Explore Pensacola Beach
Off the Island
Ready to head over to the mainland? Be sure to stop at the Pensacola Beach Information Center first. It's the aqua-colored building at the traffic light on the island. They will cheerfully answer your questions and brief you about the sights over on the mainland. Call (850) 932-1500 or 1-800-635-4803.
Also, the Pensacola Convention & Visitors Bureau web site features lots of good information for your next trip.
National Naval Aviation Museum
From downtown Pensacola, it's only a short drive to Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, home of the world-famous Blue Angels, a high-performance team of naval aviators who set the standard for precision flying. Also located on NAS Pensacola is the National Naval Aviation Musuem. See over 140 beautifully restored aircraft representing Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Aviation. Find out if you have what it takes to be a "Top Gun" pilot with four F-14 military flight-training simulators. You can also experience the thrill of flight in the 15-passenger full-motion flight simulator. Or visit the museum's IMAX theater, featuring films on flight and other daring adventures on a seven-story-high screen.
The ZOO
A little further east of Gulf Breeze on Hwy. 98 is The ZOO - Northwest Florida, where you can feed the giraffes head-to-head or even ride a train across the 50 acres of botanical gardens to observe nearly 700 animals in this natural habitat. Call (850) 932-2229.
The City of Pensacola
Veteran's Memorial Park has a scaled replica of the Wall South Vietnam Veterans Memorial, located on Bayfront Parkway in downtown Pensacola. In Historic Pensacola Village, be sure to see the restored historic homes and the T.T. Wentworth, Jr. Florida State Museum. There's even a colonial archaeological trail which leads you through different eras of Pensacola history and highlights an ongoing program of excavation by local archaeologists.
The Arts
Drop by the Pensacola Museum of Art and the Pensacola Cultural Center downtown. Pensacola Symphony Orchestra and the Pensacola Opera both have excellent seasonal shows, and several theatrical and dance companies give performances throughout the year at the Saenger Theatre.
Festivals
Pensacola is well-known as a city of festivals, including the Great Gulf Coast Arts Festival, Blue Angels Homecoming Air Show, Fiesta of Five Flags, Pensacola Seafood Festival, Jazz Fest, and many more.
What else is there to do?
When you leave the National Naval Aviation Museum, you might want to check out the Pensacola Lighthouse or Fort Barrancas and Advanced Redoubt, also located on NAS Pensacola. Speed fans enjoy Pensacola Greyhound Track and Five Flags Speedway featuring the popular Snowball Derby. If river travel is your interest, visit the canoe capital of Florida. Choose from Coldwater Creek, Blackwater River, Sweetwater-Juniper Creek or Perdido River - whatever floats your boat.