Whoa! This place is super cool. Lots of restored aircraft from navy and military history. Lots of…read moreinteractive exhibits, displays, and even flight simulators. With special areas featuring World War I, World War II, Korean, and the Vietnam war. Can easily spend 3-4 hours here. Great for kids and adults.

If you ever find yourself on deck down in Florida, chart a course straight for the National Naval…read moreAviation Museum at Naval Air Station Pensacola. First order of business: secure a seat in their giant-screen IMAX theater. That screen is massive one of those experiences where the engines roar, the jets scream across the sky, and you feel like you're strapped into the cockpit yourself. It's the kind of show that makes you sit up a little straighter in your seat and remember why naval aviation has always been the sharp end of the spear. Now the museum itself shipmate, this place is the real deal. Founded back in 1962 by Rear Admiral Magruder H. Tuttle, it started small with just a handful of aircraft. Today it's a full-on aviation hangar of history with more than 150 restored aircraft from the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard spread across huge exhibit bays. My son and I spent hours there, and the best part for him was getting up close with the aircraft climbing into cockpits, checking out helicopters, and seeing the machines that once launched off carrier decks into the wild blue. Top highlights include the historic Curtiss NC-4 (the first aircraft to cross the Atlantic), Blue Angels jets hanging in formation overhead, and flight simulators that let you feel like you're launching off a carrier deck. Bottom line: if you've got even a drop of saltwater in your veins or a love for aviation, this place is squared away. Bring the kids, bring your curiosity, and be prepared to spend a full day walking through the proud history of naval aviation. From one proud American to another this museum is absolutely mission ready.

Walkable historic district. Cute. Whimsical. Delightful. Downtown Pensacola is a hodgepodge of it…read moreall. Low key hidden gem. Worth the visit.

3/27/2025: This was my favorite part of the historical tour downtown. This piece is a guided tour…read more Aiden was very detailed and had a full knowledge of the history of Pensacola. We started in a home built in 1805, then went to the oldest church in Florida built in 1832, then saw 2 additional homes. One was from 1871 and the other from 1890. I don't want to give too much away in my review, so the best thing I can suggest is to not miss this part! When Aiden detailed the past for us, he used words as current descriptions and like he was the one who was performing the daily tasks. It was a nice touch. To see how people lived long ago is amazing. When you walk into the area of the first home, you'll see a woman tending the garden, a man wood working, a woman playing the flute, and another woman playing the violin. It was like a little play. I've been vacationing in Pensacola since 1975 when I was 2 months old. I love the beach but this is the first time I saw the history it holds. Very impressed. The guided tour takes about an hour. You can only see these homes and the church by purchasing a ticket for the tour. It's a bundle ticket that also gets you into the self guided museums. $12 for adults. Highly recommend!

The Mobile Museum of Art offers an amazing, diverse array of art and artists with exhibits, special…read moreeducational talks, classes, and fun activities for the whole family. On Thursdays the museum is open from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm and there is no charge to visit the museum. You won't be disappointed. There is always something interesting to see and learn for every age. Last Thursday evening, my daughter, granddaughter and I attended the event inspired by the Aminah Robinson exhibit. We enjoyed making an art project, seeing local talented artists and their work, hearing moving poetry and live jazz, eating delicious food and visiting Aminah's art exhibit again. It was a spectacular evening attended by interesting people enjoying the night together. Cudos to the museum staff, Art After Dark: Aminah Robinson Thursday, August 6 | 6 - 9 pm You can learn about upcoming events by visiting mobilemuseumofart.com

I really enjoyed my time here. It had been a few years since I had attended. The front desk…read morepersonnel are incredibly friendly. However, the lady running the gift shop never looked at me and never spoke to me - nothing. The gift shop was a very negative experience as a result.

I'm always looking to visit and climb a lighthouse when one is in the area... I didn't know until…read moreI was in the area that the lighthouse was actually on the NAS... And when I went to make reservations to visit, I learned that the civilian public is not allowed on NAS due to a student shooting back in 2019... SO, luckily, the lighthouse has been able to make tours available where you are picked up off site and brought onto the NAS and then you can visit and climb the lighthouse, visit the museum and the giftshop. I was very excited about this (but is also where I learned I could not go to the Naval Aviation Museum and I was very sad about that). So, once on the bus, we made it to through the NAS gates, we made it to the lighthouse, on the way, we were not able to stop and visit Fort Barrancas either and could barely see out the tour bus windows (weird tint/wrap with advertising on the outside). We were able to roam the grounds freely, including the museum and lighthouse. We were warned about the climb, 177 steps... I was ready! as I have climbed taller lighthouses... However, these stairs were not ordinary stairs. These were wrought iron with all kinds of open holes, they require secure shoes - no flip flops... And these stairs are 9"... standard stairs are 7 1/2". Doesn't seem like a lot of difference, but.... For someone who is afraid of heights and having to watch each step and looking straight down through all of them, this was not an easy task. Especially if you are going up and someone wants to come down... there was no way in hell I was stepping to the center where there was no place for your feet since it tapered to a point and and NO internal handrail. On top of that, once at the top and you squeeze between the lens and the small opening to the observation deck... it was so narrow, I was hugging the lighthouse behind me. But, I did it! And as I got around and just about to the opening back inside, there is a permanent ladder taking up 3-quarters of the observation deck space where you would normally walk/stand, so I had to go toward the edge of the railing which scared the bejuzzies out of me..... holding on as tight as I could as I rounded the ladder, I stepped back in and took quite a few deep breaths and had a chat with the staff while I was there...which is where I learned about the specifics on the stairs... And on the way down, it was so much worse because I haddddd to look down the entire time and it was (for me) pretty treacherous - but sooooo worth it! The staff on the bus, up at the top of the lighthouse, inside the gift shop and the museum/inn-keepers quarters were all very nice. I bought a few things in the gift shop too! Don't forget to drop some cash in the donation box. I believe once they have the airshow later this year, they hope to reopen the base to the public again so regular folk (non military or escorted by cardholders) can visit the lighthouse AND the Naval Aviation museum both!

Very interesting place with amazing views of the water and airfield. Very much worth getting into…read morethe air station to visit.

I'm not sure why there are so many bad ratings of this place. Is it a world class place you can…read morespend an entire day? No. But will your kids have fun? Absolutely. We discovered this place as part of our ticket package to the history museum. The museum has two floors. The first floor is kind of small, but kids make the most of it. It is hands on activities related to early history of the area. The second floor has a lego room, a period school house and a pretend grocery store. Overall we spent about an hour and a half at the museum. A great way to spend a rainy day.

Such a great place to bring your toddler! We were in town visiting and looking for a place to bring…read moreour toddler and she had a blast! Different rooms for them to explore in, perfect for a rainy day.

What a beautiful and amazing place to visit. Being a tropical plant person this was worth the trip…read more I believe it's about a 3 mile walk through the gardens but it's easy. All the paths are beautiful. Didn't tour the house but next time. This is a must visit if you're into gardens and plants. Have to see the lights as well another time in the evening.

We were in the Mobile area and decided to visit this expansive estate. Azaleas and camellia were…read morethe primary bloomers in mid-March, but there were other things to see in the gardens. Bellingrath is not among the gardens giving reciprocal admissions. After we paid, we were given a map and a brief explanation. Many of the garden paths are shady, while others are wide open. There are areas where there are lots of mosquitoes. Sunscreen and bug repellant are recommended for your visit. We enjoyed the water features, bridges, and the beautiful reflections. The so-called Asian-American garden near the end of the tour had some interesting hardscape but wasn't well maintained. The greenhouses were definitely worth a visit. There were lots of plants for sale during our visit. We didn't visit the Bellingrath Home Museum, which had an extra charge. All in all, we got some exercise and saw beautiful scenery during our visit. I'm guessing the gardens will be much nicer beginning in May. Hopefully the roses will be blooming by then.

3/27/2025: Good information about Pensacola and laid out nicely with displays, 3 stories, and…read moreseparate rooms. We bought the ticket for the full historic district tours. It was $12 per adult ($7 for kids) and you can use the ticket for 7 days. I reviewed each piece separately for a better understanding of what you see in each section. I've been vacationing in Pensacola Beach since 1975 when I was a baby. I'm glad I finally got some history of the place I love so much!

Went here for a networking mixer and had a blast. A lot of cool artifacts are here and Trader Jon's…read moreexhibit was very nice. They served us passed hors d'oeuvres and it was a selection of wines, beer, and a specialty cocktail at the bar. Customer service was great and the food/drinks were very good! Just a back story on Trader Jon's for those who may not know - For decades, Trader Jon's was the watering hole of choice for the U.S. Navy pilots who trained in Pensacola, known far and wide for the eccentricities of owner Martin "Trader Jon" Weissman and his massive collection of Navy memorabilia. Again, my experience is a little different than a normal visit in any given day. I didn't have to pay an entry fee and I was with a large group for a private even. A unique spot for sure, so drop in if you can! We walked over from our hotel (2-min walk) and centrally located downtown where a lot of bars/restaurants are.

I highly recommend the Pensacola Mess Hall. Mess stands for Math, Engineering, Science, and Stuff…read more Each station was so thoughtful and hands on. Our kids asked to come back and said, "this place is amazing." The adults enjoyed the interactive stations too. I enjoyed talking with Megan too about her inspiration for the Mess Hall.

My 24 year-old daughter and my 10-year-old nephew enjoyed the brain teaser puzzles, and hands-on…read moreactivities. My 19 month old granddaughter was quite limited in what she could touch and play with. It was essentially one small section for toddlers that young and then a water area that was sort of too high for her to reach even on the stepstool. We love all things STEM, so we will definitely be back, as the staff were friendly, and the facility was clean. Only reason for the four stars instead of five are the limited activities for the younger kiddos. Living in Pensacola, the sun and humidity are brutal, so finding engaging indoor activities for little kids can be a challenge.

Here's a first class Air Force Museum that's worth some time to look around. We had 21 people stop…read moreby as part of our annual convention. We were provided a tour guide that was friendly and certainly knowledgeable. Most of the displays were in excellent condition, especially impressive as much of it is outside. It's worth a stop!

I thought this place was pretty cool. They have a ton of airplanes outside that you can walk around…read moreand look at. Really puts into perspective how massive those aircraft are. Inside you can also see what the atom bomb looks like, numerous photos, letters, and all kinds of other memorabilia. It's a very cool place. It's a little outdated, but you don't pay to go inside, so it's kind of expected. I think if you were driving by, and you see it I would have 100% recommend. I wouldn't tell anybody to drive over 30 minutes and go out of their way to see it though. The airplanes and aircraft outside was definitely the coolest part.

Great little get away for kids out for the summer. It was a nice place to let the kids run around…read moreand the lady who greeted us was friendly and kind.

We were in town for a few days and wanted to take the kids to different places they like. My son…read morewanted to see trains so we stopped by this museum. It's free, self guided, easy to walk through. You can do the whole thing in probably 20 minutes. It's small but nice.