Mobile’s Parks and Recreation Department is sending kids on a treasure hunt around one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks this weekend, using hidden clues and maps to teach navigation skills at Battleship Memorial Park.
The Junior Geocaching Hunt, the latest installment of the department’s S.T.R.E.A.M. Saturday series, runs this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the U.S.S. Alabama Battleship Memorial Park. The event is free and open to children ages 5 to 13.
Participants will search the grounds around the historic battleship using clues and maps rather than GPS coordinates alone, requiring problem-solving and teamwork as they track down hidden markers. Organizers say the format is designed to sneak basic navigation and orienteering lessons into what otherwise feels like a treasure hunt.
The S.T.R.E.A.M. Saturday series — an acronym for science, technology, reading, engineering, arts and math — has become a recurring feature of Mobile’s youth programming, rotating through different hands-on themes each month at parks and public spaces around the city. This installment leans on the battleship’s sprawling grounds as a built-in obstacle course for young explorers.
Families interested in attending do not need to register in advance; organizers say children can simply arrive at the park gates during the event window to join in. The event is free, though standard Battleship Memorial Park admission policies may apply for accompanying adults who want to tour the ship itself.