contains more than 40 million bricks and pays tribute to the skilled masons, many of whom were enslaved African Americans.
The fort features an active living history program that interprets all the military periods and holds an annual event commemorating the Battle of Mobile Bay. Since 1834 Fort Morgan has stood as the guardian of Mobile Bay.
The military site and National Historic Landmark is located 22 miles west of Gulf Shores. During the Civil War on August 5, 1864, Fort Morgan played a key role during the Battle of Mobile Bay before surrendering to Union forces after a two-week siege. Alabama’s largest permanent military post between 1900 and 1923, the fort served during the Spanish-American War and World Wars I and II.
A third system masonry fort constructed between 1819 and 1834, the 479-acre site contains concrete artillery batteries constructed between 1895 and 1904, and historic military buildings dating from 1899 to 1910. A museum details the American military history of Mobile Point from 1814 to 1945. Exhibits feature weapons, uniforms, letters, photographs, and personal items of soldiers who served at the fort.
Salute to American Independence Thursday, July 4, 2013
At Fort Morgan on Thursday, July 4th, uniformed interpreters representing different periods of the fort’s history will salute America’s Independence at Fort Morgan with artillery firing, special tours, and Civil War weapons demonstrations. Hours for this event are 9 A.M. to 4 P.M.
2013 calendar
Tours Daily at Fort Morgan
Call (251) 540-7127 to schedule. Seasonal guided tours are available daily June through August at 10:00 a.m. and 3 p.m. Except Wednesdays
Twilight Tours on Tuesday’s in June and July- the War in 1863 – Evenings
Commemoration of the 149th Anniversary of the Battle of Mobile Bay and Siege of Fort Morgan
Saturday, August 3, 2013
All scheduled events are included in the regular price of admission unless otherwise noted.Please call (251) 540-5257 to confirm dates and times of scheduled events. Copyright © 2013Fort Morgan. Fort Morgan is a property of the Alabama Historical Commission, the State of Alabama Historic Preservation office.
