The 2024 AASLH Annual Conference returns to the Gulf Coast for the first time since 2000. Join us in Mobile, Alabama on September 11 – 14!

The Gulf Coast is overdue for some exploration from our members. This is such a history-rich region, we encourage you to add an extra day or two to your trip to explore more the area has to offer.

Dig your toes in the sand. Mobile is only an hour to some beautiful white sand beaches fronting the Gulf of Mexico. September is a great time to enjoy the ocean with fewer crowds. Get some sun, eat fresh seafood, or visit Southern Living magazine’s 2024 Best Dive Bar in Alabama, Flora-Bama in Orange Beach.

Pretend you’re an Angel. The National Naval Aviation Museum is the world’s largest naval aviation museum and one of the most-visited museums in the state of Florida. Share the excitement of Naval Aviation’s rich history and see more than 150 beautifully restored aircraft representing Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Aviation. The active military base where the museum is located is also home to the famous Blue Angels. If the time is right, you can see them practice, or try your hand at a jet simulator. Museum admission is free, but there is an additional charge for some of the activities.

Watch the sun set. Spend the day on Dauphin Island, known as Alabama’s Sunset Capital. Less than an hour from Mobile, the island offers beaches, the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, and Alabama Aquarium, and the Audubon Bird Sanctuary with three miles of trails.

Follow Alabama’s Civil Rights Trail. South Alabama holds some of the most important locations in America’s struggle for civil rights. Selma, Montgomery, and Tuskegee offer powerful looks at this point in history and what it means to Americans today. Selma is almost three hours from Mobile, so an overnight in Montgomery is recommended.

Eat fresh seafood and explore the history of southern Mississippi. If you travel west of Mobile on I-10 for about 45 minutes, you can explore the rich culture of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Pascagoula, Biloxi, Ocean Springs, and Gulfport can be seen in a day trip with small towns in between full of museums, artisan shops, and great food.

Hit the Big Easy. New Orleans is a just over two-hour drive which you could make in a day. Walk the French Quarter, visit the National World War II Museum, or eat beignets at Café Du Monde. If you drive a bit further north, you can visit Whitney Plantation in Edgard, Louisiana, a museum dedicated to the history of slavery, situated on a historical sugar, indigo, and rice plantation which operated from 1752 – 1975.

Registration for the conference will open in June. Learn more.

AASLH members receive the best rates on conference registration. Become a member.

For more about things to see in Alabama and the Gulf Coast region, visit alabama.travel.