Foley was founded by John B. Foley of Chicago, who bought up to 50,000 acres of the area and resold land to prospective residents of the rural community. It sits just north of Gulf Shores on Highway 59. John Foley invested in a rail extension from Bay Minette, Alabama, and soon the "Pine Knot Special” made daily runs between the two towns, beginning in 1905. The city incorporated in 1915.

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Foley, just minutes north of Gulf Shores, adds to the tourism offerings for folks who stay in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. And most people who drive to Gulf Shores on Highway 59 come through Foley on their way. The city has grown considerably in recent years, with the construction of many shopping malls and fast food restaurants.

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One of the bigger draws to Foley, though, is the Tanger Outlet Mall, which offers a wide selection of name brand outlets.  The city is also home to one the more popular eateries in the area, the “Home of the Throwed Rolls” Lambert’s Café, a folksy place where servers bring bowls of fried potatoes, fried okra, green beans, and other offerings around to diners’ tables and throw freshly baked rolls to people.

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Another unique restaurant in Foley is The Gift Horse (as in "don't look a gift horse in the mouth") at 209 West Laurel Avenue. The restaurant/antique store is located in a reconstructed 1912 building that was the Foley Progressive Club's meeting and concert hall, then during World War II became a USO dance hall, then was repurposed for a skating rink, emerging later as a large hardware store. It has original paneling and newly installed antique chandeliers. The tables have tablecloths and cloth napkins, like a turn-of-the century tearoom. The serving table for the buffet spread was built in the mid-19th century and once was used in the White House, and original art work tapestries from India hang in the dining room. It has a lot of character and the food is great -- fried biscuits, apple and cheese casserole, fried chicken, shrimp bisque, and more, including homemade desserts.  The Southern buffet is open daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

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Other attractions are the Wilbourne Antique Rose Trail, with more than 500 varieties of the flowers; a camellia walk with a dozen different varieties; the Holmes Medical Museum, located in what was the city’s first hospital, which displays antique medical tools that will scare most people when they think about them being used on living people. The museum gives visitors a look at what a hospital was like in the early 20th century (and it has a large collection of bed pans). The hospital was located upstairs above a grocery store to avoid the dust from the dirt streets.

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The Foley Railroad Museum is in the former Nashville-Louisville Railroad Station that was built in 1908 behind which is an exhibit of model trains in recognition of the historic Pine Knot Special; and a colorful little train, the Charles J. Ebert, Jr. Memorial Train, gives children rides around Heritage Park.

 

There’s a chockful of used books store at the intersection of Highway 98 and Highway 59, across the street from a new candy store that has a wide variety.

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Foley also is home to the relatively new amusement park/shopping mall called OWA. There are numerous rides, an athletic complex, great restaurants, and some unique shops. It is located on the Foley Beach Express.

 

The Hotel Magnolia is on the main street, Highway 59, across from the city park, in a 1908 two-story mansion built by John Burton Foley. The rooms hold antiques and chandeliers in a high Southern style that takes visitors into the early 20th Century.

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Did You Know?

Fanny Flagg, comedian and author of Fried Green Tomatoes; and seven professional football players came from Foley: Justin Anderson (former); D.J. Fluker (New York Giants); Julio Jones (Atlanta Falcons); Robert Lester (former); Bubba Marriott (former); Ken Stabler (former); Chris Walton (former).

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Temperatures:  Annual average is 68 degrees.  High, June through August, 89-90 degrees. Low, January, 53 degrees average.

   

Precipitation:  Annual average: 12 inches. Heaviest rainfall is in October. Least rainfall: July.

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Population: According to the 2010 census, the population is 14,600; estimate for 2017: 18,200.