The Emerald Coast Guide
Family Activities
The Emerald Coast is one of those rare beach destinations that's genuinely great for kids. From dolphin tours to sandcastle lessons to mini golf and nature trails, find the family-friendly activities and businesses that make the trip memorable for everyone.
66 places
UFO’s Mini-Golf, Ice Cream & Arcade
Alien mini-golf, ice cream and an arcade
Pensacola Children’s Museum
Hands-on play and local history for kids ages 0–8 downtown
Pensacola MESS Hall
Hands-on science center where visitors run their own experiments
First City Art Center
Hands-on glass, clay and art center in Pensacola's old waterworks
Let’s Go Paint Pottery
Pottery painting, mosaics and wheel classes with a big party room
Arcadia Mill Archaeological Site
Boardwalk and museum at the ruins of an 1828 water-powered mill complex
West Florida Railroad Museum
Cabooses, rail cars and model trains at Milton's 1909 L&N depot
Foshée Studios
Classical painting, drawing and pottery classes for kids and adults in Navarre
Bagdad Mill Site Park
Riverside trails and history markers on the site of Bagdad's historic lumber mill
Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge
Wildlife hospital and education center with ambassador animals in Navarre
Panhandle Butterfly House & Nature Center
Native butterflies, gardens and river trails at Milton's historic T.W. Jones House
Redbird Art Experience
All-ages glass and mixed-media mosaic studio inside DeFrance Antiques on Beal
Pirates Voyage Dinner & Show Panama City Beach
Dolly Parton's pirate battle dinner show, with ships afloat in an indoor lagoon
Science & Discovery Center of Northwest Florida
Hands-on science, live reptiles and toddler play in Panama City since 1969
Oliver’s Twisted Ceramics
Walk-in pottery painting on US-98 in Miramar Beach
The Shard Shop Grayton
Make-your-own glass mosaic ShardArt classes in Grayton Beach
Out of the Box Art Studio
Hands-on pottery, painting, mosaic and jewelry studio on Harrison Avenue
Emerald Coast Science Center
Hands-on science, live animals and outdoor exhibits for curious kids
Air Force Armament Museum
Free museum of Air Force aircraft and weapons, open to all with no base pass
Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Center
Meet Sweet Pea and learn how Navarre protects its sea turtles
Man in the Sea Museum
Diving history museum with the Navy's SEALAB I and helmets you can try on
Navarre Beach Marine Park
Snorkel reefs you can swim to from the beach
John C. Beasley Park
Free parking and lifeguards on Okaloosa Island
Miramar Beach Regional Beach Access
Free public beach access with lifeguards
The Track
Go-karts, mini golf and an arcade
Camp Helen State Park
Where Lake Powell meets the Gulf
Panama City Beach Conservation Park
24 miles of free trails in the West Bay wetlands
Quietwater Beach & Pensacola Beach Boardwalk
Calm soundside water for little swimmers
Pensacola Beach Gulf Pier
A 1,471-foot pier into the Gulf at Casino Beach
Jackson Blue Spring
A 72-degree swimming spring on Merritt's Mill Pond
Pitt and Sylvan Springs
Spring swimming and tubing on Econfina Creek
Vortex Spring
A 68-degree spring for swimming, diving and camping
Fort Barrancas
A brick fort on a bluff above Pensacola Bay, free to visit
Ponce de Leon Springs State Park
A 68-degree spring swimming hole off I-10
Blackwater River State Park
White sandbars on a tea-colored river in Florida's canoe capital
Topsail Hill Preserve State Park
3.2 miles of wild beach, dune lakes and old-growth pines on 30A
Grayton Beach State Park
A coastal dune lake, a top-ranked beach and cabins on 30A
Fort Pickens Area, Gulf Islands National Seashore
A pre-Civil War fort, wild beaches and camping at the tip of Santa Rosa Island
National Naval Aviation Museum
Free museum with 150+ Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard aircraft
St. Andrews State Park
Jetties, Shell Island and 1.5 miles of Gulf and lagoon beach
Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park
Dolphins, manatees and penguins on Okaloosa Island since 1955
Oaks by the Bay Park
Five shady bayfront acres at the foot of Beck Avenue
Plaza Ferdinand VII
Landmark plaza where Florida became U.S. territory in 1821
Blue Wahoos Stadium
Double-A baseball with Pensacola Bay views downtown
Big Lagoon State Park
Lagoon beaches, boardwalks and an observation tower
Gulf Breeze Zoo
50-acre zoo with a safari train and giraffe feeding
Henderson Beach State Park
Protected Gulf beach and 30-foot dunes in the heart of Destin
Heritage Museum of Northwest Florida
Preserving Florida panhandle history since 1971
Western Pleasure Riding Stables & Carriages
Horseback trail rides since 1997
Baytowne Adventure Zone
Zipline, ropes courses, and family adventure
Blast Arcade & Laser Maze
Arcade games and laser maze fun
Cloak and Dagger Escape Rooms
Themed private escape room adventures
Laguna’s Adventure Park
Tiki bar, watersports & family fun on Quietwater Sound
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Panama City Beach
Strange and unusual exhibits on Front Beach Road
Shipwreck Island Waterpark
15 acres of slides, wave pool, and lazy river
WonderWorks Panama City Beach
The upside-down building of hands-on fun
Turkey Creek Nature Trail and Pavilion
Boardwalk nature trail along Turkey Creek
Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park
State park hiking, camping, and bayou paddling
E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center
Nature center open select summer days
Indian Temple Mound Museum & Heritage Park
National Historic Landmark and city museum complex
Destin History & Fishing Museum
Museum preserving Destin's founding and fishing history
Big Kahuna’s Water & Adventure Park
The Emerald Coast's largest water park
Baker Block Museum
Okaloosa County's history museum and genealogy library
Twin Hills Park
24-acre city park with splash pad and walking trail
Emerald Coast Zoo
Small interactive zoo with hands-on animal encounters
Exit 4 Escape Rooms of Crestview
Locally owned private escape room adventures
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