The Emerald Coast Guide

Arts & Culture

The Emerald Coast has a creative community that runs deep: painters inspired by the light on the Gulf, musicians who play for the love of it, makers working with their hands. Explore the galleries, studios, venues, and performance spaces that make this stretch of coast so much more than a beach destination.

92 places

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Pensacola

UWF Center for Fine & Performing Arts

University of West Florida's home for theatre, music and visual art

Live Performances Local artists
Downtown Pensacola

Pensacola Little Theatre

Community theater in downtown Pensacola's 1912 former courthouse and jail

Community theater Historic Live Performances
Downtown Pensacola

Pensacola Children’s Museum

Hands-on play and local history for kids ages 0–8 downtown

Family friendly Hands-on exhibits Local history exhibits
Pensacola

Pensacola State College Ashmore Auditorium

Pensacola State College's stage for plays, musicals and concerts

Live Performances Local artists
Downtown Pensacola

Voices of Pensacola Multicultural Center

Rotating exhibits on the cultures that shaped Pensacola

Local history exhibits Nonprofit
Downtown Pensacola

Pensacola MESS Hall

Hands-on science center where visitors run their own experiments

Family friendly Hands-on exhibits Science center
Pensacola

Gen. Daniel “Chappie” James Jr. Museum of Pensacola

Childhood home and legacy of the first Black four-star general

Aviation history Historic Military history
Downtown Pensacola

Blue Morning Gallery

Palafox Street co-op showing work by more than 60 local artists

Artist cooperative Local artists Original art
Downtown Pensacola

Quayside Art Gallery

Artist-run co-op gallery in downtown Pensacola since 1973

Artist cooperative Classes & workshops Local artists
Downtown Pensacola

Artel Gallery

Volunteer-run experimental art gallery on Palafox Street since 1993

Local artists Nonprofit Original art
Downtown Pensacola

SSW Studios

Sarah Soule Webb's coastal paintings and guest artists on Palafox

Local artists Original art
Downtown Pensacola

Joe Hobbs Gallery

Hand-blown art glass and custom lighting by a Pensacola glass artist

Glassblowing Local artists Original art
Pensacola

First City Art Center

Hands-on glass, clay and art center in Pensacola's old waterworks

Classes & workshops Glassblowing Kids' classes
Downtown Pensacola

Pensacola Symphony Orchestra

Pensacola's professional orchestra, led by Peter Rubardt for 30 seasons

Classical music Live Performances
Downtown Pensacola

Pensacola Opera

Professional opera at the Saenger Theatre since the early 1990s

Live Performances Opera
Downtown Pensacola

Ballet Pensacola

Northwest Florida's resident professional ballet company since 1978

Dance Kids' classes Live Performances
Pensacola

Let’s Go Paint Pottery

Pottery painting, mosaics and wheel classes with a big party room

Classes & workshops Paint-your-own pottery Private parties
Pensacola

Perdido Artist Gallery & Gifts

Local artists' gallery and gift shop on the way to Perdido Key

Classes & workshops Local artists Original art
Pensacola

Luna Fine Art Gallery

Rotating local and regional art exhibits inside the Hilton Pensacola Beach

Local artists Original art
Pensacola

Graffiti Bridge

Pensacola's ever-changing community canvas on the 17th Avenue trestle

Free admission Historic Local artists
Milton

Arcadia Mill Archaeological Site

Boardwalk and museum at the ruins of an 1828 water-powered mill complex

Family friendly Historic Local history exhibits
Milton

West Florida Railroad Museum

Cabooses, rail cars and model trains at Milton's 1909 L&N depot

Family friendly Historic Local history exhibits
Downtown Fort Walton Beach

Stage Crafters Community Theatre

All-volunteer community theatre staging Broadway musicals and plays since 1972

Community theater Live Performances Nonprofit
Crestview

Carver-Hill Museum

The story of Crestview's segregation-era Carver-Hill School and its students

Historic Local history exhibits Nonprofit
Grand Boulevard

Emerald Coast Theatre Company

Professional plays, musicals and youth theatre classes at Grand Boulevard

Kids' classes Live Performances Nonprofit
Niceville

Mattie Kelly Arts Center

Broadway tours, symphony concerts and free art galleries on the NWF State campus

Broadway tours Live Performances Original art
Crestview

Congressman Robert L. F. Sikes Museum

Exhibits on Congressman Bob Sikes and his decades of public service

Local history exhibits Military history
Crestview

Crestview History Museum at the Bush House

Free local history museum in a restored 1926 railroad supervisor's home

Free admission Historic Local history exhibits
Navarre

Holley Hill Pottery & Art Studios

Family-made Gulf Coast stoneware and historic wood-fired kilns since 1980

Guided tours Local artists Original art
Navarre

Foshée Studios

Classical painting, drawing and pottery classes for kids and adults in Navarre

Classes & workshops Kids' classes
Navarre

Beck Fine Art Gallery

Original Impressionist oil paintings by award-winning artist Dan Beck

Local artists Original art
Bagdad

Bagdad Mill Site Park

Riverside trails and history markers on the site of Bagdad's historic lumber mill

Family friendly Historic Local history exhibits
Navarre

Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge

Wildlife hospital and education center with ambassador animals in Navarre

Family friendly Nonprofit Wildlife encounters
Milton

Panhandle Butterfly House & Nature Center

Native butterflies, gardens and river trails at Milton's historic T.W. Jones House

Family friendly Guided tours Historic
Downtown Fort Walton Beach

Arts & Design Society of Fort Walton Beach

Free gallery, clay studio and art classes in downtown FWB since 1956

Classes & workshops Free admission Kids' classes
Downtown Fort Walton Beach

Northwest Florida Ballet

Downtown FWB's professional ballet company and school since 1969

Classes & workshops Kids' classes Live Performances
Fort Walton Beach

Redbird Art Experience

All-ages glass and mixed-media mosaic studio inside DeFrance Antiques on Beal

Classes & workshops Family friendly Local artists
Panama City Beach

Pirates Voyage Dinner & Show Panama City Beach

Dolly Parton's pirate battle dinner show, with ships afloat in an indoor lagoon

Family friendly Live Performances
Panama City

Kaleidoscope Theatre

Bay County's volunteer community theater, on stage in Lynn Haven since 1971

Community theater Live Performances Nonprofit
Panama City

Science & Discovery Center of Northwest Florida

Hands-on science, live reptiles and toddler play in Panama City since 1969

Family friendly Hands-on exhibits Science center
Destin

Sinfonia Gulf Coast

Destin-based orchestra playing classics and pops across the Emerald Coast

Classical music Live Performances Nonprofit
Panama City

Bay County History Museum

Free downtown museum tracing Bay County from Spanish explorers to today

Free admission Local history exhibits
Panama City

Panama City Center for the Arts

Free rotating art shows and classes in Panama City's first city hall

Classes & workshops Free admission Local artists
30A

Justin Gaffrey Gallery

Textured sculptural paintings by 30A artist Justin Gaffrey

Local artists Original art
Miramar Beach

Oliver’s Twisted Ceramics

Walk-in pottery painting on US-98 in Miramar Beach

Family friendly Paint-your-own pottery Private parties
30A

Ruskin Place Artist Colony

Seaside's park-side quarter of galleries, studios and artful boutiques

Free admission Local artists Original art
30A

The Shard Shop Grayton

Make-your-own glass mosaic ShardArt classes in Grayton Beach

Classes & workshops Family friendly Private parties
30A

Fusion Art Glass & Fine Jewelry

Art glass and couture jewelry from North American studio artists since 1996

Art glass Fine jewelry Original art
30A

Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County (Bayou Arts Center)

Walton County's arts agency, with classes and pottery at the Bayou Arts Center

Classes & workshops Local artists Nonprofit
30A

Watersound Monarch Art Trail

Free mile-long sculpture trail celebrating the monarch butterfly migration

Family friendly Free admission Outdoor sculpture
30A

Underwater Museum of Art

Permanent underwater sculpture reef in the Gulf off Grayton Beach

Nonprofit Outdoor sculpture
Panama City

Floriopolis

St. Andrews' nonprofit arts hub with gallery, market, studio and courtyard

Free admission Local artists Nonprofit
Freeport

Anchored in Freeport

Artist-decorated concrete anchors celebrating Freeport's maritime history

Family friendly Free admission Local artists
Panama City

Panama City Symphony

Bay County's orchestra, now in its 31st season across three local venues

Classical music Live Performances Nonprofit
Panama City

Gallery of Art 850

Downtown Panama City fine art gallery and listening room with 1966 roots

Free admission Live Performances Local artists
Panama City

CityArts Cooperative

Downtown Panama City co-op with a gallery, dance studio and classes

Artist cooperative Classes & workshops Local artists
Laguna Beach

Sun Bear Gallery and Studio

Beachside gallery of Native American and local art with paint parties

Classes & workshops Local artists Original art
Panama City

Out of the Box Art Studio

Hands-on pottery, painting, mosaic and jewelry studio on Harrison Avenue

Classes & workshops Family friendly Private parties
Panama City

Panama City Mural Trail

Free self-guided walk past murals in downtown Panama City and St. Andrews

Family friendly Free admission Local artists
Fort Walton Beach

Emerald Coast Science Center

Hands-on science, live animals and outdoor exhibits for curious kids

Family friendly Hands-on exhibits Nonprofit
Fort Walton Beach

Air Force Armament Museum

Free museum of Air Force aircraft and weapons, open to all with no base pass

Aviation history Free admission Guided tours
Navarre

Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Center

Meet Sweet Pea and learn how Navarre protects its sea turtles

Family friendly Guided tours Nonprofit
Back Beach Road Corridor

Man in the Sea Museum

Diving history museum with the Navy's SEALAB I and helmets you can try on

Family friendly Hands-on exhibits Military history
Pensacola

Pensacola Lighthouse & Maritime Museum

Climb 177 steps up the 1859 lighthouse on NAS Pensacola

Family friendly Open daily
Pensacola

National Naval Aviation Museum

Free museum with 150+ Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard aircraft

Family friendly Open daily
Historic St. Andrews

Panama City Publishing Company Museum

1920 print shop museum and visitor stop on Beck Avenue

Downtown Pensacola

Pensacola Saenger Theatre

Restored 1925 Spanish Baroque theater on Palafox Street

Downtown Pensacola

Pensacola Museum of Art

Modern and contemporary art inside Pensacola's old city jail

Downtown Pensacola

Pensacola Museum of History

City of Five Flags history in Pensacola's 1907 City Hall

Family friendly
Downtown Pensacola

Historic Pensacola Village

Walkable museum village inside Pensacola's colonial core

Family friendly
Bagdad

Historic Bagdad Village Museum

Mill-town history in a historic heart pine church

Historic Local history exhibits
Valparaiso

A Ceramic Studio & Hobby Shop

Paint-your-own-pottery and ceramics studio

Ceramics classes Established 2011 Paint-your-own pottery
Valparaiso

Heritage Museum of Northwest Florida

Preserving Florida panhandle history since 1971

Established 1971 Local history exhibits
30A

Newbill Collection by the Sea

Gallery of contemporary American art

Contemporary American art Fine craft Handcrafted Jewelry
30A

Seaside Amphitheater

Grassy outdoor amphitheater in the heart of Seaside surrounded by the Merchan...

Community events Outdoor concerts
30A

Emerald Stitchery

Needlepoint shop in Seagrove Plaza

Canvases & threads Needlepoint supplies
30A

Curate

Art gallery featuring glass, sculpture, and wall art

Fine art Glass art Sculpture
Niceville

Spires Gallery

Fine art, gifts, framing, classes and art supplies

Art supplies Custom framing Local artists
Gulf Breeze

Marty Campbell Gallery

Fine art gallery and custom framing

Custom framing Fine art Local artists
30A

Ria Leigh Gallery

Curated contemporary fine art in the Shops of Grayton

Fine art Local artists
30A

The Studio Gallery

Original art and jewelry from 30A artists

Jewelry Local artists Original art
30A

The Zoo Gallery

Handcrafted art and gifts since 1979

Established 1979 Local art & gifts Locally owned
Downtown Fort Walton Beach

Indian Temple Mound Museum & Heritage Park

National Historic Landmark and city museum complex

Family friendly Historic Local history exhibits
Downtown Fort Walton Beach

Artesano Boutique

Handmade goods from 60+ Gulf Coast artists

Handmade jewelry Local artists Pottery & glass
Destin

Destin History & Fishing Museum

Museum preserving Destin's founding and fishing history

Family friendly Fishing heritage Local history exhibits
Commons Drive Corridor

Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation

Nonprofit arts organization and cultural arts village

Cultural arts village Nonprofit Outdoor concerts
DeFuniak Springs

DeFuniak Springs Art Co-Op

Cooperative gallery for local Walton County artists

Cooperative gallery Local artists Original art
Circle Drive Historic District

Walton County Heritage Museum

Local history museum in the old railroad depot

Historic Local history exhibits Railroad depot
Circle Drive Historic District

Chautauqua Hall of Brotherhood

Historic 1909 hall on the National Register

Historic National Register listed
Baker

Baker Block Museum

Okaloosa County's history museum and genealogy library

Genealogy library Historic Local history exhibits
Crestview

Tipsy Canvas Paint & Sip

Crestview's only paint-and-sip studio

Kids classes Paint & sip classes Private parties
Bonifay

Holmes County Historical Society Museum

Preserving Holmes County history since local founding

Historic Local history exhibits