The flags of Spain, France and England have flown over the city of Pensacola during its turbulent past. The Colonial Archaelogical Trail leads visitors through the different eras of the city’s history, and highlights an ongoing program of excavation by local archaeologists. The city center features the Pensacola Museum of Art, housed in the old city jail; the Pensacola Cultural Center; Quayside, the South’s largest co-operative art gallery; Wall South, a replica of the Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial in Washington, DC; and the beautifully restored Saenger Theater, where local and national musical groups regularly perform.
A few miles to the west lies one of the biggest and best air and space museums in the country, the National Museum of Naval Aviation. Displays cover the age of aviation from the first flight in a wood and fabric biplane to today’s travels in space with the Skylab Command Module. East of Pensacola, the Gulf Breeze Zoo is home to more than 700 animals and a huge botanical garden, while gorillas and chimpanzees roam free on two large islands. The beauty of Pensacola’s beaches is protected by Federal and State reservations, which preserve them from development. Gulf Islands National Seashore and Big Lagoon Park offer huge areas of untouched beaches, which are easily accessible to the public.