New $5.1M welcome center coming to Africatown in Mobile
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City and community leaders gathered in Africatown earlier this week to celebrate the official groundbreaking of a new welcome center.
The $5.1 million project will honor the legacy of Africatown and the story of the Clotilda. It will serve as a community center + educational experience for visitors.
“We are fortunate to have so many people dedicated to preserving Africatown’s past and developing its future. This community has an incredible story to tell, and we have a responsibility to tell it. The Africatown Welcome Center will help us do that for years to come!”
Sandy Stimpson, Mobile mayor
The welcome center is expected to be a primer for people visiting the area, allowing them to learn some of the basics about what makes Africatown so important to American history.
The project is expected to be completed in 2026.
Africatown Heritage House
There are several pieces of history to explore in the area. Africatown is home to:
- Heritage House museum
- Lewis Landing
- Lewis Quarters
- Clotilda exhibit
The area has received national + international praise in recent years as the city continues its push for preserving the historic site.
Earlier this year, Africatown Heritage House was named the second best history museum in the country by USA Today.
When it opened in 2023, it was called the top new museum in the country by National Geographic UK.
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