The Chamber - Move to Pensacola
Attractions
The National Museum of Naval Aviation, located on Pensacola NAS, provides visitors with an opportunity to see over 150 aircrafts dating back to the World Wars. Pensacola is also the home of the world class, high-flying Blue Angels, which perform here every year in June and November.
The ZOO is home to more than 700 wild, not-so-wild and endangered animals and lush botanical gardens. Hand-feed giraffes, ride a train through a wildlife preserve, or walk a boardwalk 12 feet above the animals. Daily shows are offered; group rates are available.
The fun never ends, at Sam’s Fun City. Located in the heart of Pensacola, just south of I-10 on Highway 29, Sam’s Fun City offers great family fun. Sam's Fun City features over 20 rides and attractions for children of all ages. General admission is free to Pensacola's largest amusement park.
Clear waters and inviting sugar-white sand beckon thousands of beach-goers a year to Pensacola Beach whose atmosphere ranges from lively crowds to desolate beaches bordered by wispy sea grass. Pensacola Beach offers an array of shopping, lodging, restaurants, beach bars and entertainment. The Pensacola Beach Fishing Pier and Observation Post stretches 1,471 feet into the Gulf of Mexico providing breathtaking views.
Known as Lost Island, Perdido Key Beach is paradise found. This laid-back land of lullaby stretches from Pensacola to Alabama. Parks and preserves make up 61 percent of the land, making the key one of the most natural and beautiful spots in the state to explore.
For a bit of history visit the ruins of Forts McCrae, Pickens and Morgan, which were key protectors of the southern U.S. coastline in the Spanish-American and Civil wars. Nearby is the popular diving site of the USS Massachusetts shipwreck. The ship was sunk here after nearly 100 years of duty. After a hard day at play, sit down for a fantastic seafood dinner. It doesn't get any better than fresh fish caught in local waters.
Historical Attractions
Pensacolians treasurer their rich history, beautiful Spanish and French architecture and unusual multi-ethnic origins.
Downtown is where Pensacola began. It’s where the city grew up and where, even now, growth and progress blend seamlessly with a past more than 300 years old. It’s where charming historical homes and newly developed loft condominums grace the heart of Florida’s first city. It’s where unique fine dining, locally owned retail shops, and entertainment are just steps from your front door.
The Historic Pensacola Village features furnished period houses and archaeological sites dating from the earliest Spanish explorers to the 1920s.
NAS Pensacola is home to the Pensacola Lighthouse. The lighthouse, built in 1858 and still in use today, is the fourth tallest brick lighthouse in the nation at 160 feet.
Fort Barrancas was held by British, Spanish, French, American, and Confederate forces. Part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore, the fort is open daily on NAS Pensacola.
Fort Pickens, a massive, Civil War-era brick fort, was held by Union Forces during the Civil War. The fort is part of the Gulf Islands National seashore on Santa Rosa Island.
Archeology
The first European settlement in the continental United States was Pensacola, which was established on Santa Rosa Island by conquistador Don Tristán de Luna y Arellano, landing on August 15, 1559. The area was first sighted by a European in 1513 by Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León. Three years later, Don Diego Miruelo became the first European to sail into Pensacola Bay.
Maritime Archaeology at the University of West Florida is dedicated to the preservation of submerged cultural resources in northwest Florida and the southeastern United States. Five flags have flown over Pensacola, creating an intricate historical record. The bay is rich with resources recounting this diverse cultural heritage.
Santa Rosa Island Shipwreck: The wreck of a colonial frigate made in Veracruz lies in about 10-15 feet of water in Pensacola Bay. It is likely the Nuestra Señora del Rosario y Sanitago Apostol (known as the Rosario) which sank in a hurricane in 1705 while servicing the frontier garrison in Pensacola, Presidio Santa María de Galve. This is an exceptional shipwreck made of red mahogany and much of the hull is intact.
Deadman's Island Shipwreck: The 1989 excavations of Deadman's Shipwreck took place just off of Deadman's Island (Old Navy Cove).