mobile carnival museum

bootsGA

Seeing that it was my very, first Mardi Gras, I thought it was appropriate to visit the Carnival Museum. I would have liked a bit more history in general but they had a nice collection of the gowns and capes worn by prior Kings & Queens.

891patl

Mobile originated Mardi Gras and this museum shows the history from beginning to present. Mardi Gras gowns from turn of the century as well as photo history. Great history lesson. Don't miss.

MobileALFamily

They have a lot of artifacts from photos to gowns and a great deal of historical information on Mardi Gras in Mobile. Adult admission is currently $5 per person.

bestbites26

our group went to the Mobile Carnival Museum not only to see the displays but to participate in the Mobile Mystery Dinner. the show was based on our group exclusively but would be a great place to go with friends. don's expect the biggest dinner. the food was good and the wine was flowing. the best parts of the night were the costumes and the great show ... the actors were so into their parts, it almost made it believable. they were funny and interacted with the group. give it a try..

Jimmy30263

Don't go to the front door expecting to get in. The entrance is to the left through the gift shop. Free parking is provided in the lot in front of the gift shop. We almost thought it was closed but lucked up when we realized that the entrance was through the gift shop. Signage needs to be improved. Well worth the $5 admission. The introductory film was very informative. The personal guide was very interesting and informative. The displays and the attire of the past Mardi Gras participants was almost unbelievable. I was unaware that there was two Mardi Gras one white and one black. It was interesting to see how the two have been blended together and still maintaining their individual traditions. I had no idea of the expense that was shouldered by the individual families of the participants. Do not miss this museum!

MarlaH950

I have to admit to being a Mardi Gras dummy...until visiting The Carnival Museum! Had it not been for the recommendations on TripAdvisor, I probably wouldn't have ventured there. The tour takes about 45 minutes- ours was guided by a very knowledgeable and entertaining Doug. I was absolutely fascinated by the rich history and the costumes. If you are visiting this part of the country, you must see this museum! The ladies in the gift shop were so friendly and helpful, even giving me some beads for an event I was attending...

Baywolfe

Did you know that Mardi Gras started in Mobile, AL, not in New Orleans? Just one of many fascinating things we learned at this museum. The King and Queen costumes and all the chatchki in their collection was incredible.

chaosfrog

There's nothing I can say I don't like, other than narrow stairs, which is part of most Mobile historical buildings. The guides are wonderful story tellers and provide groups with lots of knowledge. I loved the humor of not talking about NOLA, as well as the amazing collection of trains and Mardi Gras items.

travelfun767

My trip to the carnival museum was one of awe. The amount of work, materials and themes for each that goes into making the costumes and trains is amazing. Interesting history of "Mardi Gras " in Mobile being first to celebrate in the Americas.

dots59

Everyone thinks that Mardi Gras started in New Orleans, but it really started in Mobile. This is a great place to get acquainted with Mardi Gras and Mobile.

tmendelo

When we first saw this listed as an attraction we were going to blow it off. After all who would want to see a museum about carny rides? We arrived in Mobile about 10 days before Mardi Gras and were amazed to be told there was a Mardi Gras parade that evening. We really enjoyed watching it and watched another one the next evening. We went to the Carnival Museum in the morning and were led on a wonderful tour by a volunteer. This museum is lovingly maintained by folks who are great supporters of carnival and the city. We were struck by the elaborate preparations for the events by both blacks and whites.

LLM3078

I had been to the Mardi Gras museum in Biloxi and there wasn't much to it, however they were still working on it. I didn't know what to expect here and never thought I would enjoy it as much as I did! Now... if you are pressed for time you can run through it in probably 30 minutes which is what I was hoping to do but I got caught in a tour group somehow that lasted about an hour and a half! Don't get me wrong it was very informative and I learned some crazy interesting facts about the town and Mardi Gras in general. The guide was lively and did a great job story telling, but don't think you have to take the guided tour! She also told me of other sites around town and how to get to them. Admission was 5$

yoBrookly

This is a fun place with a lot of history. The exhibits are great and the historic clothing and rooms are great. I will go back.

morelqueen

A group of us went here recently. We had a wonderful guide. There are three floors of Mardi Gras history and a short film. It takes about 90 minutes to tour. They let us leave our cars there while we walked to our next stop, A Spot of Tea.

2SeanH

We randomly stopped here on the recommendation of a friend and it was great. The royal costumes were amazing, and it's hard to imagine them done by hand. The staff do like to talk and share the knowledge, which was great, as they are very proud of the heritage and history. They are certainly not afraid to speak their mind on issues about Mardi Gras and their town and the people in it- a lot of "old, Deep South" mentality.