Fort Pickens
A 19th-century brick sea fort at the western tip of Santa Rosa Island that remained in Union hands throughout the Civil War, with tunnels and gun batteries to explore.
Fort Pickens was built in 1834 and is one of the largest brick forts on the Gulf of Mexico. It remained under Union control throughout the Civil War, and the Apache leader Geronimo was once imprisoned here. Visitors can freely enter the arched gun galleries, powder magazines and late-19th-century concrete batteries, and look out over the entrance to Pensacola Bay from the ramparts. Nearby are a campground, bike trails and quiet beaches. It is part of Gulf Islands National Seashore; entry requires a vehicle pass, and in summer you can also take a ferry from downtown Pensacola.
Opening hours
Fort approx. 09:30–17:00; grounds sunrise to sunset
Nearby sights
- Fort Barrancas
- National Naval Aviation Museum
- Pensacola Lighthouse
- Joe Patti's Seafood
- Blue Wahoos Stadium
- Plaza Ferdinand VII
- Pensacola Museum of Art
- Big Lagoon State Park