The idea of a Florida vacation is likely to conjure images of the Disney theme parks in Orlando, the eastern Space Coast's Kennedy Space Center or the Everglade National Park in the southern portion of the state. While not often thought of first, the northwest section of Florida also offers numerous attractions for the entire family. Home to the cities of Pensacola, Panama City and Tallahassee, northwest Florida is home to historic, cultural and natural attractions including museums, a marine life park and state parks.
Historic Pensacola Village is along Church Street in the northwestern city of Pensacola. Twenty-seven historic buildings comprise the attraction. At its center is a Spanish revival-style early 20th-century town hall. Inside the building is the T.T. Wentworth, Jr. Florida State Museum, dedicated to the history of the state and home to exhibits on events like the Civil War. A number of 19th-century homes and buildings are also located at the Village and are open to the public for touring, such as the French-Creole Lavalle House constructed in 1805 and the Old Christ Church built in 1832. Guided tours of the village are available, or visitors can stroll through the village at their leisure. The village is open Tuesday through Saturday and closes Sundays and Mondays.
Historic Pensacola Village
20 Church St.
Pensacola FL, 32502
850-595-5985
historicpensacola.org
Gulf World Marine Park opened in 1969 and is in Panama City Beach along Front Beach Road. Dedicated to educating the public about marine mammals, the park hosts live shows. Animals like dolphins, sea lions and reptiles star in these performance. Visitors can also see demonstrations of scuba diving and sharks and turtles being fed. With advance reservations, guests can also swim with dolphins or shadow a dolphin trainer for a day. The entire park takes three to four hours to tour. Gulf World Marine Park is open everyday, with the exception of some holidays.
Gulf World Marine Park
15412 Front Beach Road
Panama City Beach, FL 32413
850-234-5271
gulfworldmarinepark.com
Florida Caverns State Park is in the northwestern town of Marianna, Florida, approximately 69 miles northwest of Tallahassee. The park covers 1,319 acres and features miles of underground caves. Tours of the caves run Thursday through Monday and last for 45 minutes. Call ahead for reservations; the tours sell out almost daily.
In addition to exploring the caves, visitors can also horseback ride, cycle and hike on the park's numerous trails. The Chipola River flows through the campground for boating and fishing. A 97-foot-deep natural swimming hole is also located at the park. Florida Caverns State Park also features campsites for tents and recreational vehicles, a picnic area and an on-site restaurant. The park is open year-round.
Florida Caverns State Park
3345 Caverns Road
Marianna, FL 32446
850-482-9598
floridastateparks.org/floridacaverns
The Mary Brogan Museum of Art and Science formed in 2000 with the consolidation of two Tallahassee-area museums founded during the 1990s. For art lovers, the museum has collections of American folk art, Pre-Columbian art, photography, sculpture and prints as well as paintings from masters like Rembrandt and Vincent Van Gogh. In the science section of museum, visitors can view two complete fossil skeletons from the Cretaceous Period and a working bee hive. A special section of the museum caters to children with hands-on learning activities. The Mary Brogan Museum of Art and Science is open daily, year round.
The Mary Brogan Museum of Art and Science
350 Street Duval St.
Tallahassee, FL 32301
850-513-0700
thebrogan.org
