10 Fun Facts About

Gulf Shores & Orange Beach

Do you know these interesting facts about Gulf Shores and Orange Beach?

August 30, 2023

Orange Beach and Gulf Shores are home to beautiful beaches, incredible attractions and fabulous restaurants, many of which are one-a-kind. The unique culture and history of our area make it more than just a beach destination. Here are 10 fun facts about Alabama’s beaches.

1. The Ferris Wheel at The Wharf is the second tallest in the Southeast and is the highest accessible point in the area.

2. The iconic Gulf Shores restaurant LuLu’s at Homeport Marina is owned by well-known singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett’s sister Lucy and usually serves around 4,000 guests a day during summer.

3. The present-day site of Shellbanks Baptist Church on Fort Morgan Road was once the location of a Native American village. This village was the first in America to be visited by an explorer centuries ago.

4. The Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo in Gulf Shores is the first ZAA-accredited U.S. Zoo to be built from the ground up in more than 20 years. It also had a starring role in the 2006 Animal Planet docu-series “The Little Zoo That Could.”

5. The city of Orange Beach earned its name thanks to the short-lived success of a few locals who tried to grow oranges, grapefruit and satsuma trees in the area.

6. Former Alabama Governor Jim Folsom was the one who coined the nickname “Pleasure Island,” which was officially adopted by the Gulf Shores Lion Club in 1949.

7. In 1927, the State of Alabama purchased Fort Morgan for $8,000.

8. Admiral David Farragut spoke the infamous words, “Damn the torpedoes…full speed ahead,” while just off the shores of Fort Morgan State Historic Site during the Battle of Mobile Bay in 1864.

9. Once known as “Goat Island,” Ono Island was purchased in 1945 for $3,000. The island is currently home to some of the destination’s most spectacular multi-million-dollar homes.