National Naval Aviation Museum

The National Naval Aviation Museum is an absolute must-visit if you're in Pensacola, Florida! We spent the entire day here and still felt like there was so much to see. The exhibits are incredible and offer a fascinating glimpse into the rich history, bravery, and sacrifices of the men and women who have served our country. My son was beyond excited to sit in the fighter jets and explore the cannons and other military displays. Seeing everything up close made the experience unforgettable for him. We also loved the videos throughout the museum and had an amazing time on the Blue Angels flight simulator—it was one of the highlights of our visit! One of the best parts is that admission is completely free, and there's plenty of parking, making it an easy and affordable outing for families. The museum is beautifully maintained, educational, interactive, and engaging for visitors of all ages. When we left, my son said it was the best museum trip ever, and I couldn't agree more. That says it all! If you're visiting Pensacola, don't miss this amazing museum. It's an experience you'll remember long after your visit.

This place is SO COOL and well worth an planning an entire day around, even with kids!! Did I mention it’s FREE?! We were blown away by how interactive and interesting this museum was. Exhibits are over-the-top and theres a little something for everyone. Flight simulators, movies and 4D rides and food at the restaurant are reasonably priced, not trying to price-gauge you like most tourist trap museums. It was baby’s nap time or we could’ve easily spent a few more hours here. Highly recommend. Make sure you have your Real ID and enter through the West gate for easy entry, the museum is on base so also be sure you don’t have firearms in your vehicle.

The National Naval Aviation Museum is absolutely outstanding. The exhibits are incredibly well done, with beautifully restored aircraft and tons of fascinating history packed into every corner. The staff and volunteers are knowledgeable, friendly, and clearly passionate about aviation, which makes the experience even better. There's so much to see - from historic planes to immersive displays - and everything is presented in a way that's engaging for both adults and kids. It's one of those places where you can spend hours and still feel excited to come back again. A must-visit for anyone in the area. Highly recommend the National Naval Aviation Museum.

Wow! Such a fantastic and must go place in Pensacola! We've been here twice, but I have family who goes here all the time! This is the perfect place for when a big group of your friends or family stop in and you need a place to go without spending money. Since it's supported by donations, etc, there is no fee to come here. The museum is very extensive, and you could spend 2-3 days looking at everything. There are also tours all day, which makes it very helpful for people who don't know what to look at. The first time we went, we had a fantastic tour of the upstairs, which talked more about the ships, politics, and life of people at home during the war. There is also an option for a flight simulator, which is very neat (this costs about $30-$40 a person). We also bought tickets to watch a movie about the Blue Angels (which there are several) at the IMAX theater, which we thoroughly enjoyed. The second time, we had a tour of the downstairs where we actually looked at the planes more in depth. I enjoyed the upstairs the most, but my husband and his family really enjoyed looking at the planes and listening to the history and stories of them. There is also a separate building with more planes and a harder but extremely fascinating Vietnam War section. Overall, an absolutely 10/10 place. You can't ask for more when it's free, and with such a neat, interactive, extensive, and fascinating museum!

Amazing place! The history enclosed is astounding. Came on a Tuesday and got a rare opportunity to hear a 101 yr old vet talk about his experiences as a flight crew member on a PBY. Truly a national treasure. I guess he only comes on Tuesdays. His recall was amazing. Volunteer veterans stationed everywhere in the amount of knowledge that they have is incredible. I would suggest you feel free to approach and ask any one of them. Entrance was free as was parking. Since it's on on naval Base, there are restrictions to enter inquire beforehand. I want to add stop in at the Cubi officers club for lunch , many of the furnishings were shipped over from the original officers club in the Philippines. Service was great. Our waitress was wonderful and the food was very good. Prices were extremely reasonable.

The museum was great. The tour was worth it in my opinion. It lasted two hours and the guide was amazing. The story of the family and the Cessna was incredible. My brother always wanted to fly and couldn’t because of his vision. But seeing him get inside one of those cut out planes, made me happy. So much history and such incredible planes. I cannot believe that the F14, Top Gun Plane was born in 1974 or 1975, I don’t remember. Fantastic time there.

The traffic is very backed up to get into the base on Wednesday but that is due to the Blue Angels practice sessions which are open to the public and autograph sessions with the pilot afterward. The pilots only sign autographs for about 30 min so get in line as soon as you can. The museum is large and offers a learning experience to aviation lovers and everyone else alike. My kids loved seeing all the planes and seeing what it was like to be on an aircraft carrier during WWII. We did not get a chance to go to the modern aircraft part of the aviation museum so I can't speak for that but the early flight and WWII and Korean war area section was great. My kids loved it.

It's a very cool experience. The inside is pretty cold for those of us used to Southern temps so dress more for AC temps. My husband went back to the car for light jackets. There is a bag check for both buildings, and purses need to be clear bags. We spent hours here reading up on each plane/display. You can sit inside a few plane displays. There is a lot of airplane noises, which at first, we thought was part of the museum overhead speakers, but when moving to the Blue Angels glass ceilings exhibit we see that the Blue Angels were doing practice exercises. We saw them earlier in the week while we were at Fort Pickens. This day wasn't highly publicized. So we followed others to the back of the new building to see where they were headed. We were surprised to see others set up to watch the Blue Angels. The planes felt so close to us. When we looked towards the lighthouse, we saw people watching from the rails at top. It hurt my ears at times so I wondered how those on the lighthouse were with their ears. Inside the museum you can get food, and there is a cool gift shop. The discounted shirts aren't that cheap with the lowest cost being close to $18.