Day trips from 30A, worth the drive.

National Naval Aviation Museum

Hangar after hangar of aircraft, free, and indoors. One of the best rainy-day trips on the coast if you've got the ID.

Adults 18 and over need a REAL ID or a passport at the West Gate. Foreign nationals must be escorted by a U.S. citizen.

Pensacola Lighthouse & Maritime Museum

Climb the tower, then the museum. Admission covers both.

To climb, kids must be at least 7 and 44 inches tall, and nobody can be carried up. It's on the naval base, so bring ID.

Fort Pickens

A historic fort to explore on Pensacola Beach, inside the national seashore, with Junior Ranger booklets at the park store in the fort.

Cards only at the entrance; no cash. Kids under 16 never need a pass.

Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park

The marine park on Okaloosa Island, with dolphins and African penguins, plus add-on encounters for older kids.

Penguin encounters are for ages 8 and up, start at $46, and need general admission on top.

Heritage Park & Cultural Center

One ticket covers the newly expanded Indian Temple Mound Museum, the Camp Walton Schoolhouse and the historic buildings around an ancient temple mound.

The museum reopened after its expansion in February 2026 and some areas are opening in phases. Call before you go; published hours don't agree.

Emerald Coast Science Center

Hands-on science museum with an animal area, west of Destin. The full-morning rainy option.

Turkey Creek Park

A mile of boardwalk along a clear, cold creek, with swimming platforms along the way and picnic pavilions at the end.

No pets, bikes or skates on the grounds. Tubes, canoes and kayaks are welcome.

Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park

Three short nature trails, the longest about a mile, and a bayou for swimming and paddling.

Kids under 6 must wear a life jacket in a canoe or kayak.

St. Andrews State Park

The Kiddie Pool, a calm, shallow cove behind the jetties, is the best first snorkel on this coast. The Shell Island shuttle leaves from here.

Check the tide. Low tide stirs up sand and kills visibility, and stay away from the jetty rocks when there's surf.

WonderWorks

More than 100 hands-on exhibits, a glow-in-the-dark ropes course three stories up, and laser tag. Plan on a few hours.