We didn't realize Mobile's Mardi Gras pre-dated New Orleans celebrations, but we'd heard about the family friend vibe.

Mari Gras is for New Orleans, right? Well, yes, but along with high prices and noisy celebrating that might not be quite so child-centric, as much as we loved New Orleans, we made our southern Fat Tuesday celebration elsewhere – in Mobile, Alabama. Here the parades and revelry are tamer in a city that claims it, not the Crescent City, is the birthplace of the tradition in the U.S.

When Mobile’s pre-Lent tradition began three hundred years ago, the city was known as Fort Louis de la Louisiane. Today’s modern Alabama version of the celebration describe their celebration as “America’s Original, America’s Family Mardi Gras.” And it lives up to its name. While more low key, you’ll still find a great and colorful parades as well as children’s mask- making workshops, a fascinating Carnival Museum and a beautiful old hotel – the Battle House – to stay in for a fraction of the prices of New Orleans. And substantially less liquor flows, too.

Did I say parades, plural? Yes, I did because it’s true. There are six parades in Mobile on Fat Tuesday, with other parades preceding them in the month leading up to the festival. The parades are individually organized by the city’s secret parade planning society and social groups -ehre called mystics – the equivalent of New Orleans famous krewes. These mystic members ride the floats, build them, toss out glittery cheap necklaces and fake coins to the eager spectators lining the streets. And back to all that sugar we consumed in Alabama – we even snagged a couple of chocolate Moon Pies tossed from a float designed to look like – a moon.

You've got to love free moon pies – mmm, chocolate.

We were delighted by how orderly the streets felt – crowded, yes, claustrophobic, no, although crowd estimates can be up to a hundred and fifty thousand in attendance city wide. There are lots of small children, elementary age and teen age children standing everywhere, and parades are scheduled during day time as well as evening hours. One of the reasons for all the children in tow is the fact that public schools are closed on both Monday and Fat Tuesday itself, encouraging family participation. My son wondered if they had to write reports about the experience.

As a supplement to the actual parade or if you’ve missed Mardi Gras season, you’ll enjoy a visit to the Mobile Carnival Museum, located in the lush surroundings of a 19th century mansion. Throughout the mansion’s rooms, you’ll see costumes worn in Mardi Gras celebrations’ past, gowns worn by kings and queens crowned at exclusive, invitation only galas.

The museum also acknowledges the Civil Rights issues in the Mobile area in times all too recently past. Segregated festivals are thankfully no longer in existence, and while the Mobile Area  Mardi Gras Association parade starts in African American neighborhoods it continues on through the streets of downtown Mobile.

Besides the Mardi Gras itself and the Mardi Gras Museum, what else is in Mobile Alabama? As the only port town in the state of Alabama, the downtown area offers some great water front views, and the USS Alabama Battleship Park. An impressive attraction for historical and military significance, it’s also just plain fun for the kids to explore a giant battle ship. The self guided tour took us about two hours, but you could easily spend more time here. Although we did not, you can also tour a submarine.

The kids loved scrambling through the historic battleship anchored in Mobile.

Where to stay? We splurged on the Battle House, an elegant and historic spot in the heart of downtown. Marriott now runs the historic hotel,  and service is excellent.  While rooms can be on the small side, it’s a great location to watch the Mardi Gras parades and has a charming restaurant with surprisingly reasonable pricing. For breakfast, the Trellis Room had a wonderful buffet, and the kids prices for a huge spread of fruit, fresh waffles and more was decidedly budget saving. The hotel was quiet, accommodating, and elegant without being stuffy. And again: location is key.

It’s conveniently located not just to the Mardi Gras activities but to other must -do historical sights such as the Museum of Mobile. Contained in what was once city hall and what is one of the oldest buildings in Mobile, this museum offers a widely encompassing look at the city’s history, culture, and diversity. The exhibits are well laid out and extensive. We learned so much about the city’s past effortlessly. Nearby, the kids will love a trip to Fort Conde, a reconstructed fort built on the site of the fort’s original location. The fort was built to  protect Mobile and its citizens by the French as a defense against British and Spanish attack, and the original stood from 1723-1820. Today, along with the history it offers, the site is a terrific place for kids to explore. And where else can you tour such an historic site while wearing Mardi Gras beads? And follow that up with some lemonade, sipped while watching – another parade!

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Mobile is a truly beautiful city

Mobile, Alabama was always one of those places we just drove through on Interstate 10, on the way between our former home in Central Florida and the new life we had created in New Orleans. What we saw of Mobile out the car windows looked interesting but we always had a schedule to keep, so we never stopped and looked around. Now that Dad and I are full-time RVers, we have nothing but time and no particular place to be. Last month, we decided to stop and see what Mobile had to offer. The Museum of Mobile was the perfect place to get an overview of the city.

Fort Conde

Fort Conde is certainly an attention-grabber in modern-day Mobile

A recreation of the fort that stood guard over Mobile in the 1700s, Fort Conde today houses Mobile’s visitor center. Located at 150 South Royal Street in historic downtown, it is also part of the Museum of Mobile. We stopped there first to get our bearings. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable, full of suggestions on the best places to eat and the best sights to see.

Kids seem to love playing on the open parade ground

The fort itself is open to the public and some rooms house small displays on Mobile’s history. This is a great place for kids to play, as the 4/5 scale reproduction is just the right size to avoid getting lost. Just watch out for very low overhead clearance on some of the doorways.

Free parking is available in the large lot across the street. If that lot is full, as it was when we arrived, more free parking is offered under the bridge at the end of the road. A free hop-on hop-off shuttle bus stops across the street from the fort, providing easy transportation throughout downtown. The area is also highly walkable. Dad and I only used the shuttle bus once, but it is a nice service that the city provides.

Phoenix Fire Museum

The old firefighting equipment has been well preserved

The Phoenix Fire Museum, located at 203 South Claiborne Street, is also part of the Museum of Mobile. The museum houses firefighting equipment and memorabilia from 1838 through the present day. Staffed by a retired firefighter with an extensive knowledge of Mobile’s firefighting history, the museum is well worth a visit. Allow approximately an hour to see the museum in depth.

Take some time to read the informational signs on both the first and second floors. Volunteer firefighting crews were social organizations, and many firefighters increased their social status through their participation. Some of the names figure prominently in Mobile’s early history.

Museum of Mobile

Mobile's ironwork is breathtaking

The main museum is located at 111 South Royal Street in the Old City Hall. Museum admission is $5 for adults with discounts available for children and seniors. Kids under six are admitted free. The museum is closed on Mondays. Admission is free on the first Sunday of each month.

After a full day in Mobile, Dad and I arrived just over an hour before closing. We felt quite rushed and were not able to see everything in as much detail as we would have liked. Try to allow at least two hours for your visit.

Most of the first floor is dedicated to changing exhibit space. Upcoming exhibits range from a tribute to 9/11/01 to a collection of Patent Models. Also on the first floor is a rather elaborate collection of cast iron and wrought iron used throughout Mobile.

How do you put a dollar figure on a person's life?

Upstairs is a vast collection of exhibits that tells the story of Mobile’s history. An entire section focuses on the ugly truth of African-American life in the South from slavery through the Jim Crow era. Another section gives a synopsis of Mardi Gras history.

A large area is dedicated to Mobile’s shipbuilding legacy, while other areas describe the lives of Native Americans and early Spanish explorers in the region. Don’t miss the vast collection of dollhouses, all carefully and authentically decorated inside.

Tips for Parents

The detailed dollhouses are sure to delight

The three buildings of the Museum of Mobile give a wonderful overview of the city’s past and present. All three are family-friendly, offering something for everyone regardless of age and interests. However, the sheer volume of information and things to look at could seem overwhelming to younger kids. Let your children take the lead, lingering at displays that interest them. Expect a lot of questions, as the museums seem to capture young minds. Help your kids put themselves in someone else’s shoes, imagining themselves exploring the New World or living in one of the mansions depicted by the dollhouses.

Allow plenty of time for rest breaks. Mobile is filled with parks and green spaces, offering a wonderful opportunity to run and play. Take time to eat and drink plenty of water. Although your day in Mobile will likely be packed with sightseeing, taking time out to take care of yourself and your family will help keep everyone interested and happy rather than tired and cranky.

The Mobile Carnival Museum is decorated to the hilt

New Orleans, Louisiana has become synonymous with Mardi Gras. People from around the world make the annual pilgrimage for beads, parades, musical performances and king cake. But Mardi Gras actually got its New World start 150 miles down the road in Mobile, Alabama. As long-time New Orleans residents, Dad and I were eager to find out more of the story. Carnival season has just begun, and the Mobile Carnival Museum was a great stop.

Carnival vs. Mardi Gras

Costumes through the ages are on display

Technically, Mardi Gras refers only to Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. It’s actually the day that the party ends. The party season is properly known as Carnival, which officially lasts from Twelfth Night or Epiphany, on January 6, through Mardi Gras. Parades and balls are held throughout the season, but really ramp up in the two weeks before Fat Tuesday. In Mobile Alabama, Carnival-related social events actually begin as early as November. The official date of Mardi Gras varies each year depending on the date of Easter. Confused yet? But most people just call the entire season Mardi Gras and head to a city that celebrates it sometime during the two weeks before Mardi Gras day.

Carnival in Mobile

The Strikers Independent Society was an early Mardi Gras krewe

As the legend goes, in 1699 a group of French Catholics were camped in a small settlement that would later become Mobile. Although they intended to sail back to France, they realized that Mardi Gras day would occur while they were at sea. Preferring to celebrate on dry land, they held the first Mardi Gras on what would become American soil. Once Mobile was established in 1703, the holiday became an annual tradition, with the first known parade occurring in 1711. Mardi Gras in New Orleans did not begin until 1723, when that city became the capital of French Louisiana.

Mobile was also the first to expand Carnival to include Twelfth Night, a tradition brought by Spanish settlers after the American Revolution. In 1831, the tradition expanded again to include masking, or the wearing of masks during celebrations. The first masked krewe, the Cowbellion Society, was highly exclusive and refused to admit new members, even their own sons. Eventually the Cowbellions died out, but their sons started a new masked krewe, the Strikers Independent Society.

Who are the mysterious Merry Widows?

Carnival died out in Mobile during the Civil War, but was resurrected by a man named Joe Cain in 1867. When Joe Cain died in 1904, the people of the city had a Mardi Gras picnic by his grave, trashing the cemetery in the process. The city declared that from then on, the cemetery would be closed on Mardi Gras except to the relatives of people buried there.

The next Mardi Gras, a mysterious woman dressed in black, her face veiled, arrived by limo at the cemetery. Claiming to be Joe Cain’s widow, she was admitted to the cemetery, where she wailed over the grave for awhile before heading out to a Mardi Gras parade.  The next year, two women arrived together. The numbers continued to grow, and today there is a group of 13 veiled “wives,” known as Cain’s Merry Widows, along with a group of “girlfriends” in red dresses. Interestingly, the identities of the both the widows and the girlfriends have never been exposed, though numerous people have tried over the years.

Mardi Gras Today

The African American Society opted to remain independent

Today Mardi Gras in Mobile is both a public party and a private season of balls and parties. Most krewes are exclusive and somewhat secret societies that hold a full schedule of private events from November through Mardi Gras day. There are at least 40 krewes in modern-day Mobile, both single and mixed-gender. There are two separate organizations, one for African-Americans and one for whites. Although the two discussed merging a number of years ago, they did not want to lose the rich traditions that each enjoys. Both are highly respected today.

This was a particularly nice collection of Mardi Gras souvenirs

Commercial advertising in the parades was banned in 1975, so Mardi Gras remains a free public party organized by private groups. For two weeks leading up to Mardi Gras day, there is a parade virtually every night. Float riders throw small aluminum coins called doubloons, beads and trinkets to the waiting crowd. The party is family-friendly and great fun for all ages.

Mobile Carnival Museum

Our tour guide was incredibly knowledgeable and super friendly

The Mobile Carnival Museum occupies a former private home in the historic district. There is only one float, but numerous costumes worn by Mardi Gras Kings and Queens throughout the past decades. The tour is guided by a local resident with a great deal of Mardi Gras knowledge. Each room focuses on a different aspect of the Carnival experience.

As our tour began, our guide asked each group where we were from. When she learned that Dad and I are from New Orleans, it set up a good-natured rivalry that is as long-standing as Mardi Gras itself. She also had us fill in a few details here and there to help explain to others on the tour how the celebrations differ between the two cities.

The museum tour takes about two hours and is packed with information about the past, present and future of the holiday. Those who are unfamiliar with Mardi Gras will get a great deal of new information, while those who have experienced Mardi Gras have the opportunity to dig deeper.

Tips for Parents

You and your kids are welcome to try out the float

Kids are an important part of Mardi Gras in Mobile, even serving as pages in the Mardi Gras Court. Kids on the tour are invited to step up onto a float and even try on costumes. While some of the information may go over their heads, the brightly colored costumes and frequent video clips keep most kids riveted throughout the tour.

As of 2011, the Mobile Mardi Gras Museum costs $5 per adult and $2 for kids 12 and under. Children under 3 are free. The museum is closed Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. The last tour departs at 3 p.m. The well-stocked gift shop offers items in every price range including low-cost masks and other fun souvenirs.

The USS Alabama is an impressive battleship

The USS Alabama, a World War II battleship docked in Mobile, Alabama, has been on my bucket list for some time now. Dad saw it several years ago with my then-husband, but as the day was snowy and icy, my mom and I elected not to go. When Dad and I found ourselves in Mobile Alabama on a gorgeous February day this year, I finally had my opportunity.

History of the USS Alabama

The USS Alabama is taller than a 20-story building

The sixth of seven ships to carry the Alabama name, the battleship USS Alabama was commissioned in 1940. Following a series of training drills, the Alabama briefly participated in the Mediterranean theater of World War II before departing for the Pacific in late 1943.

The Alabama saw heavy combat throughout 1944, participating in a series of battles that changed the course of the war. According to historic records, the Alabama fired 1,250 shells, shot down 22 enemy aircraft and never took damage from the enemy. Five men were lost on board due to a malfunction of one of the ship’s own guns, but none were lost to the enemy. The Alabama earned a total of nine battle stars for her service. By the time the ship entered drydock in January 1945, the war was nearly over.

After the war, the Alabama served as a transport ship, bringing American soldiers home. The ship was decommissioned in 1947, but remained in the United States Pacific Reserve Fleet until stricken from the records in 1962.

The USS Alabama Battleship Commission was formed by citizens of Alabama to raise money to turn the ship into a memorial. Local schoolchildren raised nearly $100,000 in small change, while a large corporate fundraising effort brought in almost $1 million. In 1964, the ship arrived at its new home in Battleship Memorial Park, in Mobile. It was opened to the public in 1965.

USS Drum Submarine

The USS Drum submarine was a lot of fun

The USS Drum joined the Alabama at Battleship Memorial Park in 1969. Commissioned in 1941, the Drum was the 12th of its class but the first completed and the first to enter World War II. The Drum saw heavy combat off the coast of Japan in 1942 and 1943. Having sunk 15 ships for a total of 80,580 tons, the Drum received 12 battle stars for her service. The Drum was decommissioned in 1947, but provided service for the Naval Reserve in Washington, DC until 1967. She joined the reserve fleet in Norfolk, Virginia in 1967.

Hurricane Damage

The park sustained major damage during Hurricane Katrina in 2005

Mobile Bay has been battered by hurricanes over the years, most notably Hurricane Georges in 1998 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The Drum was originally docked behind the Alabama, but Hurricane Georges violently moved both ships, nearly causing them to collide. For safety reasons, the Drum was moved on land for permanent display, reopening in 2001.

Hurricane Katrina flooded southern Alabama, causing almost $7 million in damage to Battleship Memorial Park. The aircraft pavilion was virtually destroyed and the Alabama was violently rocked, creating a list of approximately eight degrees to the port (left) side. After extensive repairs, the park reopened in January 2006, although the Alabama retained a three degree list.

Visiting Battleship Memorial Park

The aircraft pavilion was well done

Today the park is a massive tribute to military history, encompassing not only the two ships but also an aircraft pavilion. Although the official recommendation is to allow two hours, Dad and I spent closer to three hours exploring and still felt rushed at the end of the day.

As of 2011, admission is $12 for ages 12 and up, and $6 for ages 6 through 11. Kids under age 6 are free. Parking costs $2 per vehicle and must be paid in cash as you enter the lot.

Access to the Drum is through the aircraft pavilion, offering an efficient way to tour both. Since we had just been to the National Naval Aviation Museum a few days prior, we did not take a lot of time to explore the pavilion. It appeared very well done, though, with informational signs providing details about each aircraft.

Watch your head and step in the small hatches

The submarine was fascinating to both of us. Watch out for low overheads and a high step through each hatch, as well as narrow stairs to enter and exit. The focus is on how sailors lived on board, and a series of signs explains what you are looking at and what role it played in the activities of daily life.

The engine room was slightly creepy

Next up was the USS Alabama. There are three separate self-guided routes which, when taken together, allow you to visit virtually every inch of the ship from the engine room to the top of the conning towers. The sheer size of the battleship should not be underestimated. Approximately two football fields in length and taller than a 20-story building, the ship was a floating city carrying nearly 1,800 men. Access between levels is via narrow metal ladders.

Pay attention to the colors and numbers of the route markers

The self-guided routes can be slightly confusing, but it is well worth the trouble to follow them. It would be easy to get lost on board, as Dad and I found out! Some work was being done on the ship, requiring a detour on one of the routes. We decided to climb a couple of unmarked ladders to see if we could find another way to the inaccessible spots, and ended up climbing the entire conning tower by mistake! Each route is a marked by a different set of colored and numbered signs. Pay attention to the signs and check your paper tour map periodically.

Tips for Parents

All three battleship tour routes converge at the Tour Entrance

Both ships were built for warfare, not comfort. Hatches have low overheads and a high step-up, while ladders are narrow and metal. Keep a close eye on your kids and do not let them wander off on their own. All three battleship tour routes begin and end in the same spot, near the battleship entrance. Consider taking a break between routes to rest everyone’s legs or let the children burn off some energy.

Consider reading up on the ships’ history and life on board before your visit. My dad was stationed on a nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser when I was small. Though the ships were different, there were many similarities. Dad was able to fill in many of the details for me, which further enriched my experience.

Allow as much time as you possibly can. We could easily have spent an entire day seeing things in more depth and taking a bit of time to relax. With smaller children, I doubt that we would have gotten through everything in the three hours we had.