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Pier Park is the closest thing Panama City Beach has to a downtown. It’s an open-air shopping, dining and entertainment district on Front Beach Road, right across the street from the Russell-Fields City Pier and the busiest stretch of sand in town. You can shop in the morning, swim at lunch, ride a 200-foot observation wheel before dinner and catch live music after dark without moving the car.
Quick answer
- What it is: an outdoor complex with about 120 stores and restaurants, a movie theater and entertainment, across from the City Pier.
- Hours: stores are generally open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; restaurants and bars keep their own hours.
- Don’t miss: the PCB Wheel, a 200-foot observation wheel with views over the Gulf.
- Eat: Margaritaville’s Gulf-view decks, Pompano Joe’s for seafood or Dusty’s for oysters.
- Beyond shopping: Dave & Buster’s, Topgolf and Dolly Parton’s Pirates Voyage Dinner & Show are all right here.
- Beach: the Russell-Fields City Pier and the town’s only dog beach are across the road.
Getting your bearings
Pier Park opened in 2008 on the Gulf side of the beach, around the 16000 block of Front Beach Road. Since then it has grown into a whole district. The main complex has the shops, restaurants and entertainment, plus a Boardwalk section of smaller stores. Pier Park North, just inland along Panama City Beach Parkway, adds more shops, restaurants and services. Aaron Bessant Park, next door, is where the biggest concerts and festivals set up.
Everything is open-air, so bring sunscreen even if you only came to shop. The PCB Wheel has its own entrance off L.C. Hilton Jr. Drive, across from Dave & Buster’s.
Shopping
Target, Dillard’s and JCPenney anchor Pier Park, with national names like Old Navy and American Eagle alongside beach shops and local boutiques. A few to know:
- Ron Jon Surf Shop: the famous surf brand that started in New Jersey in 1959, with boards, beachwear and souvenirs.
- Just Beachy Gifts and Decor: coastal gifts, home decor and Panama City Beach souvenirs on the Boardwalk.
For more beachwear, Alvin’s Island, the beach store chain that opened its first shop on Front Beach Road in 1957, has several stores along Front Beach Road and Thomas Drive.
Entertainment
The PCB Wheel is Pier Park’s landmark, a 200-foot observation wheel with views over the Gulf and the beach. It opens in the afternoon on weekdays and late morning on weekends and runs into the evening, so sunset is the time to ride.
Pirates Voyage Dinner & Show, Dolly Parton’s pirate show, opened at Pier Park in June 2025. Two crews battle on two full-size pirate ships in an indoor lagoon, with acrobatics, mermaids and pyrotechnics over a four-course meal, and there’s a Christmas version during the holidays.
Dave & Buster’s covers arcade games, food and big screens, and Topgolf, which opened next to Pier Park in 2025, has 74 hitting bays on two levels. The Grand Pier Park by Santikos shows movies for rainy afternoons.
For more family attractions, WonderWorks and Ripley’s Believe It or Not! are about 15 minutes east on Front Beach Road, and Shipwreck Island Waterpark opens again next summer. See our guide to family fun in Panama City Beach.
Events at Pier Park
Pier Park and Aaron Bessant Park host many of Panama City Beach’s biggest free events. These 2026 dates come from Visit Panama City Beach and can change:
- Oct. 9 to 11: Pirates of the High Seas & Renaissance Fest, with a Saturday evening parade, a pirate invasion and fireworks.
- Oct. 16 to 18: PCB Oktoberfest at Aaron Bessant Park.
- Nov. 7: IRONMAN Florida, with the swim start in the Gulf at Pier Park.
- Thanksgiving weekend: Beach Home for the Holidays, with concerts, s’mores, fireworks and Santa. A 38-foot Christmas tree stays lit at Aaron Bessant Park through New Year’s Day.
- Dec. 5: the PCB Marathon and 5K.
- Dec. 31: the New Year’s Eve Beach Ball Drop, with a kids’ drop in the evening and a midnight drop with fireworks over the City Pier.
Where to eat and drink
Margaritaville Panama City Beach has upper and lower decks overlooking the Gulf, an island-inspired menu and live music that turns into a late-night scene after dinner.
Pompano Joe’s Seafood House, at the Pier Park end of Front Beach Road, serves Gulf seafood with Caribbean and Cajun flavor in a casual, beach-view dining room.
Dusty’s Oyster Bar, just down Front Beach Road, has shucked Gulf oysters in a lively, dollar-bill-covered dive bar since 2012.
In Pier Park North, The Craft Bar is a gastropub with around 30 rotating taps, craft cocktails and a from-scratch kitchen.
Want a bigger list? See the best restaurants in Panama City Beach.
Take a break
Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa in Pier Park North books massages and facials seven days a week, a good way to recover from a long beach day.
The pier and the beach
Across Front Beach Road, the Russell-Fields City Pier runs 1,500 feet into the Gulf and is open daily, with a small fee to walk or fish. Anglers pull in mackerel, redfish and pompano, and dolphins often cruise past. On the west side of the pier, beach accesses 56 and 57 are Panama City Beach’s only dog beach, for leashed dogs. Our Panama City Beach beaches guide has more on the pier, parking and beach rules.
A day at Pier Park
Start with the beach in the morning by the City Pier, before it gets crowded. Shop in the afternoon heat, or book Topgolf bays if the kids need to burn energy. Walk the pier around sunset, ride the PCB Wheel as the lights come on, and finish with dinner at Margaritaville or a show at Pirates Voyage.
Staying at Pier Park
Embassy Suites by Hilton Panama City Beach Resort opened on the Gulf in 2023 with 255 suites, about a two-minute walk from Pier Park. Just east, The Flamingo Hotel and Tower is a 51-room, old-school independent beachfront hotel. Browse more on our Pier Park area page.
Pier Park FAQ
Is Pier Park indoors? No, it’s an open-air district, so plan for sun and afternoon showers. The movie theater, Dave & Buster’s and the restaurants are good places to wait out rain.
Is the PCB Wheel the same as the SkyWheel? Yes. The 200-foot observation wheel at Pier Park used to be called the SkyWheel.
What’s near Pier Park? The Russell-Fields City Pier and dog beach are across the street, Aaron Bessant Park is next door, and Topgolf and Pier Park North are a short walk or drive inland.
Planning the rest of the trip? Start with things to do in Panama City Beach.
Featured photo: Pier Park at night by Olin Gilbert, CC BY 2.0.
