Mobile has cultural experiences for a wide variety of tastes. The Gulf Coast Exploreum offers exhibitions on a variety of topics. Coupled with the IMAX theater the downtown location served thousands during the 2007 exhibition of "A Day in Pompeii." Mobile is said to have celebrated Mardi Gras first in 1703, when settlers first began the festivities at the Old Mobile Site. It is known as a family-friendly celebration, in contrast to the celebration in New Orleans.
The Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile has been home to the Senior Bowl since 1951, featuring the best college seniors in NCAA football. The GMAC Bowl has been played in Mobile since 1999 featuring opponents from the Mid-American Conference and Conference USA. Since 1988, The Ladd-Peebles Stadium has hosted the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic, where the top graduating high school seniors from each state compete each June.
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