15 things to do in Pensacola with your kids this summer that won't break the bank
The last day of school in Escambia County is May 22 and May 24 for Santa Rosa County schools. For kids, summer break is the greatest 12 weeks of the year, but it can be a struggle for parents.
Who keeps the kids while they work, and more importantly, who is around to keep them entertained? Fortunately, there are plenty of things to keep kids busy this summer.
Here's a list of things to do with your kids this summer that won't break the bank.
Pensacola Children's Museum
Where: 115 Zaragoza St.
Cost: $12 per adult, $7 for kids 3-14, free for children under 3
The Pensacola Children's Museum features exhibits designed so parents and young children can learn and play through interactive spaces that include a colonial classroom, a Publix Super Markets exhibit, a kiddie corral and more.
The Pensacola Children's Museum was designed to have interactive, imaginative and educational play for all ages, making it the perfect spot to take your kids after or before a trip to Pensacola MESS Hall.
The two-story museum has the Panton Trading Post, Lavalle Cottage, the Fort, the Native American Village, the Kiddie Corral and the Galveston on the first floor. The second floor is home to the Publix Super Market Exhibit, a Colonial Classroom, a Native American Exhibit and the Strictly Briks Makerspace.
Keep yourself entertained this summer: Summer in Pensacola: How to keep yourself entertained in summer heat
Bands on the Beach
Where: Gulfside Pavilion, Pensacola Beach
Cost: Free
Bands on the Beach offers a little something for everyone. The local concert series at Pensacola Beach highlights regional musicians that encompass nearly every genre. Each show is held at the Gulfside Pavilion, which overlooks the Gulf of Mexico. Kids can enjoy the sights and sounds of the beach and the bands while parents enjoy the music.
Concertgoers can bring lawn chairs and blankets, but pets and glass containers aren't allowed. Each show starts at 7 p.m. Tuesday, and the series runs from the first Tuesday in April to the last Tuesday in October.
Catch a Blue Angels Practice
Where: National Naval Aviation Museum, 1750 Radford Blvd.
Cost: Free
For many, getting out to Pensacola Beach for the Blue Angels beach air show or making it out to the Homecoming Air Show can be a tough prospect. Luckily for us, we can see the Blue Angels perform all of their physics-defying stunts dozens of times between March and October.
The Blue Angels perform several full practice shows that have all of the same stunts as their iconic air shows but without the crowds. Here's what to know.
Learn about the Navy's aeronautical history at the National Naval Aviation Museum
Where: National Naval Aviation Museum, 1750 Radford Blvd.
Cost: Free
The National Naval Aviation Museum is finally open again to the public. This national attraction features more than 4,000 artifacts and over 150 restored aircraft from the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. The free entrance lets you walk through each of the museum's attractions, but you can elevate your experience with Flight Simulators, the Giant Screen Digital Theater, the authentic Cubi Bar Cafe and The Flight Deck Store.
Hangout with cats at Coastal Cat Cafe
Where: 1508 W. Garden St.
Cost: Starts at $15.53 for 45 minutes
The Coastal Cat Cafe is exactly what you think it is ? a cat cafe right here in Pensacola. Come out and enjoy good vibes with great cats. Coastal Cat Cafe features a drink menu including coffee, tea and Big Jerk Soda, plus some quick snacks like hummus and crackers, seasonal sweet bread, muffins and more. You can grab your choice of snacks and hang out with several rescued cats. Coastal Cat Cafe partners with local cat rescues, providing its feline friends with a temporary home until they can find a more permanent one.
Local state parks: Looking for Memorial Day weekend plans? You can get into any of Florida's state parks free
Get a look at one of Pensacola's most unique and historic views at the top of the Pensacola Lighthouse
Where: 2081 Radford Blvd.
Cost: Free
The Pensacola Lighthouse includes 177 of the most historic steps in Pensacola. Climbing to the top of the Pensacola Lighthouse, which was built in 1859, offers stunning views of Pensacola Pass, where Pensacola Bay meets the Gulf Coast, three historic forts, the Pensacola skyline and the historic Navy Yard. Plus, you can take a peek through the fully restored Keepers' Quarters, home to the Richard C. Callaway Museum. Admission is $9.50 for adults, $6.50 for kids 12 and under, seniors 65 and older and military members.
Learn about local marine life at the Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Center
Where: 8740 Gulf Blvd., Navarre
Cost: $5 for regular admission; $4 for military, first responders and seniors; children 2 and under are free
The Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Center is a conservation and learning center that is open to the public for $5 admission. Visitors will be greeted by a 15,000-gallon saltwater pool that is home to Sweet Pea, the center's non-releasable green sea turtle and ambassador-in-residence. There are experiences such as Jellyfish Corner, blue crab and seagrasses exhibit, salt marsh life exhibit and more.
Explore the newly opened Bruce Beach
Where: 601 W. Main St.
Cost: Free
After years in the works, the first phase of the Bruce Beach Park is complete and open to the public. The first phase of the plan includes a central plaza with a walkway, shade structures, two public lawn areas with seat walls, a children's playground and a pedestrian bridge over Washerwoman Creek, which connects the park to Community Maritime Park.
The central plaza and walking path include signs that tell the history of the area, from its days as a shipyard in the 19th century to the location of a public pool for African Americans used during the segregation area up until the early 1970s.
Phase two, which will include a bluff overlook with panoramic views of Pensacola Bay and the city, a "rock scramble" and terraced sitting areas around the bluff, a permanent kayak launch, a sand volleyball court and picnic areas, is expected to be finished this year.
Skate at the Blake Doyle Skate Park
Where: 501 N. Hayne St.
Cost: Free
The Blake Doyle Skate Park is another project that was years in the making. The park features approximately 25,000 square feet of skateable surface area for skaters of all ages and skill levels. It also includes a beginner area, a multilevel skate plaza and two skate bowls, along with an additional 5,700 square feet of surrounding sidewalk and gathering areas.
Grab a book from the Pensacola Public Library
Where: 239 N. Spring St.
Cost: Free
Libraries may not have a reputation as one of the coolest places to visit, but they are a great resource beyond providing your child with books to read throughout the summer. A quick look at the Pensacola Public Library calendar in May shows a host of fun events that will teach you everything from how to crochet to how to program.
Libraries go beyond books, too. You can find video games and movies to borrow, e-books to download, and some locations even offer board games. The best part? It's all free.
Take a self-guided tour through the Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida
Where: 105 N. S St.
Cost: $3 donations
The Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida is a nonprofit whose mission is to provide care for injured or orphaned wildlife. The organization will provide medical care and fostering during recovery, rehabilitation and eventual release of the animal, if possible. Patrons can head over to the sanctuary during visiting hours to spend time with over 50 animals that can't be released, including a variety of birds like bald eagles, owls and hawks.
Head to the pool
Cost: Varies
There are two pools within city of Pensacola limits, the Cecil T. Hunter Pool, 200 E. Blount St., and the Roger Scott Pool, 2130 Summit Blvd. Both offer swimming lessons that are administered by the YMCA of NWFL. The pools are opened seasonally, from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day weekend of each year.
Admission for the Cecil T. Hunter Pool is $2.25 for adults, $1.50 for seniors, $1 for kids ages 3-17 and free for kids 2 and under. The Roger Scott Pool costs $4 for adults, $3.50 for seniors, $3 for kids ages 3-17 and kids 2 and under are free.
Cool off at a local plash pad
Cost: Free
If you're looking for an aquatic time without the crowds and without the cost, a splash pad is the perfect answer. Legion Field, 1301 W. Gregory St., and Plaza de Luna, 900 S. Palafox St., are both open mid-March through October. Find a full list of local splash pads here.
Catch some Movies in the Park
Where: Community Maritime Park, 301 W. Main St.
Cost: Free
Bring your blankets and chairs out for a family-friendly movie underneath the stars. Pre-show activities begin at 6 p.m., and movies kick off at sunset. Free parking, snack concessions and local food trucks are available. Movies are shown with grass seating only. The next movie is "The Marvels" on June 1. Free event parking is available at Community Maritime Park and City Hall.
Snap a memory along the Pensacola Photo Trail
Cost: Free
The Pensacola Photo Trail features 15 spots you can go to snap the perfect Pensacola selfie. The trail is definitely not one you can walk as the destinations will take you everywhere, from the Edward Ball Nature Trail in the north end of the county to the Flora-Bama Lounge, which sits, as the name might suggest, on the border of Florida and Alabama.
Here's the full list:
Pensacola Postcard
The Graffiti Bridge
Pelican at T.T. Wentworth
Cubed Gulf Coast at Museum Plaza
Palafox Pier Pelican
Mississippi Blues Trail Marker
Pensacola Beach Ball
Futuro Spaceship House
Big Lagoon State Park
Jeremiah Pelican at Pensacola Lighthouse & Museum
Flora-Bama Lounge, Package and Oyster Bar
Edward Ball Nature Trail
Alger-Sullivan Historic District
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Cheap things to do with kids in Pensacola: 15 things to do
