‘Jimmy Buffett: Son Of A Son Of A Sailor Experience’ To Open At Mobile’s National Maritime Museum Of The Gulf

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The “Jimmy Buffett: Son of a Son of a Sailor Experience” is opening at The National Maritime Museum of the Gulf in Mobile, Alabama on Sept. 12, inviting visitors into the life, music and Gulf Coast spirit of one of the region’s most influential icons.

Opening weekend begins Sept. 11 with “Margaritas and Memories,” featuring Mac McAnally and Scotty Emerick at the historic Saenger Theater, followed by the grand opening and unveiling of a new bronze Buffett sculpture on Sept. 12. Additional events will include live music and a nautical-inspired mural festival in Cooper Riverside Park.

More than a traditional museum exhibit, the permanent installation spans 6,000 square feet and combines a gallery of rare artifacts with an immersive concert experience. The exhibit explores Buffett not only as a musician, but as an author, sailor, pilot, entrepreneur, adventurer, philanthropist and storyteller whose influence extended far beyond music. The experience brings together more than 130 artifacts from Buffett’s life and career, including handwritten lyrics, his 12-string Martin guitar, his 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame statue, rare concert and recording footage, and a full-scale recreation of Shrimp Boat Sound, his Key West recording studio.

Buffett’s connection to the Gulf Coast was central to his life and work. He grew up in Mobile, where his family had deep ties to the maritime industry, and the region remained a constant presence throughout his career. The National Maritime Museum of the Gulf is located on Mobile’s waterfront, across the Mobile River from the area where Buffett’s parents worked at Alabama Dry Dock and Shipbuilding Co. The museum also preserves artifacts connected to his grandfather’s maritime history, creating a direct connection between the exhibition and the Buffett family’s Gulf Coast and maritime heritage.

“Creating the Jimmy Buffett Experience has been an absolute honor for our entire team. We have spent nearly two years listening, researching, collecting stories, curating artifacts, and working to capture the remarkable life of a man who meant so much to so many people,” says Karen Poth, Executive Director of the National Maritime Museum of the Gulf. “We didn’t get far into this project before we realized this exhibition will never be a finished story. It is a living exhibit. And it will continue to change and grow as new stories are shared, new artifacts come to light, and we learn more about Jimmy and the world he created. Opening the doors on Sept. 12 is not the end of this journey; it is the beginning.”

Advance tickets are currently available for admission to both the Jimmy Buffett: Son of a Son of a Sailor Experience and the National Maritime Museum of the Gulf.

Lorie Hollabaugh
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