Historic Fort Gaines
Fort Gaines, located at Dauphin Island along Mobile Bay, was a crucial site for the south during the civil war. The well-preserved ramparts of Fort Gaines have guarded the entrance to Mobile Bay for more than 150 years. Now a historic site, the Fort stands at the eastern tip of Dauphin Island where it commands panoramic views of the bay and the Gulf of Mexico. The Fort was recently designated as one of the Eleven Most Endangered Historic Sites in America due to on-going shoreline erosion.
Fort Gaines is one of the key sites in the famous Battle of Mobile Bay where Admiral Farragut shouted his now-famous order, “Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!” The fort has original cannons, a blacksmith shop, kitchens, a museum, gift shop, and tunnels. Fort Gaines provides guided tours for groups of 15 people are more with at least two weeks in
https://dauphinisland.org/fort-gaines/advanced notice for booking and that they are done by our own soldier in period uniform which will bring history to life including cannon firing demonstration and blacksmithing.
The role of Fort Gaines in the Battle of Mobile Bay is detailed in exhibits and signs throughout the fort. On a site where history spans three centuries, one can almost hear the sounds of cannons firing, echoing the distant past, while looking out over the gulf. Today the stories of the fort’s days in