Anyone who's been to Gulf Shores knows there are beautiful beaches there, but sometimes that's just about all they know. A visit to the city's museum can fill in many blanks.

The city-owned Gulf Shores Museum is a few miles inland from the shiny white beach and sparkling waters. At 244 W. 19th Avenue, it's located inside an old family beach house, a white cottage with dark green shutters, that was moved a couple of miles inland in 1979. It's located in the same area, west of U.S. 59, which is also home to many other municipal facilities, including the city hall, the fire station, the civic center, and the library.

Admission to the museum is free, and the number of curious people who drop in to check it out seems to increase on those days when beach conditions are less than perfect.

"We tend to get more visitors when it's raining or there are purple flags or red flags, and they are looking for something else to do," says longtime Museum Administrator Christie Shannon. "We also get lots of locals who want to entertain their families and friends who are visiting."

For those unfamiliar with the beaches, a red warning flag indicates that everyone must exit the water due to dangerously high surf conditions. A purple flag flying indicates the presence of dangerous marine life such as sharks. Both are certainly good reasons to high-tail it to the little museum as a much safer diversion.

Once inside the comfy confines of the old cottage, guests will see that Gulf Shores sprang up to what it is today in relatively short order since officially becoming a city in 1958. The exhibits trace not only the city's evolution from a humble fishing village to a top tourist destination, but also some of the challenges it faced along the way.

Hurricanes, for instance. There's a viewing area where you can sit and watch videos that show some of the significant storms from over the years, including Frederic, Ivan, Katrina, and Sally. Two other pivotal events in the city's lifespan — the Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010 and the COVID-19 crisis a decade later — are also represented.

While these were all major setbacks, they didn't stop Gulf Shores from rebounding into a bigger vacation destination than ever before. Resilience is also a significant part of the city's story.

Although it's not strictly a history museum, the museum's numerous photographs and ephemera from days gone by offer plenty for those with an eye for nostalgia. 

"Our livelihood down here is tourism," Christie says, "so events like the Shrimp Festival and the Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival are also a big part of our ongoing history."

She also sees the museum as a place that plays an active and vital role in the community, where people gather to celebrate holidays and other special events. To that end, she's already putting plans together for the United States' semiquincentennial, which comes along next year to mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of our Declaration of Independence.

Most of the items on display at the museum have been donated, many of them from families who have been here for several generations. Sadly, the new holdings often arrive after the death of a family member, and the survivors have sorted through belongings and found old photographs, letters, and such that they believe may be valuable or insightful.

Christie says the museum staff welcomes such gifts or loans, but appreciates it when someone who has something of this nature contacts them beforehand rather than just dropping it off without an explanation of what it is.

Meanwhile, numerous materials showcase Gulf Shores' colorful history, and a beautiful butterfly garden is located out back. There's also a gift shop section where you can pick up souvenirs, such as caps, t-shirts, and coffee mugs, as well as copies of Small Town, Big Beach, a new book that serves as a pictorial history of the community.

However, rather than describing all the museum's features in detail, it's probably better to see them in person. And you don't have to wait for a rainy day. 

‍Except for most major holidays, the Gulf Shores Museum is open six days a week with the following hours: Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to noon and again from 1 to 5 p.m., and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.