There is a time machine in Alabama. It can take you back to the 1700s.
Step back into colonial Mobile at the Living History Festival at Colonial Fort Condé.
On Saturday, November 14 from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., the fort comes alive as history is brought to life through demonstrations, military displays, and immersive experiences. Discover the details of everyday life in colonial Mobile and find answers to your questions. How did people do their laundry? Did they use money? What did personal hygiene look like in the 1700s? Come and see our colonial forebears in action.
The 2026 festival will be the fort’s biggest celebration yet on the 50th anniversary of the 1976 reconstruction of Colonial Fort Condé. Historical groups from throughout the region will join us to share the experiences of colonial military life, with demonstrations of musket firing, military drills, and other 18th-century skills and activities.
The festival will also explore the roles of English, French, Spanish and Native American communities, offering a glance back to the people, traditions, and cultures that shaped life in early Alabama.
Admission to the festival at Colonial Fort Condé is FREE. (Note: Admission to the nearby History Museum of Mobile is separate if you wish to also visit those exhibits.) In the event of inclement weather, the history festival will be moved indoors.
The original Fort Condé was built in 1723 by French explorers. Under various colonial powers, it went by different names, including Fort Louis, Fort Charlotte, and Fuerta Carlota. The remnants of the original fort, discovered during the construction of the Wallace I-10 Tunnel in 1966, may be seen in nearby Mardi Gras Park, facing Church Street. The replica fort was opened in 1976, as part of the nation’s bicentennial celebration. About one-third of the Fort was reconstructed at a four-fifths scale.
You can walk through the exhibits to see artifacts and recovered archaeological pieces of Mobile’s colonial past. Or, climb atop the fort walls to see unmatched views of the Mobile skyline.
Questions? Reach out to Kyle Williams, Curator of Living History at 251-544-5480 or k.williams@
Jim ‘Zig’ Zeigler is a freelance writer about the colorful and positive in Alabama — her people, places, events, groups and prominent deaths. He is a former State Auditor. You can reach him for comments at ZeiglerElderCare@yahoo.com
