Gulf Coast Cultural and Historical Tourist Attractions

There are a variety of cultural and historical experiences available in the area within a short drive of Perdido Key Florida on the Gulf Coast of Florida and Alabama. The Pensacola Bay Area was the first European settlement in the New World.  During the last four and a half centuries, the flags of Spain, Britain, France, Confederacy and America have flown over the city which is why Pensacola is nick named the City of Five Flags.  Luckily local business owners and residents have done an excellent job preserving their rich  heritage.

National Museum Of Naval Aviation in Pensacola Florida
With 300,000 square feet of displays, this is one of the world’s largest aviation museums. Located aboard Pensacola Naval Air Station, the museum boasts more than 150 beautifully restored aircraft representing Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard aviation.  It’s also home to the US Navy’s Blue Angel Flight Squadron.  Check the website for their practice times!  You can experience what it feels like to stunt fly, perform air-to-air combat and land a plane on an aircraft carrier in one of their Max Flight Simulators.  There is also an IMAX movie theater.  Entrance to the exhibits is free.

Fort Pickens in Pensacola Beach, FL
Pensacola Bay was an important location in the Civil War and Fort Pickens provides a great opportunity to explore a massive brick fortresses that, despite its southern location on Pensacola Beach, once housed Union troops.  It’s located on the far western end of Santa Rosa Island and is maintained by the National Park Service.  It was originally built to defend Pensacola Harbor from foreign invaders but during the Civil War, it was manned by Union troops, who used it to attack the nearby Confederate occupied forts.  The fort also enjoys notoriety for imprisoning Geronimo.  There are both guided tours and self-guided tours available. It’s located near a spectacular sparsely crowded beach and several nature trails so bring your beach gear and make a day of it.  Entry to the park costs $8 for a carload and the pass, which is good for all Gulf Island National Seashore entries including the one in Perdido Key, lasts a week.

Fort Barrancas in Pensacola
This fort is located across from the National Naval Aviation Museum and offers stunning views of the Bay.

Downtown Pensacola
Downtown Pensacola is a twenty minute drive from Pensacola Beach.  If you’re a history enthusiast a day trip to Pensacola Beach will create lasting Florida vacation memories.  The Palafox Historic District is a theme park for architectural buffs.  You will find beautifully restored Spanish Renaissance and Baroque buildings including the Pensacola Saenger Theatre – a 1925 movie palace that is now home to the Pensacola Opera and the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra.  There are numerous great restaurants and shops housed in atmospheric historic buildings or behind beautiful wrought-iron balconies that are a legacy of the city’s Creole past.

The Historic Pensacola Village in Seville Square consists of twenty-seven buildings listed in the National Historic Register.  Eleven of these are open to the public as furnished period houses.  Make sure to see Old Christ Church, the oldest church in Florida and the place where Union soldiers stabled their horses during the Civil War.

There are thousands of exhibits to enjoy at the at the T.T. Wentworth, Jr. Florida State Museum and Pensacola Historical Museum.  Admission to all of these is free.

There is a statue of Andrew Jackson in Plaza Ferdinand VII square which is located on Palafox Street between Government and Zaragoza streets in downtown Pensacola.  This is the spot where General Andrew Jackson accepted the territory of West Florida from Spain in 1821.  Another interesting site is the Veterans Memorial Park located just off Bayfront Parkway near 9th Avenue.  Here you will find a three quarter scale replica of the  Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Other interesting historic and cultural activities in downtown Pensacola are the DeVilliers Cultural Heritage Museum and the Pensacola Little Theater.

The nearby North Hill District contains fifty square blocks of residential streets listed in the National Register of Historic Homes. This southern architectural bonanza is clearly populated by descendants of Spanish nobility, timber barons, French Creoles, Buccaneers and Civil War soldiers.

Pensacola Lighthouse & Museum
Built in 1859, the historic lighthouse is one of the tallest in the United States. Climb 177 steps to the top for amazing panoramic views.  The fact that it is located on Pensacola Bay across from the Naval Aviation Museum makes it the best place to watch the Blue Angels Practice.  Don’t miss the ‘Ghost Tour’ or ‘Light of the Moon Tour’ for a family friendly evening of ghost stories.  Tours are held monthly, with more dates added during summer season. Click here for dates or call (850) 393-1561 for reservations.  Note the tours often sell out so book early.