Celebrate the History of Mardi Gras at the Mobile Carnival Museum in Alabama #VisitMobile #BorntoCelebrate #travel

Celebrate the History of Mardi Gras at the Mobile Carnival Museum in Alabama

Did you you know Mardi Gras in America started in 1703 in Mobile, Alabama? The area had been taken over by the French the year prior, and the celebration wouldn’t reach New Orleans until nearly two decades later.

You can learn this and more at the Mobile Carnival Museum, an ode to the celebration that city residents and visitors look forward to every year. As one of my new Mobile friends says, as soon as Mardi Gras is over, everybody starts planning for the next year.

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The #Mobile @CarnivalMuseum chronicles the history of #MardiGras from it's birth in the city to today. #hosted . . The museum offers 14 gallery rooms of King and Queen outfits and jewels, along with actual float pieces, plus a pictorial hallway, theater, and gift shop. . . #mobilecarnivalmuseum #visitmobile @visitmobileal #thingstodoinmobile #mobilehistory #alabama #travel #travelblogger #zengrrlinmobile #somobile #borntocelebrate

A post shared by Michelle Snow (@zengrrl) on May 10, 2017 at 8:39am PDT

In a restored mansion, you’ll visit room after room of majestic crowns , scepters and robes of Mardi Gras monarchs. I originally hopped on a guided tour, but my MS started having trouble regulating temperature, and after I was unintentionally insulted by the docent giving the tour, I struck out on a self-guided adventure.

I’m glad I did, because I never would’ve discovered one of the best spots in the museum…the elevator.

Seriously!

Imagine getting on an elevator decorated in wallpaper designed with beads and other party accoutrements, and as the door starts closing, you see this…

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#tbt to my visit to the #mobilecarnivalmuseum in #VisitMobile and the strangest elevator door I've ever encountered. . . Read all about it and the museum tomorrow #ontheblog at zengrrl.com . . #mobilehistory #borntocelebrate #MobileMustDo #MardiGras #elevator #boomerang #zengrrlinmobile #hosted

A post shared by Michelle Snow (@zengrrl) on Jun 22, 2017 at 10:59am PDT

I don’t know whose idea it was to put glowing eyes in the elevator but it was equally parts wonderful and creepy.

I also enjoyed the room with parade float parts, including a dragon head with a plasma ball eye, and a photo op aboard a Mardi Gras float railing. The gift shop had some cool things, too.

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At the #Mobile @carnivalmuseum: I loved this dragon #MardiGras float even before I noticed the plasma ball eyeball. You'll find this and other mementos of the event's history at the museum which documents the birthplace of the celebration. #hosted . . #visitmobile @visitmobileal #mobilehistory #thingstodoinmobile #mobilecarnivalmuseum #alabama #attractions #science #plasmaball #dragon #dragoneye #boomerang #travel #travelblogger #zengrrlinmobile #somobile #borntocelebrate

A post shared by Michelle Snow (@zengrrl) on May 11, 2017 at 6:39am PDT

The tour is mostly wheelchair accessible. Besides the elevator, there is a ramp of displays between the second and third floors of rooms.

Tickets are only $5 for adults, and $2 for kids, so it’s worth a visit if you come to Mobile. For more information on the Mobile Carnival Museum, visit mobilecarnivalmuseum.com.

Disclaimer: I was hosted by Visit Mobile for a post-TBEX fam trip along with several other bloggers. As always, my opinions are honest, and my own.

Celebrate the History of Mardi Gras at the Mobile Carnival Museum in Alabama

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About zengrrl

I'm Michelle Snow, the writer and creator of Zengrrl. I write about travel, entertainment, women's issues, health, body positivity, and more, both for this blog and freelance. I have also authored/co-authored four guidebooks on Orlando and Florida. If you aren't already following me, the links are below, as well as on the top right of this page. Thanks!