Beaches

Birding

- Alabama Coastal Bird Fest is held in October and features workshops, a reception and expertly guided tours on land and water.
- The Alabama Coastal Birding Trail is located along the coast and inland in Baldwin and Mobile counties with 50 designated birding locations.
Boat Launches

- Boggy Point Launch (end of Marina Road, east off Hwy. 161, Orange Beach)
- Canal Park Boat Launch (West Canal Road, Gulf Shores)
- Canoe Trails in Orange Beach
- Cotton Bayou Launch (intersection of Hwy. 161 & Hwy. 182, Orange Beach)
- Fort Morgan Boat Launch (51 Hwy. 180 West, Gulf Shores)
- Lagoon Park Launch (17595 Fort Morgan Road, Gulf Shores)
- Galvez Landing Boat Launch (Innerarity Point Road, Pensacola)
- Millview Boat Launch (South of Hwy. 98 at Dog Track Road)
- Big Lagoon State Park Boat Launch

- Polar Bear Dip at Alabama/Florida line (January)
- Snowbird Bratfest in Gulf Shores (January)
- Mardi Gras parades in Fairhope, Gulf Shores, Mobile, Orange Beach & Pensacola (January & February)
- Orange Beach Seafood Festival (February)
- Fairhope Arts and Crafts Festival in Fairhope (March)
- Festival of Flowers in Mobile (March)
- German Sausage Festival in Elberta (March & October)
- Easter Egg Hunt in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach (March/April, Easter weekend).
- The Annual Waterway Village Zydeco and Crawfish Festival features freshly boiled crawfish, Zydeco music and incredible original works of art.
- Baldwin County Strawberry Festival in Loxley (April)
- Interstate Mullet Toss & Gulf Coast's Greatest Beach Party at Alabama/Florida line (April)
- Art in the Park in Foley (May, Mother's Day weekend)
- Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival in Foley (May, Mother's Day weekend)
- Independence Day Fireworks in Gulf Shores (July)
- Coastal Cleanup at Alabama beaches (September)
- Pensacola Seafood Festival in Pensacola (September)
- Honeybee Festival in Robertsdale (October)
- National Shrimp Festival in Gulf Shores (October)
- Great Gulf Coast Arts Festival in Pensacola (November)
- Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival at various Gulf Coast venues (November)
- Let it Snow in Foley (December)

- Battle of Mobile Bay Civil War Trail stretches from the Gulf of Mexico over 90 miles to north Mobile County and documents the military movements and way of life from 1864 to 1865. A series of interpretive signs are available at over a dozen locations chronicling the historic events.
- Blue Angels, the Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, are based at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola and can be viewed at practice on weekdays throughout the year. In July they perform at Pensacola Beach and in November their homecoming show is at the Naval Air Station.
- Sweet Home Cheese Farm in Elberta is a family-owned working dairy producing over 15 varieties of naturally aged cheese with no preservatives.
- A quick drive north of the beach in Elberta, Ala., and headed toward Barber Marine are the Dinosaurs in the Woods. Kids love the offbeat attraction that invites them to spot the four dinos, get out of the car and climb on top for a photo! Other fun photo ops nearby include Bamahenge, the Roman Columns and Knights in the Woods.

- Baldwin County Heritage Museum in Elberta resembles turn-of-the-century barns with a working windmill and several outdoor agricultural exhibits and indoor exhibits designed to preserve the area's rural heritage.
- Gulf Shores Museum features a video entitled “Hurricane Hunters” and exhibits including “Fishing the Lagoon: A Way of Life.”
- Historic Fort Condé in Mobile is a partially reconstructed 1724-1735 French fort featuring workable reproductions of 1740s naval cannons and muskets.
- Holmes Medical Museum in Foley is housed in the county's first hospital (1936) and recreates an operating room, X-ray, pharmacy and patient rooms using medical antiques.
- L & N Train Depot and Miniature Train Display is a railroad museum located at the City of Foley Museum Archives. Model train exhibit open Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday.
- National Naval Aviation Museum is one of the world's largest aviation museums with nearly 300,000 square feet of displays and over 150 restored aircraft. Note: Admission charge for optional IMAX films.
- Orange Beach Indian and Sea Museum houses local artifacts and memorabilia relating to our Native American and fishing heritage.
- Phoenix Fire Museum in Mobile houses turn-of-the-century horse-drawn steam engines and early motorized vehicles of the Phoenix Volunteer Fire Company No. 6.
- The American Sport Art Museum and Archives located in Daphne is dedicated to the preservation of sports history, art and literature.
Nature
Nature is on full display along the Gulf Coast. There are numerous places where you and your family can get up-close-and-personal with wildlife and the local flora and fauna.
- Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge, named one of the 10 natural wonders of Alabama, features six miles of hiking trails and beach access and a wildlife exhibit in a 7,000-acre refuge on the Fort Morgan peninsula.
- Gulf State Park features 3.5 miles of beach in a 6,150-acre park. Note: There are fees for parking at the beach pavilion, fishing at the pier and golf.
- Hugh S. Branyon Back Country Trail features multi-purpose trails through extraordinary habitats. Trailheads are located at Hwy. 161, the Orange Beach Sportsplex (off Hwy.180) and County Road 2 in the Gulf State Park.
- Claude Peteet Mariculture Center/Marine Resources Division conducts studies and research that enhance our understanding of the life history of red snapper, various finfish and shrimp. It is located roughly halfway between Bon Secour Bay and Wolf Bay on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway in Gulf Shores.
- Graham Creek Nature Preserve is home to hundreds of plant and wildlife species and is a great place for the entire family to explore the wonders of coastal ecology.
- Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve protects 3,000 acres of coastal habitats and wetlands including an estuary. The Interpretive Center, off Hwy. 98 West, houses indoor exhibits and a live animal room.
- Gulf Island National Seashore at Johnson Beach in Perdido Key, Florida is available during the day for swimming, boating, hiking and fishing fun. Another fun activity is to explore the forts that are located in the area. Note: A parking fee is charged.

- Gulf Shores Kids Park (2008 West 3rd Street, Gulf Shores)
- Gulf Shores Wetlands Nature Park (19025 Oak Road West, Gulf Shores)
- Meyer Park (400 East 22nd Avenue, Gulf Shores)
- Orange Beach Kids Park (26425 Canal Road, Orange Beach)
- Orange Beach Waterfront Park (26425 Canal Road, Orange Beach)
- Robinson Island and Bird Island Park (Orange Beach)
- Sims Park (2008 West 3rd Street, Gulf Shores)
- Skateboard Park (400 East 22nd Avenue, Gulf Shores)
- Wade Ward Nature Park (500 Gulf Shores Parkway)