Fort Pickens in Pensacola brings history to life: Local Hidden Gem

From overlooked roadside attractions to offbeat museums and obscure natural wonders, Local Hidden Gems will showcase some of the unique and unexpected treasures that make America extraordinary. We will emphasize charm, surprise and delight.

Local hidden gem: Fort Pickens in Pensacola, Florida 

While Florida’s panhandle is widely known for its white sandy beaches, emerald green waters and vibrant coastal life, many visitors (and even locals) overlook the walkable historic sites that bring centuries of history to life.

Pensacola, Florida, is at the heart of American history, with roots dating back to 1559 when it was established as America’s first non-continuous settlement. Fort Pickens specifically, a military fort completed atop Santa Rosa Island in 1834, is particularly unique because of how well protected and maintained it is by the U.S. National Park Service. The fort was built to protect Pensacola Bay’s waterways and seaports from foreign attacks. Over a century later, visitors are still able to stroll through its corridors, gaze in astonishment at its massive cannons and climb to the rooftop and envision enemy ships approaching from afar.

The fort’s rangers double as historians, sharing its stories. These include some of the fort’s darker truths, like how enslaved men were forced to build the fort brick by brick. Once completed, Fort Pickens became the largest brick structure on the Gulf of Mexico and exhibited the latest theories in coastal defense design, construction and weaponry.