Last Updated on January 1, 2024
Looking for fun things to do in Pensacola and Pensacola Beach? We’ve got you covered.
Pensacola, Florida’s westernmost city, is located on the Gulf coast, about halfway between Tallahassee and New Orleans.
This is a destination where you can stroll around a charming downtown area, relax on a sugar-white sand beach, or roam through a pre-Civil War fort.
This is Florida’s southern town with a Creole vibe.
If you happen to be a foodie, Pensacola will not disappoint! The signature dishes include barbecued shrimp, fried green tomatoes, spicy grits, and bread pudding.
This is where Southern meets Creole, with a dash of spicy Cajun.
Are you feeling a Mardi Gras vibe yet?
Yes, Mardi Gras is celebrated here, Florida-style. While New Orleans gets most of the Mardi Gras hype, it has been a tradition in Pensacola since 1874.
Pensacola lights up with hometown parades, fancy costumes, fantastic food, and plenty of parties.
This “City of Five Flags” has been governed over time by Spain, France, England, the United States, and the Confederacy.
Its multicultural history provides a wealth of new things to do in Pensacola, while still celebrating its old-world past.
Things to Do in Pensacola
Table of Contents
Here are some suggestions to make your Pensacola trip an Authentic Florida experience:
Climb a Fort
Start with a little history. At the entrance to Pensacola Bay, the pre-Civil War era Fort Pickens guards the western tip of Santa Rosa Island, one of two nearby barrier islands.
Visitors can climb tower bastions or through fort chambers below. Park rangers provide free daily tours.
Fort Pickens was the largest of four forts built to defend Pensacola after the War of 1812 when the United States fortified all major harbors.
Named after American Revolutionary War hero Andrew Pickens, the fort was completed in 1834 and protected Pensacola during the Spanish-American War and both World Wars before being decommissioned in 1947.
Fort Pickens Address: 1400 Fort Pickens Rd., Pensacola Beach, FL 32561
Interested in checking out other forts in Florida? Check out Step Back in Time at these Four Florida Forts.
Enjoy the View of Pensacola
Across the Intracoastal Waterway from Fort Pickens stands the 1859 Pensacola Lighthouse towering 160 feet and still directing vessels into port.
The Light and the adjacent Keeper’s Quarters comprise the Pensacola Lighthouse and Maritime Museum. Adventurous visitors can climb the daunting 177 steps to the top and be rewarded with breathtaking views of the Gulf of Mexico, Pensacola Bay, and the National Seashore, as well as the nearby Naval Air Station.
If you time your visit to coincide with a Blue Angels practice show, you are in for an incredible display of aviation artistry from an awesome location. (Check the Blue Angels website for the schedule.)
Pensacola Lighthouse & Maritime Museum Address: 2081 Radford Blvd., Pensacola, FL 32508
Looking to visit other historic lighthouses in Florida? Check out St. Augustine Lighthouse + List of Florida’s Historic Lighthouses.
Go with Pensacola Nature
Pensacola’s Big Lagoon State Park is aptly named for its lagoon bordering the park to the south as it faces the Intracoastal Waterway and the Gulf Islands Seashore across the water.
Pristine pine Flatwoods, sand scrub, and salt marshes also form a natural sanctuary accessible via hiking trails and a 40-foot observation tower. Encompassing almost 700 acres, this is an ideal park for kayaking, paddle boarding, and also camping.
Big Lagoon State Park Address: 12301 Gulf Beach Hwy, Pensacola, FL 32507
Beach It at Pensacola Beaches
Here’s an idea. Take a picnic lunch and head out to the longest stretch of protected shoreline anywhere in the United States.
Gulf Islands National Seashore is among the most spectacular stretches of beach in Florida – and that’s saying a lot in a state with over 600 miles of beaches.
Bahamas-like emerald-green shallow waters contrast the gleaming white “sugar” sand making it a premier beach destination.
To find the best spots, drive towards one of Pensacola’s islands, Santa Rosa or Perdido Key, and head either north or south to the signs marked National Seashore.
Shaded picnic pavilions and amenities are also available.
Fly Blue
Pensacola is known as “the birthplace of naval aviation,” and every Navy, Marine, and Coast Guard aviator begins training at Pensacola’s Naval Air Station.
It’s no wonder this is home to the U.S. Navy’s famous Blue Angels and the National Naval Aviation Museum.
The free Museum displays more than 150 restored aircraft that showcase the spirit of naval aviation, with tales of combat and profiles of courageous military accomplishments.
Plan at least a half-day to explore the museum and have lunch at the Cubi Bar & Café, a replica of the famous Philippines Officers’ Club, complete with aviation decor and memorabilia.
Of course, if you are fortunate to be in Pensacola during the Blue Angels practices (usually held mid-week), don’t miss the spectacular air show followed by the pilot autograph session.
Naval Air Station Pensacola Address: 150 Hase Rd., Pensacola, FL 32508
Explore Pensacola History
Spend time soaking in the ambiance of the historic downtown with centuries-old colonial buildings with balconies, red-brick streets, and charming squares shaded by old oak trees.
One of the best ways to explore the downtown is via Emerald Coast Tours, which guides you on stand-up Segways (with instruction) or bicycles.
Glide through Pensacola’s historic village, observe costumed 19th-century re-enactors, and enjoy one of Florida’s oldest churches, the 1832 Old Christ Church.
Cruise past the colonial Seville Quarter and Palafox Street, situated at the heart of the downtown and also home to the Saturday Farmer’s Market.
Get Lost
Perdido Key, Pensacola’s westernmost barrier island, is where you can chuck all your worries, grab your flip-flops, drink a cold one, and even toss a mullet.
“Perdido” is Spanish for “lost” and there’s plenty of laid-back “beachy” charm to get lost in.
For the best beaches to chill out, head to the National Seashore or Perdido Key State Park.
Perdido Key State Park Address: 15301 Perdido Key Dr., Pensacola, FL 32507
Enjoy Pensacola Food
Flora-Bama Lounge
Make sure you stop at the Flora-Bama Lounge, a legendary beach bar on the Florida-Alabama border, with live music.
It also holds the renowned annual Interstate Mullet Toss, where the local fish is tossed over the state border, raising money for charity.
Flora-Bama Lounge Address: 17401 Perdido Key Dr., Pensacola, FL 32507
Joe Patti
Pensacola is a town where farm-fresh produce and seafood meet traditional southern and multi-cultural creole cuisine. There are plenty of restaurants to enjoy.
For a uniquely Pensacola picnic meal, head to Joe Patti’s Seafood.
A local institution since 1935, this is the place where locals shop for fresh seafood. Shrimp boats dock outside and deliver the daily catch.
Inside, customers stand in line along the counter to select their seafood as servers scoop (and will steam) fresh shrimp, crabs, clams, and cut-to-order fish fillets.
This is a pick, pack, and go place and ideal for a beach picnic or an old-timey seafood experience.
Joe Patti’s Seafood Address: 524 S B St., Pensacola, FL 32502
Additional Restaurants in Pensacola & Pensacola Beach
Other unique culinary stops that are sure to become favorites.
Perdido Key’s Fisherman’s Corner Restaurant
A great place for shrimp & grits and bread pudding.
Fisherman’s Corner Restaurant Address: 13486 Perdido Key Dr., Pensacola, FL 32507
Belmont District’s Five Sisters Blues Café
The place to go for southern comfort Andouille Crusted Shrimp, Chicken & Waffles, okra, collard greens, and black-eyed peas.
Five Sisters Blues Café Address: 421 W Belmont St., Pensacola, FL 32501
Jerry’s Drive-In
For classic (and cheap) diner favorites such as BBQ pork, fried mullet, and milkshakes, Jerry’s is your place.
Jerry’s Drive-In Address: 2815 E Cervantes St., Pensacola, FL 32503
Red Fish Blue Fish
Try the Grits a Ya Ya for Pensacola seafood
Red Fish Blue Fish Address: 5 Via De Luna Dr. B, Pensacola Beach, FL 32561
The Fish House
The Fish House Address: 600 S Barracks St., Pensacola, FL 32502
Renfroe’s Pecans
Locally owned, Renfroe’s Pecans, for what else, everything pecans.
Renfroe’s Pecans Address: 794 W Main St., Pensacola, FL 32502
Accommodations in Pensacola & Pensacola Beach
We usually are on the hunt for unique Airbnbs or historic hotels. However, we fell in love with the two-bedroom suite at the SpringHill Suites by Marriott Pensacola Beach, and it’s tough to stay anywhere else.
This UFO was once an Airbnb and was on our list of quirky accommodations in Florida. However, it needs some TLC. (If it becomes rentable again, we will let you know).
History, beaches, natural beauty, and food – this is what you will experience while visiting Pensacola! It is also what you will fondly remember after you leave.
Yeah, let the good times roll … Laissez les bon temps rouler!