Pensacola, Florida

Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park

The Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park is your gateway to gorgeous wet-prairie landscapes and coastal lands with a thriving ecosystem of rare plants and animals. The preserve spans over 4,000 acres of land and is best known for being the habitat of four different species of endangered pitcher plants like the white-topped pitcher plant. Explorers of the Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park can take a stroll along the boardwalk to see the best that this picturesque landscape has to offer or dive headfirst into the preserve via a hike through its nature trails. The preserve is also a great place to enjoy a picnic, while those with a bit more of an adventurous spirit can take a day-long hike through the park towards Perdido Bay.

2401 Bauer Road, Pensacola, Florida 32507, Phone: 850-492-1595

Big Lagoon State Park

Big Lagoon State Park is a 705-acre coastal park with various ecosystems such as pine flatwoods and saltwater marshes. It attracts an abundance of wildlife, including alligators, armadillos, sea turtles and gopher tortoises, and migratory and shore birds. The park has lovely beaches, campgrounds with electrical hookups, canoe and kayak rentals, fishing, and hiking trails. There are seventeen picnic shelters with grills and fire pits. Lookout towers along the boardwalk allow for wildlife viewing from on high. There is a boat ramp that allows boat owners to enjoy access to the Intracoastal Waterway. For scouting and service groups, there is a group campsite on the grounds.

12301 Gulf Beach Highway, Pensacola, FL 32507, Phone: 850-492-1595

Pensacola Blue Wahoos

The Pensacola Blue Wahoos are a Double A Minor League Baseball Team affiliated with the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball. Since 2012, this team has played its home games in Pensacola’s Blue Wahoo Stadium. It is a prestigious and well-known team that in 2016 took home the Bob Freitas Award for best overall Double A Franchise in the United States. As well as offering excellent baseball, the team has a women’s club designed for networking and a kids club that allows young baseball enthusiasts to meet players. They also have the team mascot, Kazoo, as well as participate in off-site activities that range from tennis lessons to tours of the Pensacola Art Museum. Season tickets are available.

351 West Cedar Street, Pensacola, FL 32502, Phone: 850-934-8444

Condor Sailing Adventures

Condor Sailing Adventures offers two-hour cruises aboard its rare Condor racing trimaran, one of only twenty-one in the world. The way in which it is constructed guarantees a smooth ride, so it is a perfect vessel for those who are usually plagued by seasickness. People with mobility issues will find it very easy to board, and kids will love exploring the ship and trying their hand at sailing it. This is not a typical crowded harbor tour; the three sailings daily take a maximum of six people at a time, and the comfortable lounge chairs allow passengers the opportunity to stretch out and relax on deck. The trimaran sails in Pensacola Bay where no motor boats are permitted, so it is a quiet trip among the dolphins who inhabit the bay.

999 South Palafox Street, Pensacola, FL 32502, Phone: 850-637-7245

Fort Barrancas, Pensacola

Fort Barrancas is a fortification system comprising three forts and a redoubt, and it is located in the Gulf Islands National Seashore. It was built during the years 1839-1844 on the site of an 18^th century Spanish fortification and was used during the American Civil War before being decommissioned in 1947. The fort is on the Pensacola Naval Air Station, and a valid U.S. driver’s licence is required to enter. Administered by the National Park System, Fort Barrancas has a visitor’s center with interesting historical displays and artifacts, restrooms, and a bookstore. The fort can be explored on your own, or you can join a ranger-led tour around the grounds. The fort has hiking trails with picnic areas stationed around the park.

3182 Taylor Rd, Pensacola, FL 32508, Phone: 850-452-0111

Gulf Islands National Seashore

Gulf Islands National Seashore is a 160-mile shoreline in northern Florida and Mississippi. Lured by the immense stretches of white sandy beaches and dunes and crystal-clear aquamarine water, people come here to camp in tents, swim in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, go boating, or scuba dive to explore the wreck of a U.S. battleship. There are thirty-five miles of trails in this National Park, which offer the opportunity to spot its indigenous wildlife, including foxes, beaver, armadillos, and river otter. More than three hundred different species of birds live in the park, and there are beach closures when the ospreys and the endangered snowy plovers come here to nest. The park has several ecosystems so that visitors can explore barrier islands, coastal forests, and mysterious bayous.

1801 Gulf Breeze Parkway, Gulf Breeze, FL 32563, Phone: 850-934-2600

Historic Pensacola

Historic Pensacola is an 8.5 acre stretch with twenty-eight historic properties, eleven of which are open to the public. There are four museums in this area – the T.T. Wentworth Museum, the Pensacola Children’s Museum, the Museum of Commerce, and the Museum of Industry. Historic homes in varying architectural styles and from different periods of Pensacola history can be toured. Old Christ Church dates back to 1832, still functions as an Episcopal church, and was once occupied by the military during the American Civil War. The Colonial Architectural Trail leads visitors along the remains of British, Spanish, and American fortifications that existed between 1752-1821. There are many gift shops in Historic Pensacola and lots of places to sit down and enjoy the fine array of historic buildings.

120 Church Street, Pensacola, FL 32502, Phone: 850-595-5985

Historic Pensacola Museum of Commerce

The Historic Pensacola Museum of Commerce is a reconstructed streetscape showing commercial buildings of the type that existed in the city during the period 1890-1910. There are twenty different buildings and include shops selling toys, hardware, music, household and leather goods, and a print shop with a large and excellent collection of antique presses and type. The museum also has an antique gas station, and a traditional classroom housed in a building made to resemble a train station. The museum has a number of original horse-drawn buggies and an antique local trolley car. Self-guided tours of the museum are possible daily.

201 E. Zaragoza Street, Pensacola, FL 32502, Phone: 850-595-5985

Johnson Beach, Pensacola

Johnson Beach, located on Perdido Key, is part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore. There is an admission charge for this beach, or you can obtain an annual pass that allows access to the entire National Seashore and its forts. The beach is named after U.S. Army Pvt. Rosamond Johnson Jr., a Korean War hero. The beach itself is broad and covered with white sugar sand; it has shoreline on both the Gulf of Mexico and on the Big Lagoon. Johnson Beach has picnic tables, clean restrooms, and a boardwalk trail that allows walkers to view the beauty of the natural shoreline and to see the wide variety of birdlife in this area. Camping is permitted right on the beach, and some parts of the beach allow campfires.

13333 Johnson Beach Road, Pensacola, FL 32507, Phone: 850-934-2600

National Naval Aviation Museum

The National Naval Aviation Museum is located on Naval Air Station Pensacola, and it is the world’s largest aviation museum. It follows the history of naval aviation in the U.S. Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and Navy. Over one hundred and fifty aircraft and spacecraft are on display inside the hangar or outside on the grounds; among many planes on display, visitors can view helicopters, biplanes, Blue Angels Skyhawks, and the Curtiss NC-4, which was the first plane to cross the Atlantic long ago in 1919. The museum has a store, a café, an IMAX theater, and a new 4D theater with moving seats that allows visitors to feel what it is like to be in the air in a Blue Angels plane. As the museum is on a Naval Air Station, photo identification is required for all visitors.

1750 Radford Blvd., Naval Air Station Pensacola, FL 32508, Phone: 800-327-5002

Niuhi Dive Charters, Pensacola

Niuhi Dive Charters is a Pensacola company offering dive charters both of wrecks and reefs, and they welcome all experience levels. The Gulf of Mexico is full of wrecked ships and even a downed biplane, and there is much to explore underwater: a tugboat, the U.S.S. Oriskany, an American aircraft carrier measuring over 900 feet in length, coal barges, a merchant ship, and a 19^th century wooden schooner. Charters include the assistance of a divemaster, as well as snacks and cold water to drink. Niuhi also offers spearfishing charters, coral reef diving, and night dives, and the company’s divemaster can help you learn or perfect your diving prowess.

10121 Sinton Drive, Pensacola, FL 32507, Phone: 850-529-2475

Pensacola Lighthouse and Museum

Pensacola Lighthouse and Museum dates back to 1859 when it was at first a lightship – a light tower aboard a ship – before becoming a land-based lighthouse. It is still an active guide to navigation of Pensacola Harbor, which is the deepest harbor on the Gulf Coast of the United States. Visitors may climb the 177 steps to the top of the lighthouse, where they will have stunning views over the Gulf of Mexico, the Naval Yard, the three historic forts in the area, and the Pensacola skyline. The Keeper’s Quarters, built in 1869, have been fully restored and operate as The Richard C. Callaway Museum, housing displays about local and lighthouse history, the American Civil War, and maritime history. As the Pensacola Lighthouse and Museum are located on an active Naval Air Station, all adults must present photo identification to enter.

2081 Radford Blvd., Pensacola Naval Air Station, FL 32508, Phone: 850-393-1561

Pensacola Museum of Art

The Pensacola Museum of Art is spectacularly housed in the 1906 Spanish-style old city jail, which itself is to be found in Pensacola’s Downtown Historic District. The small museum focuses on 20^th century art, and in their 20^th century art collection are works by Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Louis Comfort Tiffany, and Andy Warhol. There are works on canvas, paper, and sculptures, a decorative arts collection of American and European glassware, and some African tribal art. The Children’s Art Room has educational programming for kids, as well as summer camps and birthday parties. There are also educational opportunities for adults including workshops, films, and lectures.

407 S. Jefferson Street, Pensacola, FL 32502, Phone: 850-432-6247

Pensacola Pedal Trolley

The Pensacola Pedal Trolley is an environmentally-friendly way to tour the city; it is a pedal-powered vehicle with seating for fifteen people. It is a unique way of viewing Pensacola’s Downtown Historic District; historic tours last ninety minutes and stop to visit museums, take photographs, or to buy a drink or a snack. Pensacola Pedal Trolleys offers very popular evening pub crawls that last for two hours and give visitors a fun evening with friends and an opportunity to make new ones. Recently the Pensacola Pedal Trolley began offering Sunday Brunch Tours, which take in several brunch restaurants with discounted drinks at each one.

700 North Guillemard Street, Pensacola, FL 32502, Phone: 850-483-1405

Perdido Key State Park

Perdido Key State Park is a 247-acre park located on one of the Gulf of Mexico’s barrier islands. These islands are essential for protecting the Florida coastline from storm damage and for providing a habitat to shore and sea birds. This state park offers over two miles of white sand beaches, rolling dunes covered in sea oats, and is optimal for swimmers, sunbathers, and surfers. There are picnic tables and eight covered picnic shelters, restrooms, drinking water, parking, and a boardwalk from the car park to the beach that helps preserve the shoreline vegetation. Surf fishing is permitted here; catch is usually flounder, whiting, pompano, or red fish. There are cold water showers for rinsing off the sand before getting back in the car.

15301 Perdido Key Drive, Pensacola, FL 32507, Phone: 850-492-1595

Pensacola Museum of History, at the University of West Florida

T.T. Wentworth was a Pensacola entrepreneur, politician, and history buff who began his days as a museum curator showing oddities at a roadside stand. Today the Pensacola Museum of History, at the University of West Florida holds his eccentric collection is housed in the former Pensacola City Hall, which was built in 1907. The ground floor of the museum is dedicated to Wentworth’s collection, which includes, among other things, a mummified cat, a shrunken head, a Confederate torpedo, a 1,500-year-old dugout canoe, and a pair of shoes that once belonged to the world’s tallest man. The next two floors of the museum are historical, displaying artifacts, photos, and interactive exhibits about the history of the Florida Panhandle over the past few centuries.

120 Church Street, Pensacola, FL 32502, Phone: 850-595-5985

Veterans Memorial Park and Wall South

Veterans Memorial Park and Wall South honors the memory of those who have sacrificed their lives for their country. Wall South is an exact half-scale model of the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C. It came to Veterans Memorial Park as a travelling exhibit for five days in December of 1987. The local veterans, particularly the Vietnam veterans of the local community, were so moved by the wall that they began raising funds to purchase it when it had finished its cross-country journey. The Vietnam Veterans of Northwest Florida Association held fundraising events for several years until in 1992 they achieved their goal, and the half-scale wall was acquired for Veterans Memorial Park.

200 S. 10^th Avenue, Pensacola, FL 32502, Phone: 850-434-6119

Uncle Sandy’s Macaw Bird Park

Whether you love tropical birds or just want to spend some time gazing at some of nature’s most beautiful creatures, a trip to Uncle Sandy’s Macaw Bird Park is bound to be an enjoyable one for families and solo travelers alike. The bird park was founded by the late Sandy Kirkconnell and is characterized by its huge, tree-lined grounds.

This walk-in aviary puts visitors in the center of all the action as tropical birds fly freely above their heads for everyone to admire them. Uncle Sandy’s is home to color peacocks, macaws, and even an emu or two. This nonprofit organization is open closed on Tuesdays and Thursdays but is happy to welcome visitors any other time of the week. Quick tip? Wear a hat. Directions

9513 N Palafox Street, Pensacola, Florida 32534, Phone: 850-270-2130

Pensacola MESS Hall

If you want to inspire a young mind to solve problems creatively or to remain curious, take them to the Pensacola MESS Hall. The MESS Hall, MESS which stands for Math, Engineering, Science, and Stuff, is full of interactive and engaging learning activities that will help develop critical thinking in youngsters while encouraging them to take interest in subjects or topics that most children these days would find boring. With several exhibits and educational programs available to visitors, there’s no doubt that the Pensacola MESS Hall will keep you and your family entertained and engaged for hours. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, with extended hours on Saturday.

418 E Wright Street, Pensacola, Florida 32501, Phone: 877-937-6377

Pensacola Little Theatre

For over 80 years, the Pensacola Little Theatre has been staging spectacular performances of various disciplines for the locals and visitors of the city. Truly, culture comes alive in this place, as the theatre was born in 1926 when a group of performers came together to form the Pensacola Civic Drama Players. Many years later, the Pensacola Little Theatre finally found its home in a gorgeous state-of-the-art theatre, which offers every patron and guest an unobstructed view of the stage no matter where they are seated. Watch stunning ballet performances, catch a dramatic production, or be serenaded by an operatic performance, all from within the Pensacola Little Theatre.

400 South Jefferson Street, Pensacola, Florida 32502, Phone: 850-432-2042

Destination Archaeology Resource Center

Located in the headquarters of the Florida Public Archaeology Network is the Destination Archaeology Resource Center. This resource center is dedicated to the promotion and conservation of the state’s archaeological heritage and does so with an exhibit and an enjoyable archaeology lab that the public can come to and participate in. At the Destination Archaeology Resource Center, guests can learn all about Florida’s history through various cultural landmarks above land and underwater, which tell of even more interesting stories from the state’s 10,000 years of Native American heritage and nearly 500 years of European history. Visitors do need to call ahead to participate in the Archaeology Lab.

207 E Main Street, Pensacola, Florida 32502, Phone: 850-595-0050

5 Flags Speedway

Named after Pensacola City’s nickname, the 5 Flags Speedway isn’t just any landmark along Pine Road, it’s practically a racing institution. Famous for having hosted a Grand National Race when it first opened in 1953, Five Flags is a premier racing track that draws in fans from near and far who need to satisfy their need for speed. The speedway holds bi-weekly races, much to the delight of avid spectators, with several local classes racing during the regular racing season from March until October. Some racing classes to look forward to include the Super Late Models, Pro Trucks, and Outlaw Stocks among others. One of the speedway’s most popular events is undoubtedly the Snow Derby, which has run annually every December since 1968.

7451 Pine Forest Road, Pensacola, Florida 32526, Phone: 850-944-8400

McGuire's Irish Pub & Brewery

An institution of Pensacola’s food scene, McGuire's Irish Pub & Brewery first opened in 1977 as a small neighborhood pub in an unassuming shopping center. Today, it is a stylish New York-Irish saloon-style restaurant with a whopping 615 seating capacity, with dozens of awards under its belt. An 11-Time Golden Spoon Award Winner and a proud recipient of Wine spectator’s Award of Excellence, this pub and brewery dishes up some of America’s most mouthwatering steaks. As such, when you’re at McGuire’s it only makes sense to sink your teeth into their juicy, perfectly cooked slabs of meat while sipping on some of their in-house brewed beer such as their Old Fashioned Ale, Irish Red Ale, and Irish Pale Ale.

600 E Gregory Street, Pensacola, Florida 32502, Phone: 850-433-6789