Fort Conde Museum and Welcome Center - Mobile, AL- a reconstruction portion of Alabama's origins

The Fort Conde Museum which shares the site with the first official Welcome Center in Mobile, Alabama is located at 150 South Royal Street. The 1724 French fort has been partially reconstructed and now has musket and cannon firing demonstrations. The Museum of Mobile operates the facility which is a good deal smaller than the original fort to prevent its overwhelming the city.

Fort Conde Museum and Welcome Center is open from eight in the morning until five in the evening. The original usage of the facility was to protect both Mobile and settlements that were further upstream from being attacked. In 1820 the fort that has once been occupied by Americans, Spanish, French and British Forces was destroyed. There is now a replica of 4/5 the original size in its place.

Fort Louis de la Mobile was build twenty-seven miles from the Mobile River's mouth in 1702 by the French and Mobile, Alabama was founded. In 1711 the city was moved after flooding of the river damaged the fort so badly that it could not be repaired. The city was then Lousiana's (then a French colony) capital. A wooden stockade was immediately built when the city moved to the current location and named Fort Louis.

A permanent brick fort on a stone base was completed by 1723 and given the name Fort Conde to honor King Louis XIV's brother. Over the years the name of the fort was changed several times as it changed hands due to power changes. In 1763 the lost control of the fort and the city to the British who maintained control until 1780 during which time it was known as Fort Charlotte. Then the Spanish gained control while assisting those fighting the American Revolution and it was known as Fort Carlotta until 1813. Again the fort changed names and changed hands.

The U.S. Congress decided that Fort Conde was no longer need in order to protect Mobile Bay or the city during 1820 and its sale was authorized. The demolition was paid for by the city in order to have new streets and some of the bricks filled in the local marshes.

Evidence that Fort Conde had ever existed was gone by 1823. The city saw a need to preserve history during the middle of the 1970's and began working on the fort's reconstruction. The facility is now a welcome center and historical museum for those visiting the city. An underground tunnel takes one of the main interstate highways in the city directly under Forte Conde.

On July 4, 1976 Fort Conde Museum and Welcome Center was opened to the public. Visiting the center is free to the public. Anyone wishing to obtain additional information about the Fort Conde Museum and Welcome Center in Mobile, Alabama should contact the facility directly. The staff will be happy to assist you with any questions about the hours of operation, museum policies and directions to the facility. Anyone in the Mobile area should make it a point to stop at the museum instead of just driving under it.