New to Pensacola or just looking for something new to do? Here's your guide to a good time
Finding things to do in Pensacola is a lot easier than it used to be. Downtown Pensacola’s revitalization in the late 2000s and early 2010s paved a path for a city with a booming foodie scene, a craft beer mecca and rich with art, music and culture.
You can, and absolutely should, check out Pensacola Beach. In fact, it’s the first thing on the list. Basking in its beauty is worth the trip alone, but the roughly 8-mile-long beach is absolutely packed with fun things to do, fresh seafood to eat and cold drinks to relax with.
And once you’re done, be sure to head out and explore everything else Pensacola has to offer.
Pensacola Beach
If you’re a tourist, chances are high that Pensacola Beach’s beautiful white sands, crystal clear waters and sunsets are just a few of the reasons you’re here. There are so many things to do on Pensacola Beach that hundreds of thousands of tourists and locals alike swarm the area every summer looking for new things to explore and experiences to remember.
For families: Families looking to make the most out of their trip should check out Laguna’s Beach Bar and Grill. The restaurant serves up delicious food and ice-cold drinks for the adults and go-karts, three-story rope courses and climbing structures, a zip rail and a splash pad.
Along a similar vein, UFO’s Pensacola Beach is an 18-hole miniature golf course, ice cream bar and arcade adventure that makes for the perfect mid-day pit stop.
For couples: Pensacola Beach is your oyster. In addition to the bars and restaurants littered around the beach, the Pensacola Beach Boardwalk has even more, plus shopping and plenty of live entertainment.
Twilight strolls along the boardwalk or the sandy beach are always great ways to follow a romantic dinner at one of the beach’s more upscale restaurants like Drift, H2O and Grand Marlin. But before dinner, take a sunset dolphin cruise or rent paddleboards and kayaks for something more private.
Pet-friendly Pensacola: Bars, restaurants and parks that cater to four-legged friends
Visit state parks
With the development you find in most areas of Florida, it's hard to imagine what it would've looked like before the condos and the high-rises. Lucky for us, we can experience the old, natural Florida at one of three beautifully-maintained parks right here in Pensacola. Each offers its own unique brand of beauty but they all have one thing in common — pure, pristine paradise.
Big Lagoon State Park
The hub of the parks is Big Lagoon. With 5 miles of hiking and biking trails, boat ramps, picnic pavilions, 75 camp sites and perfect shallow swimming spots for kids, this is the perfect park for families. It also has a 30-foot observation tower that gives stunning views of the Intracoastal Waterway and Gulf Islands National Seashore.
Things to do outside: Indoor rock climbing, skate parks and escape rooms: Pensacola has plenty to do indoors
Tarklin Bayou Preserve State Park
Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park is the perfect hike with a view. The 4,000-acre preserve is home to four species of endangered pitcher plants, plus other rare and endangered plant species. A boardwalk winds throughout the bayou, giving a beautiful view of the area.
Perdido Key State Park
Finally, you have the pristine beauty of Perdido Key State Park. This isn't far from how our shores looked when they were discovered by explorers over 450 years ago. The undeveloped stretch of white and green vegetation offers a perfect view of what a dune system is supposed to look like.
Catch a Blue Wahoos or Ice Flyers game
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos is a Minor League Baseball team and a Double-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. The team plays at the Blue Wahoos Stadium, which was voted as the best Double-A stadium in 2020 by Ballpark Digest. That's because it offers more than just baseball. In conjunction with its stunning view, the park allows local organizations to host community events throughout the year — and it doubles as the world’s only ballpark you can book on Airbnb.
The Pensacola Ice Flyers is a professional ice hockey team (yes, we have ice hockey in Florida) of the Southern Professional League. The team describes its home games as an event — not just a game. And for good reason. The team’s home games are always a blast thanks to its theme nights that touch on everything from “Wiener Dog Race Night” events to going as far as completely rebranding themselves as Pensacola favorite drink for one night.
Naval Museum
The National Naval Aviation Museum is open to the public for the first time in three years.
The aviation museum is known nationally for its collection of more than 4,000 artifacts and 150 fully-restored aircraft representing Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard aviation.
Visitors can also enjoy flight simulators, movies at the Giant Digital Screen Theater and more.
What you need to know: Visiting the National Naval Aviation Museum? Here's everything you need to know.
Downtown Pensacola
Downtown is the heart of Pensacola and where you’ll find most of the local cuisine, bars and nightlife. The area underwent a revitalization at the end of the 2000s and evolved through the next decade to what it is today.
Restaurants
Pensacola’s foodie scene is arguably the breakaway success story of the revitalization efforts. Downtown is flooded with diverse food options and quality reminiscent of New Orleans, with admittedly less Cajun flair. Walking along Palafox you'll find everything from authentic German and Italian foods to ramen, sushi and Nashville hot chicken.
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Bars
Pensacola is home to a wide range of bars stemming from a JFK-themed cocktail lounge to whiskey bars and more. You'll also find Seville Quarter, one of Pensacola's most historic bars, an interesting mash-up of four bars in one.
Pensacola is also ranked No. 9 in the country in breweries per capita, which is a bit of trivia you can take to one of its many local craft breweries on trivia night. Like its foodie scene, Pensacola has a robust and diverse craft beer community. Each brewery has its local charm and acts like small, inclusive destination on its own. You'll come for the beer, stay for whatever fun event is happening that night and chow down on delicious food from a local food truck.
Pensacola craft breweries: Pensacola is up to 14 breweries, here's a list of them all
Things to do
If you're looking for something to do that doesn't involve eating and drinking then you're in luck. Downtown is where you'll find the Pensacola Museum of History, the Saenger Theatre, Pensacola Little Theatre, Vinyl Music Hall and plenty of parks and spaces to explore.
On Saturdays, catch the Palafox Market, which is a farmer's market that runs through downtown. You're also likely to run into any number of fun events on the weekends, especially in the fall when festival season kicks off.
Explore Pensacola’s history
Pensacola was originally established by Spain in 1559 when Don Tristan de Luna and a colony of Spanish settlers sailed to the area to set up a new Spanish settlement. Unfortunately, a hurricane wiped out many of the ships the colonists were using as temporary warehouses, forcing them to leave. The Spanish wouldn't return to form another, permanent settlement until 1698.
Explore Pensacola history: Pensacola's past is on display at these 8 must-visit historic sites
Here’s a list of sites you can visit to discover Pensacola’s history:
Pensacola Lighthouse — The Pensacola Lighthouse consists of 177 historic steps to a breathtaking view of the Gulf Coast. It was first lit on New Year’s Day in 1859 and was later turned into a museum that features an ever-evolving array of exhibits.
Fort Barrancas — Fort Barrancas is called the bastion on the bluffs because it stands on a high bluff that overlooks the entrance to Pensacola Bay. The structure was completed in 1844 and was built to provide additional defense for the Pensacola Naval Yard. The fort’s position was so strategic that the Army Corps of Engineers built it over the ruins of other forts built by the Spanish, French and British.
Historic Pensacola — The University of West Florida Historic Trust uses the Historic Pensacola umbrella as a unique way to educate people about what life was like in Pensacola hundreds of years ago. The site encompasses 8.5 acres and 28 properties within the footprints of the original Spanish and British in downtown Pensacola.
Belmont-Devilliers — Belmont-Devilliers is a historic neighborhood based around Belmont and DeVilliers Streets. It served as the center for Pensacola’s African-American community due to Florida’s Jim Crow laws, which mandated segregation.
Heritage Trail — If you frequent downtown Pensacola, you might have noticed a red line painted along the sidewalk that popped up in 2022. That line is known as the A1S Trail and mimics Boston’s famous Freedom Trail, a 2.5-mile pedestrian trail outlining the nation's history through a series of planned stops.
Blue Angels
Now that Naval Air Station Pensacola has resumed public access, visitors and residents alike can catch the Blue Angels practicing when they’re in town.
The National Naval Aviation Museum will open the flight line behind the museum to view Blue Angels practice flight demonstrations. On practice dates, gates open at 9:30 a.m. and the Blues take to the skies at 10:30 a.m.
Here’s the Blue Angels 2023 practice schedule:
March - 28, 29
April - 4, 5*, 11,12*, 18, 19*, 25, 26*
May - 2, 3*, 9, 10*, 16, 17*, 31*
June - 6,7*, 13, 14*, 20, 21, 27, 28*
July - 11, 12, 25, 26*
August - 1, 16*, 22, 23*, 29
September - 6*, 12, 19
October - 18*, 24, 25*
*Indicates Blue Angels autograph sessions in the museum.
Looking for things to do this weekend? Here are our top 5 picks.
Things to do in Pensacola today
Looking for things to in Pensacola today? Here's a seven-day look at what's happening in Pensacola this week:
Things to do in Pensacola this week: Things to do in Pensacola this week: Fish House Craft Beer Fest; Juneteenth; Gallery Night
Things to do in Pensacola with kids
Finding new things to do with the kids can be a truly daunting task. How many trips to the beach or park adventures can you have before the idea is met with the dreaded, "We always go to the beach!"
Rest assured, there is plenty to do in Pensacola to keep the fun flowing this summer. Looking for something wet? Splash Center Adventures, splash pads and the nearby OWA theme park and resort have you covered. Looking to do something inside to escape the heat? The Sky Zone Trampoline Park and Kid's Place have just what you need.
Keep reading to find ways to keep your kids entertained.
Pensacola things to do with kids: Indoor parks, splash pads, zip lines and more: Fun things to with your kids in Pensacola
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Best things to do in Pensacola: Stay updated on local events
