Situated on the eastern edge of Dauphin Island are the well-preserved ruins of this fortress, which has guarded the approaches to Mobile Bay for centuries. A museum presents historical relics, and it's fun to poke around the fort grounds.
Fort Gaines played a pivotal role in the Civil War Battle of Mobile Bay, when Union Admiral David Farragut famously told his sailors, 'Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!' (sort of; the quote is a paraphrase of a slightly longer order).