10 Best Sights in Pensacola, The Panhandle

In addition to being where the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron Blue Angels launches its practice flights, the Pensacola Naval Air Station (NAS) is home to a 300,000-square-foot museum with more than 140 aircraft representing more than 100 years of naval aviation. Currently, however, access to the NAS is not available to the general public unless they're accompanied by someone who holds a Department of Defense ID card (e.g., active or retired military personnel or a member of their families). If you don't have someone to accompany you, it's worth calling ahead or checking online to see if this requirement has changed, and, if so, make time for a visit.

On display are the NC-4, which, in 1919, became the first plane to cross the Atlantic; the famous F-6 Hellcat World War II fighter; the Skylab Command Module; an atomic bomb (it's defused, we promise); and the restored Cubi Bar Café, a very cool airmen's club transplanted here from the Philippines. The museum also offers a giant-screen theater showing Magic of Flight, Aircraft Carrier, and other educational films.

If you're feeling more adventurous, the MaxFlight Simulator—featuring interactive, 360-degree, pitch-and-roll technology—offers the chance to experience air-to-air combat or stunt flying. Alternatively, you can see what it's like to fly with the Blue Angels or take off from an aircraft carrier and do battle in the Iraqi desert in an HD Motion-Based Simulator. If you'd rather reach for the stars, opt for the Apollo 11 VR Experience.

Set on the north shore of Big Lagoon, this well-maintained state park is known for a variety of natural wonders that include marshes, lakes, woods, and rivers. Take in the stunning surroundings from a three-story observation tower overlooking the beach. Bird-watching is a popular activity during migrations in the spring and fall. The 3.5-mile Sand Pine Loop is perfect for hikers of all abilities. Amenities: parking (fee); toilets. Best for: swimming; walking.

Within the Seville Square Historic District is this complex of several museums and historic homes whose indoor and outdoor exhibits trace the area's history back 450 years. The Museum of Industry ( 200 E. Zaragoza St.), in a late-19th-century warehouse, has permanent exhibits dedicated to the lumber, maritime, and shipping industries—once mainstays of Pensacola's economy. A reproduction of a 19th-century streetscape is displayed in the Museum of Commerce ( 201 E. Zaragoza St.).

Strolling through the area gives you a good (and free) look at many architectural styles, but to enter some of the buildings you must purchase an all-inclusive ticket online or at Tivoli High House Shop, the Pensacola Museum of Art, the Pensacola Museum of History, or the Pensacola Children's Museum. Insightful, 60- to 90-minute, guided tours are offered Tuesday through Saturday at 11 am and 1 pm. Also, be sure to check on Victorian Holiday Traditions, Haunted Ghost tours, and other seasonal offerings.

Palafox Street is the main stem of historic Downtown Pensacola and the center of the Palafox Historic District. The commercial and government hub of Old Pensacola is now an active cultural and entertainment district, where locally owned and operated bars and restaurants attract both locals and visitors. While in the area, stop by Veterans Memorial Park, just off Bayfront Parkway near 9th Avenue. The ¾-scale replica of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C., honors the more than 58,000 Americans who lost their lives in the conflict.

The newest museum in the University of West Florida Historic Trust complex offers a variety of programs for children of all ages, including story time; art projects; and a plethora of interactive historical exhibits with maritime, multicultural, and other themes.

If you're heading out to Perdido Key, consider making prior arrangements to stop along the way for a visit to the Pensacola Lighthouse, which offers gorgeous views of the bay and Gulf. As the lighthouse is on the Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, access for civilians might only be available via a shuttle-bus tour that requires advance reservations and proper identification. Entry requirements are subject to change, however, so check ahead. Wear supportive shoes; it’s 177 steps to the top. Note, too, that climbers must be at least seven years old and 44 inches tall. Museum exhibits here highlight things such as lighthouse keeping and the Coast Guard.

Pensacola's city jail once occupied the 1906 Spanish Revival–style building that is now the secure home for the museum's permanent collection of paintings, sculptures, and works on paper by 20th- and 21st-century artists. And we do mean secure: you can still see the actual cells with their huge iron doors. Traveling exhibits have focused on photography (William Wegman, Annie Leibovitz, Ansel Adams), Dutch masters, regional artists, and the occasional art-world icon, such as Andy Warhol and Salvador Dalí.

Even if you're not a fan of museums, this one is worth a look. Housed in the elaborate, Renaissance Revival–style former city hall, it has an interesting mix of exhibits illustrating life in the Florida Panhandle over the centuries. One of these, The City of Five Flags, provides a good introduction to Pensacola's history. Displays include an exhibit that showcases the infamous Trader Jon's bar, where young flight students mingled with celebrities and local politicians, and a child-size interactive area with a ship and fort where kids can play and pretend to be colonial Pensacolians.

Set amid the Gulf Islands National Seashore, this state park has a quiet, pristine coastline with dunes of white sand lined with sea oats. Its beach, now referred to as Johnson Beach, has historically been inclusive, as it was one of the few beaches open to African Americans during segregation. Today the park offers primitive camping year-round, but it's also ideal for a day of swimming, shelling, birding, and surf fishing. Perhaps you'll see signs of the critically endangered Perdido Key beach mouse, a species that only lives on Perdido Key. The beach is within walking distance of dining and nightlife on the key and is a short drive from Alabama. Amenities: showers; toilets. Best for: sunsets; swimming; walking.

Established in 1559, Pensacola's first permanent Spanish settlement predates St. Augustine's by six years. The site's center is Seville Square, a live oak–shaded park bounded by Alcaniz, Adams, Zaragoza, and Government streets. Roam 14 brick streets past honeymoon cottages and homes amid a parklike setting. Many buildings have been converted into restaurants, bars, offices, and shops that overlook Pensacola Bay and coastal road U.S. 98, which provides access to the Gulf Coast and beaches.