Pensacola MESS Hall

Pensacola MESS Hall (short for Math, Engineering, Science and Stuff) calls itself not a typical science museum. Instead of reading exhibit labels, visitors work like scientists, asking their own questions and building experiments, with a permanent Marble Run among the favorites. The nonprofit was founded in 2012 by Megan and Jerry Pratt and opened year-round in 2013.

MESS Hall is at 418 E Wright St in Pensacola’s Old East Hill neighborhood, 877-937-6377 (877-YES-MESS), pensacolamesshall.org. It moved there in 2021 from its original Tarragona Street location. Beyond drop-in visits, it runs classes, camps and workshops, holiday camps and special programs such as Hour of Code, and since 2017 it has organized the Gulf Coast Science Festival.

School-year hours (from August 15) are Tuesday to Friday, noon to 5pm, and Saturday, 10am to 5pm. Summer hours are Monday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm, and Sunday, 1pm to 5pm, with extra days around holidays and spring break. Admission is $15 for ages 3 and up, $14 for active-duty military families, $13 per person for groups of 10 or more, and free for children under 3 and members; a family membership is $130 a year (as of September 2026).

Activities suit a broad age range, though fine motor activities are best for ages 5 and up. Accessible parking and a designated entrance are on the north side, off Davis Highway.