Dining Downtown
From food trucks, pub fare, and down-home casual eateries to white-tablecloth establishments, downtown is the heart – and palate – of Pensacola.
Downtown Pensacola
The walkable core of America’s First Settlement, Downtown Pensacola features local restaurants, historic attractions, shops, and more.
Founded by Spanish sailor Don Tristan de Luna in 1559, the Pensacola Bay Area was the first European settlement in the New World. Over the centuries, the flags of Spain, Britain, France, the Confederacy and the United States have flown over the “City of Five Flags.”
Downtown Basics
Shopping Downtown
The downtown area is blossoming on all fronts, with an explosion of growth and quaint shops along a colorful Crepe Myrtle lined-streets.
Discover the History
Pensacola’s downtown area is full of historic sites, but the truth is that with more than 450 years of history behind it, every step you take on its brick sidewalks or city parks is a part of our country’s earliest days and memories.
Downtown Lodging
From laid-back and unpretentious to luxurious and opulent, the Pensacola Bay Area offers accommodations for every flavor — all just minutes from our world-class beaches and historic downtown.
A Visual Downtown Tour
Historic Pensacola
Historic Pensacola
Open Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.
We invite you to explore Historic Pensacola and experience the rich heritage of America’s first multi-year European settlement.
Historic Pensacola encompasses eight and a half acres and 28 properties located within the footprints of the original Spanish and British forts in downtown Pensacola.
Our “One Ticket, Seven Days to Explore” ticketing enables you to leisurely visit all of the museums, participate in guided and self-guided tours of historic homes and interact with period-dressed living history interpreters. Come be a part of history being brought to life!
Admission:
Adults: $12
Seniors 65+, Active Military & Dependents, AAA Members, Pensacola Museum of Art Members, and UWF Alumni Association Members: $11
Children (3–14): $7
Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) Cardholder: Free for up to four individuals per EBT card
Members: FREE
UWF Students: Free with Nautilus card.
Buy Tickets here! Tickets provide admission to the Pensacola Museum of History, Historic Pensacola Village, and the Pensacola Museum of Art.
Pensacola Museum of History
Pensacola Museum of History
The Pensacola Museum of History, Historic Pensacola’s flagship museum, is housed in the three-story Mediterranean Revival architecture of the former Pensacola City Hall and was built in 1907. Its symmetrical design is graced with wide overhanging eaves, a red tile roof, an arched entry porch, and a second-story arcade.
The Pensacola Museum of History is a general history museum with galleries dedicated to both permanent and changing exhibits. The first floor host an exhibit on the archaeology, history and preservation of Historic Pensacola as well as the museum store and ticket desk. The second floor houses rotating exhibits, such as Trader Jon’s, Home Base: Founding the Navy Yard, Textiles of the Times: Regency Era Dress Making, Innovations of Yesteryear: An Object Tour of the World’s Fair, and the Story of Us: From Curiosity Cabinets to Modern Museums. The third floor is a large gallery.
Open:
Tuesday through Saturday: 10:00 a.m. — 4:00 p.m.
Sunday: Noon- 4:00 p.m.
Admission:
Adults: $12
Seniors 65+, Active Military & Dependents, AAA Members, Pensacola Museum of Art Members, and UWF Alumni Association Members: $11
Children (3–14): $7
Members: FREE
Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) Cardholder: Free for up to four individuals per EBT card
UWF Students: Free with Nautilus card.
Pensacola Museum of Art
Pensacola Museum of Art
The Pensacola Museum of Art presents engaging cross-disciplinary exhibitions, educational programming, and stewards a growing collection of modern and contemporary art of the nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first centuries. The museum aims to promote the understanding and appreciation of art and ideas to audiences in the Northwest Florida region and beyond. We endeavor to create dialogue between university and community audiences by engendering experiences of joy, discovery, and creativity through diverse perspectives, and the transdisciplinary interactions of art, culture, the humanities, science, and technology.
Click Here To View Current Exhibitions
Hours of Operation:
Tuesday through Saturday 10:00 a.m. — 4:00 p.m.
Sunday Noon ‑4:00 p.m.
ADMISSION:
Adults: $12
Military & Dependents, Seniors (65+), AAA Members, UWF Historic Trust Members, UWF Faculty/Staff/Alumni Association Members : $11
Children (3 — 14): $7
Children (Younger than 3): Free
Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card holders
with valid photo I.D: Free for up to four individuals per EBT card
UWF students: Free with presentation of Nautilus card
Members: Free, join today!
Buy tickets here! Tickets provide admission to the Pensacola Museum of History, Historic Pensacola Village, and the Pensacola Children’s Museum.
The Pensacola Children’s Museum
The Pensacola Children’s Museum
Temporarily closed for remodeling.
Come play in Pensacola’s 450 years of history at the Pensacola Children’s Museum, a historical museum geared for kids.
Two floors of hands-on learning fun. Visit the Panton Trading Post, the Lavalle Cottage, the Fort, the Native American Village and the Kiddie Corral or sail away on the Galveston. Geared for ages nine and older.
The second floor includes the Publix SuperMarket exhibit, a Colonial Classroom, a Native American exhibit, and the Strickly Briks Makerspace. Opening later Summer 2021 will be Land and Sea: Wonders of the Gulf Coast.
The Pensacola Children’s Museum was designed to have interactive, imaginative, and educational play for all ages in the setting of a historical museum. Visitors can visit Pensacola’s Maritime and Lumber Industries, explore our Military History, experience Native American ways, and learn about the Multicultural History of Pensacola.
Open: Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10:00–4:00 p.m.
Sundays from Noon‑4:00 p.m.
Admission:
Adults: $12
Seniors 65+, Active Military & Dependents, AAA Members, Pensacola Museum of Art Members, and UWF Faculty/Staff and Alumni Association Members: $11
Children (3–14): $7
Members: Free
Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) Cardholder: Free for up to four individuals per EBT card
UWF Students: Free with Nautilus card.
America’s 1st Settlement Trail
America’s 1st Settlement Trail
The America’s First Settlement Trail is a three-mile marked path through downtown Pensacola and the Pensacola Historic District. Along this trail are twenty stops and over seventy points of interest. Along the Trail you will see sites from as early as 1756, when the Spanish built Fort San Miguel in what is now downtown Pensacola. Tour over 260 years of history and learn the fascinating story of how Pensacola developed into the city you see today.
Downtown-focused Events
Here are a few events to experience in downtown Pensacola. Be sure to view our full calendar so you don't miss a thing!
The Complete Guide To Coffee Shops in Pensacola
Itinerary: A Day Spent in Downtown Pensacola
Outdoor Dining Delights: 11 Fresh Downtown Experiences