Panama City Beach was built for family vacations. Beyond the sand, there’s an upside-down science museum, a hall of oddities, mini golf and a giant maze, a summer water park and plenty of ways to see dolphins. Here’s what works on a sunny day, what saves a rainy one and where to base the family.
Quick answer
- Rainy day: WonderWorks and Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, side by side on Front Beach Road and open year-round.
- Evening fun: mini golf and the Gran Maze at Coconut Creek Family Fun Park, open until late.
- Summer day: Shipwreck Island Waterpark, with more than 40 attractions. It’s closed for the 2026 season and reopens next summer.
- Calm water: the jetties at St. Andrews State Park.
- Dolphins: a Shell Island or dolphin tour from Grand Lagoon.
- Dinner and a show: Pirates Voyage at Pier Park.
WonderWorks
You can’t miss WonderWorks Panama City Beach: the 29,000-square-foot building looks like it was flipped onto its roof. It sits at the east end of Front Beach Road, where Front Beach Road, Middle Beach Road and Thomas Drive meet. Inside, more than 100 hands-on exhibits fill six themed zones, from a simulated hurricane to physical challenge stations and space displays. Nearly everything asks kids to pull, spin or step inside rather than read. Add-ons include a three-story, glow-in-the-dark indoor ropes course, a black-lit laser tag maze and virtual reality rides. It’s open into the evening every day, which makes it the best rainy-day card in town.
Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
Right next door, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Panama City Beach fills its Odditorium with hundreds of strange-but-true artifacts, interactive games and stories from Robert Ripley’s world travels. Kids who roll their eyes at museums tend to read every placard here. Pair it with WonderWorks for an easy half day out of the sun.
Coconut Creek Family Fun Park
Steps away on Front Beach Road, Coconut Creek Family Fun Park has three 18-hole mini golf courses and the Gran Maze, a giant maze that turns into a race when the whole family splits up. It stays open until 10:30 or 11 p.m., so it’s an easy after-dinner outing once the beach day is done.
Shipwreck Island Waterpark
Shipwreck Island Waterpark spreads 15 acres and more than 40 attractions along Hutchison Boulevard. Bigger kids head for Zoom Flume, White Knuckle River, Raging Rapids and Tree Top Drop. The Great Shipwreck launches riders on a zipline from a pirate ship replica into the pool. Everyone else floats the Lazy River or rides the swells in the Ocean Motion wave pool. Little ones get Tadpole Hole, a shallow play area built for small kids.
Good to know: Shipwreck Island is a summer park and is closed for the 2026 season, so plan it for next year. The park is cashless and doesn’t allow outside food, drinks or coolers, so budget for lunch or a locker. Cabanas are available for shade.
Pier Park
Pier Park packs a lot into one stop: the 200-foot PCB Wheel, a movie theater, Dave & Buster’s, Topgolf next door and plenty of places to eat, right across from the Russell-Fields City Pier. For a big night out, Dolly Parton’s Pirates Voyage Dinner & Show opened at Pier Park in 2025, with two full-size pirate ships battling in an indoor lagoon, mermaids, acrobatics and a four-course meal.
On the water
Dolphins and Shell Island. A boat trip to Shell Island, the undeveloped barrier island across the pass from St. Andrews State Park, is often the highlight of a family trip, with a resident pod of bottlenose dolphins along the way. Capt. Anderson’s Marina and Adventures at Sea run tours from Grand Lagoon. Adventures at Sea also rents double-decker pontoons with a slide for a do-it-yourself lagoon day.
A first fishing trip. The headboats at Capt. Anderson’s sell tickets by the person and provide the gear and bait, so they’re an easy first taste of deep sea fishing. Our Grand Lagoon fishing charters guide covers the options.
The beach, family-style
For the calmest swimming, the rock jetties at St. Andrews State Park make a protected area that’s good for little snorkelers, and the park opens at 8 a.m. For a lifeguarded beach without the crowds, Rick Seltzer Park on Thomas Drive has free parking and a boardwalk. Our Panama City Beach beaches guide has the details, and it’s worth reviewing the beach warning flags with the kids before you go.
Nature and learning
- Conservation Park: 24 miles of free trails, from short loops to long hikes, with more than a mile of boardwalk through cypress domes. It’s open dawn to dusk and has restrooms at the trailhead.
- Man in the Sea Museum: a diving history museum built around SEALAB, the Navy’s first experimental underwater habitat. It’s open Wednesday through Saturday, and kids under 4 get in free.
- ZooWorld: a zoo on Front Beach Road near WonderWorks, with seasonal events like its Halloween Zoo Boo.
What works by age
- Toddlers and preschoolers: the calm water at St. Andrews, the lifeguarded beach at Rick Seltzer Park, Shipwreck Island’s Tadpole Hole in summer and an early dinner on the sand at Sharky’s.
- Ages 5 to 10: WonderWorks, Ripley’s, mini golf at Coconut Creek and a dolphin tour.
- Tweens and teens: the ropes course and laser tag at WonderWorks, Topgolf, a jet ski or parasail ride with a parent, and a half-day fishing trip.
A rainy-day plan
Start at WonderWorks when it opens, walk next door to Ripley’s, then grab lunch. In the afternoon, head to Pier Park for a movie or Dave & Buster’s. If the storm passes by evening, finish with mini golf at Coconut Creek.
Where to eat with kids
- Sharky’s Beachfront Restaurant & Tiki Bar: on the sand since 1986 under a giant thatched palapa. Kids can dig in the sand while you wait.
- Pompano Joe’s Seafood House: a casual neighborhood beach place near Pier Park.
- Capt. Anderson’s Restaurant: a Grand Lagoon tradition since 1967, perfect after a boat trip.
- Big Easy PCB: beignets on Thomas Drive, a sure bet for a sweet ending.
More picks are in our list of the best restaurants in Panama City Beach.
Where to stay with kids
Some resorts are attractions in their own right. Holiday Inn Resort Panama City Beach is built around a lazy river and water features, with a spa for the grown-ups. Splash Resort has a pool complex designed like a small water park, and Margaritaville Beach Cottage Resort is a full-service beachfront resort with its own lazy river.
Family FAQ
Is Gulf World still open? No. Gulf World Marine Park closed permanently in May 2025 after more than 50 years. For marine life, book a dolphin tour or a Shell Island trip instead.
When is Shipwreck Island open? It’s a summer water park. It’s closed for the 2026 season and sells passes for 2027, so check its website for next year’s opening date.
What can kids do in Panama City Beach when it rains? WonderWorks, Ripley’s, the movie theater and Dave & Buster’s at Pier Park, and the Man in the Sea Museum (Wednesday through Saturday).
For the full picture, start with things to do in Panama City Beach, and browse everything on our Panama City Beach area page.