Like many cities along Florida’s Emerald Coast, Pensacola and Pensacola Beach have some of the world’s whitest beaches. This claim is no idle boast—white crystals from the Appalachian Mountains wash down into the Gulf of Mexico and onto the beaches, making them appear to be covered with sugar. There are many interesting to do when we visiting Pensacola, Florida, if you’re visiting the area you’ll want to book yourself into a beach-adjacent Pensacola vacation rental and then set out to explore the city. And there are more than 15 tourist attraction we can visiting, such as; Fort Barrancas, The Historic Pensacola Village, The Saenger Theatre, The Pensacola Bay Center, The Pensacola Museum of Art, Perdido Key State Park and many more. Before you’re compiling your list of top 10 things to do in Pensacola., we will informs you how the city itself.
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 51,923. Pensacola is the principal city of the Pensacola metropolitan area, which had an estimated 461,227 residents in 2012. Pensacola is a sea port on Pensacola Bay, which connects to the Gulf of Mexico. A large United States Naval Air Station, the first in the United States, is located southwest of Pensacola (near the community of Warrington) and is home to the Blue Angels flight demonstration team and the National Naval Aviation Museum. The main campus of the University of West Florida is situated north of the city center. Pensacola is located at 30°26′13″N 87°12′33″W (30.436988, −87.209277).[18] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 39.7 square miles (102.8 km2), consisting of 22.7 square miles (59 km2) of land and 17.0 square miles (44.0 km2) (42.77%) water.
1. Fort Barrancas
Fort Barrancas (1839) or Fort San Carlos de Barrancas (from 1787) is a historic United States military fort in the Warrington area of Pensacola, Florida, located physically on Naval Air Station Pensacola. The hill-top fort, connected to a sea-level water battery, overlooks Pensacola Bay, from what is now Naval Air Station Pensacola. Because the hill-top fort was rebuilt of brick (1839–1844), becoming Fort Barrancas, the older, water battery downhill (Baterie de San Antonio, 1787) has also been called Fort San Carlos, separately, being a remnant from the time the hilltop was the wooden (Spanish: Fuerte) Fort San Carlos de Barrancas. Spanning a multi-century history, the U.S. Army deactivated Fort Barrancas on April 15, 1947. Designated a National Historic Site (NHL) in 1960, control of the site was transferred to the National Park Service in 1971. After extensive restoration during 1971-1980, Fort Barrancas was opened to the public.
2. The Historic Pensacola Village
The Historic Pensacola Village is a collection of 22 historical buildings and museums owned and operated by the University of West Florida. The organization is largely based upon the donation of T.T. Wentworth's large historical collection to the state of Florida, and the establishment of an organization dedicated to Historic Preservation that grew because of Mr. Wentworth's generosity. The Village is located in downtown Pensacola, Florida, situated between Plaza Ferdinand VII and Seville Square. Parking is available behind the T.T. Wentworth Museum. The museum complex is largely run by a small UWF staff, some hired UWF students, and many volunteers. Due to funding issues, the Village was acquired by the University of West Florida in 2001. Before that, their funding came from the Florida's Department of State. The complex is now technically owned by "West Florida Historical Preservation, Inc.," a "support organization for the University of West Florida."
3. The Saenger Theatre
The Saenger Theatre, also known as the Saenger Theater, is a historic theater in Pensacola, Florida. It is located at 118 South Palafox Place. On July 19, 1976, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. In 1989, the Saenger Theater was listed in A Guide to Florida's Historic Architecture, published by the University of Florida Press. More recently, the theater underwent another renovation totaling over $15 million, exceeding original estimates by nearly $5 million. The latest renovation was to extend the stage as well as enlarge the dressing rooms. The seating was to become more spacious and comfortable as well. This second grand re-opening took place on the 26th of March 2009 to "Jesus Christ Superstar." Today the structure remains at its original location on the Northeastern corner of South Palafox Place and East Intendencia Street and continues to provide a variety of entertainment as in its older days.
4. The T. T. Wentworth Jr. Florida State Museum
The T. T. Wentworth Jr. Florida State Museum is a museum of history located at 330 Jefferson Street in the Plaza Ferdinand VII in Pensacola, Florida. It is part of the Historic Pensacola Village museum complex. The building, reminiscent of the Alamo mission style, was built in 1907 as the Pensacola City Hall and served as such until 1985 when the present city hall was built at 180 Governmental Center, also known as 222 West Main Street. In 1989, the building was listed as the Pensacola City Hall in A Guide to Florida's Historic Architecture, published by the University of Florida Press.
5. The Pensacola Bay Center
The Pensacola Bay Center (formerly Pensacola Civic Center) is an indoor arena located in Pensacola, Florida. It is owned by Escambia County and operated by SMG Management. The Bay Center has a capacity of 8,150 for hockey games, and as much as 10,000 for non-hockey events. The arena contains 23,000 square feet (2,100 m2) of space and 10,000 square feet (1,000 m2) of meeting space. The Escambia County Commission voted to rename the arena the Pensacola Bay Center on October 18, 2012 as part of a city-wide rebranding effort begun by Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward.
6. The Pensacola Museum of Art
The Pensacola Museum of Art is the only art museum in the city of Pensacola, Florida. It was founded in 1954 by a group of women from the American Association of University Women. The museum's permanent collections focus on 20th century, modern and contemporary art, including painting, sculpture and works on paper. The museum also features decorative arts collections of European and American glass and African tribal art. Artists in the collection include John Marin, Salvador Dalí, Miriam Schapiro, Fairfield Porter, Hunt Slonem, Thomas Hart Benton, Alex Katz, Lynda Benglis, Milton Avery and Alexander Calder.
7. Pensacola Bayfront Stadium
Pensacola Bayfront Stadium is a multi-use park in Pensacola, Florida that includes a stadium, public park and amphitheater. The mixed use stadium holds 5,038 people and can be used for a number of events year-round, including baseball, soccer, football, festivals, graduations, and similar events. The multi-use stadium was originally designed to be the home field of the Pensacola Pelicans; it hosts the Cincinnati Reds Double-A affiliate, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos. The stadium is situated facing the Pensacola Bay.
8. The first Pensacola Light
The first Pensacola Light was the lightship Aurora Borealis. It was moved to Pensacola in 1823 from its previous post at the mouth of the Mississippi River after a lighthouse had been completed there. Because of frequent rough seas, the lightship had to be anchored inside the bay entrance, behind Santa Rosa Island, and could not reliably be seen from ships outside the bay. In 1825 a 40-foot (12 m) tower was built on a 40-foot (12 m) bluff at the south entrance to Pensacola Bay. This light was also partially obscured by trees close to the tower and on Santa Rosa Island. In 1858 a new tower was built on the north side of the bay entrance, and was lit on January 1, 1859. The new, and current, tower is 150 feet (46 m) tall, and also sits on a 40-foot (12 m) bluff located on the Pensacola Naval Air Station, placing the light 190 feet (58 m) above sea level.
9. Barrancas National Cemetery
Barrancas National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located at Naval Air Station Pensacola, in the city of Pensacola, Florida. It encompasses 94.9 acres (38.4 ha), and as of the end of 2005, had 32,643 interments. Barrancas National Cemetery has a monument honoring those soldiers who died from yellow fever. It was erected in 1884 by the Marine Guard of the Pensacola Navy Yard.
10. Perdido Key State Park
Perdido Key State Park is a 290-acre (1.2 km2) Florida State Park located on a barrier island fifteen miles (24 km) southwest of Pensacola, off S.R. 292, in northwestern Florida. The address is 12301 Gulf Beach Highway. Several endangered species inhabit, nest on or use this park. Most notable of these is the Perdido Key beach mouse. This mouse is one of the North America’s rarest mammals and only currently exists in two places on earth, both of which are located on Perdido Key. The Johnson Beach Unit of Gulf Islands National Seashore is the other location. The mouse was reintroduced to the park in February 2000 after several years of being absent from the park. Originally, three pairs of juvenile mice were translocated from Johnson Beach, followed by an additional 16 pairs of juvenile mice the following year. The population of this mouse can vary greatly depending on the time of year and recent weather conditions, as well as the presence of house cats.Loggerhead sea turtles use the beach to nest each year. Occasionally green and Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles will nest within the park boundary as well. Admission Fee - $3.00 per vehicle. Please use the honor box to pay fees. Correct change is required. Limit 8 people per vehicle. $2.00 Pedestrians, bicyclists, extra passengers, passengers in vehicle with holder of Annual Individual Entrance Pass.
