Tucked behind City Hall off Highway 161, the Orange Beach History Museum lives in an actual 1910 schoolhouse, moved to this spot in 1999. If you knew it by its old name — the Indian & Sea Museum — you’re not wrong, just out of date: it was renovated and renamed in December 2023, and most directories and old brochures haven’t caught up. Same building, same story, better telling.
What’s inside
Two threads: the Native American heritage of this coast, and the fishing village Orange Beach was before it was a beach town — much of it supplies and collectibles donated by the families of the early fishermen themselves. That’s the part that lands. This isn’t a curated-from-afar exhibit; it’s the town’s own attic, organized.
Good to know
Free, open Monday through Friday 9 to 4, year-round, closed major holidays. It’s small — budget under an hour — which makes it a perfect rainy-morning stop or the thing you do before lunch on Canal Road. Groups of five or more can call ahead for a tour. The museum’s been operating since 1995; the renovation just finally gave the collection the room it deserved.