Pensacola Museum of History, Pensacola, Guide du visiteur et quoi faire à proximité

The Pensacola Museum of History is a local history museum at 330 South Jefferson Street in Pensacola, Florida, housed in the former city hall facing Plaza Ferdinand VII. The building dates from the early twentieth century and is a fine example of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture in the city's historic district. It matters as both a museum of Pensacola's past and a piece of that past in its own right.

The story behind it

For most of the twentieth century this was where Pensacola ran its affairs. City leaders chose to build a new city hall facing Plaza Ferdinand VII, and architect Frederick Ausfeld designed it in a Spanish Colonial Revival style. Local contractor C. H. Turner built it, and it was dedicated in 1908. City business was done here until 1985.

The building has weathered Gulf Coast storms, and Hurricane Ivan in 2004 closed the museum for a time. In 1988 it reopened as a museum built around the collection of T. T. Wentworth Jr. Since 2021 it has operated under the name Pensacola Museum of History, and its exhibits follow the city's long story through its many eras.

What to look for

• Look at the arched openings along the facade, a hallmark of the Spanish Colonial Revival style Ausfeld chose.
• Notice the red-tiled roof, which gives the old city hall a Mediterranean look among the streets around it.
• Stand back across from the entrance and take in how the building faces Plaza Ferdinand VII, the square it was designed to address.
• Think about the building's earlier life as you approach: for decades this was where the city's officials worked, not a museum.

Tips for your visit

• Allow about an hour if you plan to go inside, or ten minutes if you only want to see the exterior.
• Check current opening hours and admission details before you go, as they can change.
• Plaza Ferdinand VII is right across the way, so pair the museum with a stop there.
• The museum sits in Pensacola's historic downtown, so the nearby streets and other historic sites are easy to reach on foot.

See it on a quest

Ghost Hunt in Pensacola brings you to this building on foot as one stop of a longer route through the historic streets. The app tells you about each place as you arrive and sets a puzzle in what is in front of you. One ticket covers the whole group.

Murder Mystery: Death in the Shadows in Pensacola is a good fit if you like a mystery theme with your sightseeing. You walk between places in the area, hear the story of each one, and solve a puzzle on the spot. One ticket covers the whole group.

Pensacola Detective Mystery: Infiltrate a Secret Society. lets you see the museum and the streets around it at your own pace, with no guide and no group to join. The app explains each stop and gives you a puzzle to solve there. One ticket covers the whole group.