When you’re in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, you can spend all day lounging on our soft, white sands breathing in the Gulf air and you’d be happy as a seagull munching on… well, anything. If you come down here and spend the day doing nothing, we support that 100%. But if you want to get up and go—if you have the desire to do more than nothing while you’re here—we’re ok with that, too. We’re so ok with it, as a matter of fact, that we came up with 100 Things to Do in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach during your time on the Alabama Gulf Coast. Conquering this list of things to do would make for one (or five) epic vacations!
Art, History, & Culture
100. Head to some of the free museums
99. Go antiquing in Foley
98. Check out the Swift-Coles Historic Home
97. Learn about military history at Fort Morgan
96. See a show at South Baldwin Theatre
95. Make your own pottery at The Clay Studio
94. Blow your own glass at The Hot Shop
93. Find something unique at Sea Oat Studio in Gulf Shores
92. Walk aboard the USS ALABAMA Battleship
DIY
91. Book a paint party with Paint Art Live
90. Make yourself a signature scent at High Cotton at The Wharf
89. Attend Sand Castle University on the beach
Sip & Savor: What to Eat, Drink, and Do at Our Restaurants
87. Sip on house made lemonade on the couches at The Gulf
86. Catch a “throwed” roll at Lambert’s
85. Enjoy a unique dining experience at Coast Restaurant
84. Sip on vino at the Sunset Cork Room
83. Have freshly brewed coffee at The Southern Grind (and take a pound home)
82. Have an epic Bloody Mary at Brick & Spoon
81. Eat boiled peanuts or peel-n-eat shrimp on the beach
80. Visit Coastal Alabama Farmers and Fishermans Market for locally grown fruits & veggies
79. Climb the Rope Course at Lucy Buffett's LuLu’s
78. Have a dozen oysters at Original Oyster House (go ahead… make it two)
77. Have an old fashioned milkshake at Stacey’s Drugs and Olde Tyme Soda Fountain
76. Get beignets at Café Beignet (or a whole dozen)
75. Have wine & cheese at Red or White at The Wharf
74. Get a crazy breakfast treat at City Donut
73. Nab some fresh-off-the-boat seafood at Aquilas
72. Visit The Wharf and try some gator (and other exotic) jerky at Gulf Coast House of Jerky
71. ...then stroll over to YoHo Rum & Tacos and Boat Bar for a fresh rum cocktail and a piece of their Pineapple Upside Down Rum Cake. (Arrr! Have fun & impersonate a pirate!)
70. Eat some Greek Shrimp Nachos at the Flora-Bama Yacht Club
69. Sip on a local beer at Big Beach Brewery (and bring your own snack to pair)
68. Eat Ice Cream at Scoop’s (or really any of our must-try ice cream shops)
67. Visit BuzzCatz Coffee & Sweets for one of their home-made pastries
66. Bring the day’s catch to a local restaurant and let them prepare it (we call it Cook Your Catch!)
65. Try a signature cocktail at The Sand Shaker at The Wharf
64. Tackle the Sunday buffet at The Grand Hotel (go ahead, make it a whole spa day)
63. Get a burger and a Bushwacker from Pirates Cove (ask for a floater, you know you want it)
62. Eat a Farmer's Omelet at Tacky Jacks and enjoy breakfast with a view (ask for 2 forks, there's plenty to share)
Thrilling Adventure
61. Ride The Sky Coaster at The Track
60. Catch a Blue Angels show (or practice)
59. Explore the National Naval Aviation Museum when it reopens!
58. Sip on a Piña colada when you hop 'aboard' Cruisin’ Tiki Bars
57. Test your skills at an Escape Room
56. Take a hot air balloon ride
55. Ride a roller coaster at OWA
54. Play Laser tag or bazooka ball
Music
53. Catch a concert at The Wharf
52. Sing karaoke at Pink Pony Pub
51. Check out the Spectra Laser Light Experience at The Wharf
50. Do the YMCA on the tables at The Hangout
Enjoy Time on (or in) the Water
49. Ride the Flowrider at Waterville USA
48. Go deep sea fishing on a charter boat
47. Or for less of a time (and monetary) commitment, go Inshore Fishing
46. Cast your line at Gulf State Park Pier
45. Kayak or Canoe on the Orange Beach Kayak & Canoe Trail (there are 10 launch points)
44. Rent a boat, pontoon, or WaveRunners and spend the day on the water
43. Check out our epic sunsets with an evening sail
42. …or go crazy and watch it from a helicopter
41. Go on a Guided Jet Ski Dolphin Tour
40. Take a Cruisin' Tiki ride to Robinson Island
39. Take the Ferry to Dauphin Island
38. Go on a Dolphin Cruise
37. Hit up the splash pad at Tanger Outlets (and do a little shopping while you’re there)
36. Paddleboard at Cotton Bayou
35. Go Kayaking on Bon Secour River
34. Spend the day on Robinson Island
(Local’s Tip: hit up Coastal Kayak Excursions at Caribe Marina if you’re without a boat – they’ll get you to the island)
33. Call Chute Em Up Parasail and fly above the water
32. Go diving and scope out The LuLu or the Whiskey Wreck
Sports, Fitness, & Relaxation
31. Attend a pop-up exercise class from Moxie
29. Do yoga—hot yoga, slow yoga, power yoga, yoga on the beach—just do yoga.
28. Take the whole family for a game of FootGolf
27. Or slow down and take time for a round of actual Golf
26. Get a massage at The Spa at The Beach Club
25. Catch a Pensacola Wahoo’s baseball game
24. Shoot pool at The Cove
23. Test your bowling skills in Foley
22. Play disc Golf at Graham Creek Nature Preserve
21. Jump on the trampolines at The Factory
20. Rent a bike and cruise Beach Boulevard (Highway 182)
Get Back to Nature
19. Cuddle with lemurs or kangaroos at the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo
18. Explore the Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail
17. Look for creatures at the Bon Secour Wildlife Refuge
16. Take time to explore Alabama’s Coastal Connection
15. Explore Bellingrath Gardens & Home (bonus points if it’s during Magic Christmas in Lights)
14. Get up close and personal with some critters at Alligator Alley
13. Take a Segway tour
12. Go on a modern day treasure hunt by Geocaching
11. Take a walk on the beach looking for (but don’t disturb) sea turtle nests
10. Spot birds at the Audubon Bird Sanctuary
9. Pet sting rays at the Alabama Aquarium at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab
8. Check out the wetlands at Wade Ward Nature Park
Be a Tourist
7. Take a picture in the shark’s mouth at Souvenir City
6. Get drenched in foam at The Hangout
5. Ride the Train at Wales West
4. Cross the Pedestrian Bridge in Foley
3. Ride the Ferris Wheel at The Wharf
2. Straddle the Florida-Alabama line (and be in two places at once)
Our Favorite…but don’t tell the others
1. Do nothing on the beach (psst: this one may be our favorite)