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What is Pensacola known for?
- Pensacola is a naval town and home to Naval Air Station Pensacola, where the Blue Angels flight demonstration team trains.
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What natural attractions can visitors enjoy in Pensacola?
- Two state parks and a national park protect the barrier islands and the beautiful white sand beaches that front the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
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Why is Pensacola a great beach vacation destination?
- With its idyllic beaches and warm Gulf waters, Pensacola is a perfect place for a beach vacation.
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What historical attractions are in Pensacola?
- Historically-minded visitors can explore forts, tour historic homes, and visit museums.
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What can birdwatchers see in Pensacola?
- Birdwatchers can view an amazing array of sea, shore, and migratory birds.
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1. Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park
Walk boardwalk trails and see rare pitcher plants on an easy spring trip.
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
2. Big Lagoon State Park
Kayak quiet waters and spot coastal birds on an affordable nature outing.
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
3. Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Catch a game and enjoy bayfront views on a fun family night.
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
4. Condor Sailing Adventures
Sail Pensacola Bay and admire sunset views on a romantic couples escape.
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
5. Fort Barrancas, Pensacola
Explore old tunnels and discover military history on an unusual weekend trip.
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 18th 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
6. Gulf Islands National Seashore
Swim crystal waters and relax on white sand during an exciting summer getaway.
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
7. Historic Pensacola
Tour preserved homes and walk cobblestone streets on a quick cultural trip.
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
8. Historic Pensacola Museum of Commerce
Step into old shops and explore vintage displays on a fun kids outing.
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
9. Johnson Beach, Pensacola
Sunbathe peacefully and stroll the shore on a relaxing retirement visit.
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
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