National Naval Aviation Museum

The National Naval Aviation Museum is home to more than 4,000 artifacts and 150 restored aircraft carriers from the Navy, Coast Guard and Marine Corps.

Admission is free and guided tours are free, so if you're in Pensacola with family or flight-enthused friends, this museum is a must-see. Parking is free, too. 

The museum has its own IMAX theatre that runs shows every hour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

You can see what it's like to fly in the flight simulators. The motion-based simulator lasts 5 minutes and uses surround sound, a high definition screen, and a mobile compartment to simulate flight. If you're interested in air combat, you'll enjoy the Top Gun Air Combat Simulator. It costs $20 for one or two people, and passengers will be briefed before flying and then have 20 minutes to control the simulator. 

Tickets can be purchased as a package for the IMAX theatre and the flight simulators for a discount. 
Between March and November, you can watch the Blue Angels fly at a practice air show. 

If you're hungry from so much flying, grab a sandwich in the Cubi Bar Café. This restaurant is also a tribute to the NAS Cubi Point Officers' Club in the Republic of the Philippines, which is closed today. Plaques adorning the original club were donated to the museum, which makes the restaurant an exhibit as well as a lunch spot for visitors. 

Check out the museum store to stock up on souvenirs for friends and family. This shop has everything for aircraft lovers, from jewelry and home furnishings to DVDs, books, clothing and stationary. 

- by Jessica Bates, Pensacola Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)

Jessica Bates

Jessica is a freelance journalist residing in lovely southern California. She holds a bachelor's degree in English and journalism. She writes for a green living publication, which she thoroughly enjoys. Once upon a time she was an editorial board member for Steel Toe Books choosing poetry manuscripts for publication.