Top 20 Family Activities in Pensacola

Top 20 Family Activities in Pensacola

Pensacola is renowned for its stunning white sand beaches and thriving urban centre filled with restaurants, shops, and cultural attractions. Also known as the City of Five Flags for its complex history under five different rulers, it offers an educational and entertaining experience for both kids and adults. That said, with so many museums, zoos, preserved lands, and more spread throughout the area, visiting Pensacola for the first time can feel overwhelming for families looking to maximize fun and make the most of their time.

As a parent and family travel writer who has planned trips to Pensacola with my son, I have experienced these challenges firsthand. Fortunately, I’ve already done the legwork by reviewing and ranking the top 20 family-friendly activities based on their entertainment value, kid appeal, accessibility, educational opportunities, and affordability. Whether it’s your first or fiftieth visit to the Pensacola region, I hope this list of the most exciting things to do serves as a helpful guide to planning an amazing trip the whole family will cherish for years to come. Check out my tips and specific recommendations for each attraction below!

1. Visit Pensacola Beach

Tails Wx, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Pensacola Beach is considered an ideal Florida panhandle destination for families looking to enjoy the sand and surf. The public beach area known as Mama’s Beach on the sound side offers calm, shallow waters that are well-suited for young children to splash and play safely. Its location next to the Maritime Park playground and picnic shelters provides further kid-friendly amenities.

Families can spread out and build sandcastles along the spacious shoreline. As the sun sets, the beach also gathers crowds for the vibrant fireworks displays over the boardwalk that light up the night sky in colourful explosions reflected on the water. The variety of daytime relaxation and swimming paired with dazzling visual entertainment in the evening makes Pensacola Beach an accommodating option for families with children of all ages to enjoy memorable times together.

2. National Naval Aviation Museum

The National Naval Aviation Museum is a fun place for families with kids of all ages. It has over 150,000 square feet with lots of planes and hands-on exhibits to see. Kids can try flight simulators or play in the indoor play zone. Some displays use easy-to-understand videos and models to teach about flight history. The on-site Cubi Cafe has good food for families. Outside, you can watch the famous Blue Angels jets do flips and turn in the sky for free. General admission to the museum is free. Some flight simulators and rides have a small fee.

3. Gulf Islands National Seashore

Photo by Simon Ray on Unsplash

The Gulf Islands National Seashore has very pretty beaches and nature trails perfect for families. Fort Pickens Beach has lots of open rooms for kids to freely dig holes or make sandcastles without bothering others. Nearby dirt paths are good for easy walks to see birds and nature up close.

Langdon Beach has covered picnic shelters for family meals. Kids will like climbing and sliding on the big playground right off the parking lot. Langdon also has outdoor showers to rinse sand off when done. No entrance fees make it an affordable place to relax or be active outside together.

4. Blue Wahoos Baseball Games

Families with kids will have fun at Blue Wahoos baseball in downtown Pensacola. The stadium opens in April for the season that runs to September. Tickets start at $7 per person to sit on the grass, or you can pay a bit more for seats closer to the baseball field action.

The best part is you can bring your hot dogs, snacks, and drinks in a cooler to eat a tasty picnic while watching the game. Before the game, little kids love trying to catch balls hit over the fences during player warmups. Make sure to get there early enough so your kids have time to run the bases on the field too when coaches wave families down after some games end. Friday nights have a fun carnival atmosphere with post-game fireworks bursting in the summer sky for a sparkling show.

5. Pensacola Lighthouse & Museum

Photo by Kevin Dunlap on Unsplash

The Pensacola Lighthouse & Museum has historical exhibits about how important the tall red and white lighthouse tower was to safely guide sailing ships years ago. Today families can climb the 177 steps of the narrow spiral staircase to the top for awesome views of Pensacola Bay that kids will love pointing out.

Kids need to be at least 8 years old along with a grown-up to climb to the top. When you’ve seen artifacts indoors about past lighthouse keeper families, head out back to the pretty grounds with picnic tables, a small playground, and open grass to throw balls. Basic admission prices are $8 for adults and $6 for kids under 12 with discounts for larger families.

6. Gulf Breeze Zoo

Gulf Breeze Zoo lets families see nearly 900 animals from around the world up close. Kids go crazy spotting giant elephants, silly monkeys swinging from branches, adorable koalas napping, and roaring lions lazing in the sun.

This nice large zoo has fun kid zones like a splash fountain to cool down in, a play castle with slides, and a misting fan station on hot days. Be sure to bring towels and swimsuits for the wet play areas! Tickets for the full day are $24 for adults, $19 for kids ages 3-12, and younger kids get in free. Strollers can be rented and wagons are welcome for when tiny feet get tired.

7. Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park

Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park protects pretty nature along Pensacola Bay for families to explore. Start out renting kayaks or stand-up paddleboards to gently float along calm waters looking at birds, turtles, and fish below.

Stop to have a tasty picnic along the sandy shoreline or wooded trails throughout the area. Kids will have a blast discovering this huge park full of native plants and wildlife at every turn! There are some small fees to enter the park and rent equipment but not too pricey. Leashed pets are even welcome to join the family adventures.

8. Splash Adventure Water Park

Splash Adventure Water Park is heaven on hot days with pools, giant fun slides, rivers for floating, and splash areas perfect for kids to monkey around in! Little ones love the kiddie lagoon play zone with mini slides and geysers spraying water everywhere to cool off.

Bigger kids go wild speeding down huge colorful tunnel slides like Green Dragon that even does a loopty-loop! Grown-ups can relax lazily floating around the Thunder River wave pool. Bring your appetite too because the eats are good at snack bars and restaurants inside Splash Adventure. Tickets start at $28 per person. Save money by going later in the day, when prices go down.

9. Bowling

Photo by Josh Applegate on Unsplash

Bowling is always a strike with kids indoors at places like Cordova Lanes off 9th Avenue. They have bumper bowling so gutter balls are impossible for tiny tikes. And kids get excited picking out a swirly ball to roll themselves or use the helper ramps. Of course, pizza and arcade games make the experience even more fun all around. Bowling games cost just $4-5 per person including shoe rental. Call ahead on weekends as lanes fill up fast for family time fun.

10. Blue Angels Practices

From March to November, families can watch the world-famous Blue Angels jets practice aerobatic moves over Pensacola Bay for free! Just park at the National Naval Aviation Museum viewing area off Blue Angel Parkway. Get there early to claim an awesome spot and let kids run wild in the grassy field.

Pack a tailgate lunch or snacks as practices generally last over an hour. Little aeroplane enthusiasts will be mesmerized as six gleaming blue and yellow F/A-18 Hornets zoom overhead in thrilling formations at blazing speeds! The only price is gas to get there for military plane action at its best.

11. Historic Pensacola Village

Infrogmation of New Orleans, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Historic Pensacola Village takes families back in time over 200 years to the 1800s era of the city’s founding days. More than 20 historical buildings including homes, a print shop, a jail, and a church have been relocated and restored to create an entire early settlement district.

Kids can stroll the brick lanes as costumed staff talk about blacksmithing, woodworking, cooking, and life in general during Pensacola’s early development. Children are encouraged to inquire and play vintage games like hoop rolling as they tour buildings containing authentic artefacts and furnishings. Special event weekends might feature arts & crafts, historical reenactments, or archaeology projects that provide hands-on fun. Admission to explore the educational live museum village starts at $8 per adult and $4 per child.

12. Fishing

Fishing is fun for families in Pensacola. You can fish from piers and shore at places like Shoreline Park South, Project Greenshores, and Pensacola Beach Pier. Or families can hire a boat for deeper water fishing. Pack sunscreen, hats, drinks, snacks, and patience!

The excitement comes when yelling “I got one!” as the pole bends down hard from a fish tugging the line. Kids under 16 fish free. Adults need a $20 license. Hiring a fishing boat costs $150-500 depending on size and time. Either way, fishing makes for quality time and maybe even dinner if you catch something good!

13. Pensacola Children’s Museum

Pensacola Children’s Museum offers interactive exhibits focused on inspiring young minds through creative play and educational experiences. Kids can shop for groceries in a mini supermarket, don firefighting gear to climb aboard a real firetruck, or take the wheel of a pint-sized publishing press to print their own imaginative newspaper stories.

Bubble-making stations, larger-than-life optical illusions, and rotating travelling exhibits on aviation, science and health provide discovery around every corner. Designed expressly for 0-10 year-olds, the hands-on museum helps children better understand concepts through role-playing real-world scenarios. Annual memberships start around $95, with day passes approximately $8 per person.

14. UWF Historic Trust Sites

CliffJackson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Families can explore the local history of the greater Pensacola area by visiting the various University of West Florida Historic Trust locations. These sites include Arcadia Mill archaeological ruins, Molino Serrano Spanish colonial village, Fort Pickens war era fortifications on Santa Rosa Island, Old Christ Church, and the T.T. Wentworth, Jr. Florida State Museum.

Visitors can enjoy interactive tours, scavenger hunt activities, and seasonal events such as reenactments to fully immerse themselves in the sites’ legacy. With a history spanning over 450 years and including everything from Native American artefacts to Victorian mansions, the breadth of the experience is sure to please. Individual site entry ranges from $2 to $15, while combo passes offering access to all five locations are available for just $20 to $25.

15. Geocaching

Geocaching is basically a big treasure hunt that gets families outside exploring Pensacola together. You use a GPS phone app or handheld device to find hidden boxes, called caches, that others have secretly stashed around local parks and nature spots.

Follow the map coordinates and fun clues to uncover the exact locations! Inside a found cache, you might discover tiny trinkets, a notebook to sign your name, or just big proud smiles. The apps are free to download and good for basic use. You can pay unlock more features too. But beginner geocaching works fine for inexpensive outdoor fun that keeps kids pumped up about reading maps and discovering new adventure zones off main trails.

16. Skating

Skating rinks give kids loads of fun gliding around while popular music plays. Dreamland Skateland off Navy Boulevard has a big shiny wooden rink kids can safely roll on.

They rent skates suitable for tiny tots to bigger kids and adults. It’s a great place for birthday parties too. Rates are about $7 per person including skates. Be sure to wear knee pads, helmets, and wrist guards to prevent owies if anyone tumbles during the fast and fun skate session!

17. Mini golf

Photo by Jason Abrams on Unsplash

Little ones love the challenge of hitting a mini golf ball through wacky obstacles at courses like Jungle Golf on Pensacola Beach. As they get better, kids take less tries to bank shots off the sides or avoid water traps and sand pits dotted on bright creative holes. We never follow strict rules so there’s less frustration learning. Jungle Golf has fun pirate themes with a snack bar for after-game treats. Rates run $7 for adults and $5 per child to play.

18. Downtown Pensacola

Families will find plenty to see and do together downtown. Palafox Street has colorful buildings with cool art galleries, gift shops full of toys and kites, restaurants with kids’ menus, and tasty gelato stands for sweet treats as you take a nice stroll. The area also holds free summer concert events, street fairs with rides and games, and of course, fireworks over the waterfront several nights a year. It has that small town charm kids appreciate too.

19. Palafox Market

JOE the PENSAPEDIA ADMINISTRATOR, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Every Saturday families can enjoy Palafox Market with booth aisles filled with fresh produce, beautiful flowers, handcrafted gifts, tempting food stalls, and occasional live music.

Kids will have eyes bigger than their bellies spotting tasty treats like mini donuts, fresh smoothies, or cheese sticks almost as big as their arms! Let them pick something unique to munch while browsing fun items. With over 100 open-air vendors to discover plus street performers, it makes weekend time a true family affair.

20. Blue Angel Parkway

Photo by Jessica Rockowitz on Unsplash

Blue Angel Parkway goes along Pensacola Bay with nice views of the water that families can enjoy. There are big grassy areas to spread out blankets or lawn chairs. From March to November, you can watch the famous Blue Angels jets zoom and flip in the sky for free during practice. Kids can’t take their eyes off the daring dives and loops!

The area also has small playgrounds so little ones can take a break to climb or swing when needed. Many families make picnic lunches to hang out for hours watching the shows. The paved trail stretches for miles too for biking rides. With places to be entertained or active outdoors, Blue Angel Parkway makes for nice easy-going family times.

Pensacola is a great place for families to vacation. From beautiful Pensacola Beach and the National Naval Aviation Museum to exploring history and the outdoors, parents can keep kids active and smiling all visit long. The many parks, nature areas, museums, and recreation here provide entertaining but also educational experiences all will remember. Families can splash in the bay, spot wildlife, absorb the local culture, relax or play sports together. Affordable attractions, kid-friendly restaurants, and free events help make family memories without breaking the budget. With something for all ages beyond just beaches, Pensacola guarantees an amazing trip.