Our family loves history. Whenever we go on vacation, we always have to stop in at one or two historical sites, from Civil War forts to Civil Rights Museum. It’s no wonder that we were excited when we learned that Historic Fort Morgan, a fort from the Civil War, was on our itinerary as we visited Gulf Shores, Alabama! Mom and I were provided with free admission in exchange for writing about our experience, but Justin paid his own admission. Admission fees for the museum, grounds, use of the beach, and fishing is $7 for adults, $4 for children 6-12. Children 6 and under are free, while seniors and students receive discounted rates.
Fort Morgan has a museum and a gift shop, both of which occupy the same building. If there is no gate attendant at the fort when you visit, you step inside the museum building to pay, which makes it easy to check out the museum! This is a must for anyone interested in the history of the fort. After touring the museum, head outside to check out the remains of the fort itself.
Preceded by another fort, Fort Bowyer, Fort Morgan played a role in the Battle of Mobile Bay. You may have heard the saying supposedly uttered here by Rear Admiral David Farragut: “damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!” Whether he actually said this is up for debate, but the saying has stuck around through many, many retellings of the Battle of Mobile Bay.
Fort Morgan itself was plagued by an unusual problem before it was even fully built, and you can see evidence of it as you explore the fort and its grounds. What is it? Leaks. Yep. Despite repeated attempts to fix the problem, starting even before the fort was completed, the bricks of the upper level allow water to pass through. This has caused noticeable calcification in the lower level of Fort Morgan, even forming some cave-like “stalactites” hanging from some of the doorways.
That’s not the only interesting thing you’ll notice about the fort. On one side of the upper level, you’ll notice numerous cracks in the walls. This is where heavy artillery fire damaged the fort during battle! The museum and historic structures aren’t the only thing to see at Fort Morgan, although they can entertain history buffs for hours as you stroll through different sections of the fort, check out the museum, and learn about the fort’s use in the Civil War, Spanish American War, and both World Wars. If you’re in town at the right time, you’ll even catch dedicated re-enactors bringing history to life.
For the nature lovers among you, Fort Morgan is a great spot for birding! Fort Morgan is located on the Alabama Coastal Birding Trail, and for two weeks each spring and fall, there is a banding station. If you love bird watching, you’ll be able to see a variety of birds being banded. You can also check out the nearby Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge, which has up to 370 varieties of birds during migration season. There are also plenty of nature trails in the area to explore the flora and fauna of the Alabama Gulf Coast. Prefer fishing? Fort Morgan has ample fishing area, and a boat launch. While we were touring the fort and the beaches, we saw quite a few determined fishermen hauling in their catches.
If neither of those appeal to you, consider laying out on the white sand beaches at Fort Morgan, soaking up the sun. There’s plenty of beach for the kids to build suncastles, or even to wade and play in the water! This beach isn’t built up like many of the coats areas in Gulf Shores, so you can’t easily pop off for a meal, but expect to enjoy the beautiful beach line peacefully and virtually undisturbed.
Fort Morgan may be a history lover’s dream, but it has something for everyone. What would you like to do first at historic Fort Morgan?
Fort Morgan sounds like an impressive place. I hope I can visit it someday.
Wow! Fort Morgan is impressive! I love that it also has a beach for those who are less interested in history!
I am not going to lie I am not really into super historical sites but as I travel I am getting more into it. Thanks for the recap on this!
Growing up, historic places were always part of our family vacations. I love being able to share a love for our shared past with my children. Looks like there’s a lot to offer in Fort Morgan. Plus, the beach is an easy sell to get the kids extra excited to visit.
I’ve been through Alabama but never stopped for exploring. I’d love to check out that historic fort the next time we go.
I would like to visit the beach first. I think my family would have a great time at historic Fort Morgan. It’s amazing to experience history in person.
This place looks like a beautiful place to visit. I’ve never been to Alabama before and it’s so on my bucket list.
What beautiful scenery! I would really love to come visit this area one day!
What a beautiful place! We were down South this past summer, and I LOVED it!! This is something I would definitely want to visit if we ever get down that way again!!
Oh how cool! I used to live in Millbrook. It’s too bad my parent never brought me to that fort. How neat.
looks beautiful with that historic charm… I love those kind of places! I will have to go there in person some day : )
I would love to spend the day at Fort Morgan. It would be fun to learn about the history.
Old forts are simply fascinating and such a treasure. We just passed by Fort Michilimackinac last weekend when traveling in northern Michigan.
I live too far away to visit here. However, if I’m ever on my way through, I have bookmarked the place. Love historic places like this!
I really love traveling to where there is something to see that has a cool history! This would be a perfect place to vacation because there’s so much to do and see!
I am addicted to historical places, this looks right up my alley with a place to enjoy! Glad you shared it with us! I will have to get to Alabama some day, I do want to plan an RV road trip next Summer with my family.
Historic For Morgan would be so interesting to see. My whole family loves history and we love visiting any kind of Museums. We will have to make an effort to go see this fort some day. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Your photos are truly like a love letter to Fort Morgan and are inspiring me to book a trip there to visit those majestic historical sites – thanks for sharing
What a beautiful place to visit. I would love to see it one day.
I love visiting historical places with the kids! Looks like there are so much to learn from this place!
I want to visit this historic place. I have never been to Gulf Shores, sounds like a fun vacation spot
What a gorgeous and historic place. I would love to take the family there for a visit.
So much beauty and history here. I’ve only been to he beaches in Gulf Shores, but I think on our next trip I need to stop in Fort Morgan!
I visited an old fort in Canada when I visited a few years ago. It is so interesting to explore around and take in all the historic value.
What an interesting place to visit! I love checking out historical sites. Your photos are great!
So much history here! Love your photo story. 🙂
Fort Morgan is super impressive. It reminds me of some of the forts in North Carolina. Very cool!
What gorgeous archways!! Beautiful… it almost looks like a star wars launch bay for the rebels.
We’ve never been to Gulf Shores but would enjoy planning a visit there. I love visiting historic sites like this especially with Civil War history attached. Having lived in the south my entire life, I have a great appreciation for civil war historic sites. We visited Andersonville this summer. Would love to visit Fort Morgan.
Oh I love old abandoned places like this. It’s fun to imagine the people who used to frequent those spots!
Fort Morgan sounds like a fabulous place to visit. My family would really enjoy a trip here. It’s always interesting to learn about the history behind places like these!
How cool! I love seeing historical sites like this. We’ve been to Gulf Shores a few times, but we never went to see the fort.