National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola, FL~

Lucky to have the National Museum located here in Pensacola!
Spend a day exploring the National Museum of Naval Aviation at NAS Pensacola~
National Museum of Naval Aviation at NAS Pensacola~
National Naval Aviation Museum at NAS Pensacola~


If you haven't made it to Pensacola's very own National Museum of Naval Aviation at Naval Air Station Pensacola, you are missing out. Pensacola is proud to be home to the world's largest naval aviation museum. 

The Naval Museum is located at 1750 Radford Blvd. Suite B, Pensacola, FL 32508 on Pensacola Naval Air Station and accessible from either the front gate of Navy Blvd. or back gate of Blue Angel Pkwy.  Please remember, this is a military base and you must provide proper identification to be allowed onto base property.

The museum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. but is closed on Thanksigiving, Christmas, New Years Eve, and New Years Day.

View from 2nd story of Naval Aviation Museum at NAS Pensacola~


NAS Pensacola Museum
Inside the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola, FL~
The Naval Air Museum first opened in June 1963 with approximately 8,500 square feet and eight air crafts. Since then, the museum has grown to be the world's largest aviation museum with over 350,000 square feet of exhibits and over 150 air crafts from Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard aviation. The museum will be celebrating its 50th year in 2013 and continues to expand.

Small children playground area
indoors~ The kids love it!
Planning your Visit
With over 350,000 square feet indoors, there's plenty to explore in the museum. Plan to spend a minimum of three hours in the museum in order to absorb all it has to offer. They have exhibits for children of all ages including indoor play areas for small children and an outdoor playground. 
According to their website, "The exhibits of the National Naval Aviation Museum seek to capture the human element of the enduring history of Naval air power and the eras in which it served and continues to serve. Each represents a chapter of that story - stirring tales of combat actions, scientific discovery, technological achievement, and triumphs of the human spirit."
Hometown USA exhibit~


The museum houses exhibits from the beginning of military aviation and showcases historical events and military personnel that shaped our nation. Thousands of stories and artifacts are preserved at the Naval Air Museum.

Some of the more popular exhibits include:
  • WWI
  • USS Cabot Island
  • Sunken Treasures
  • Pacific Island
  • WWII Aircraft Carriers
  • The USS Enterprise
  • POW Experience in Vietnam
  • Bob Hope 
    Raft: a Story of Survival at Sea
  • Naval Aviation in Space!
Many of the exhibits offer hands on learning opportunities for everyone including small children, youth, and adults alike.  Several of the planes, including a few retired Blue Angels jets, are available to climb and play on. There's so much to see, do, and learn at the National Museum of Naval Aviation- no wonder it's the areas top museum!

View of National Museum of Naval Aviation at Pensacola NAS~  World's largest Naval Aviation Museum!
U.S.S. Enterprise Exhibit at Naval Air Museum in Pensacola, FL~ Actual artifacts and the stories behind WW II
National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola, FL
Free Tours at Naval Air Museum
It's easy to get lost in here! With so much to learn, I suggest taking advantage of the free tours. The museum offers free guided tours daily at 9:30, 11:00 am, 1:00 pm, and 2:30 pm given by retired military museum volunteers. You can also take a self guided tour by downloading the tour information from their website. There's also a 20 minute Fight Line Bus Tour that explores over 40 air crafts which are stored outside the museum. Donations are appreciated.

Wear comfortable shoes. There are elevators to access the upper story. They also have a gift shop and a cafe with food and beverages.

New at National Museum of Naval Aviation
Recently, the museum opened the Flight Adventure Deck which contains a number of hands on science experiments, facts, and an actual flight simulator! A number of scientific devices and displays help children understand the concepts of gravity, Newton's Law, air pressure, Boyle's Law, and other elements that affect aviation.

IMAX® Naval Aviation Memorial Theatre
The IMAX Theatre offers the largest IMAX screen in Florida and one of the largest in the world.
The museum offers several 3D films including the Magic of Flight which features our hometown heroes, the Navy's Blue Angels. Most IMAX movies are between 35 minutes and 1 hour. IMAX tickets are $8.75 for adults and $5 for children.


View of Blue Angels flying over Naval Aviation Museum~
Blue Angels Practice 
This museum just keeps getting better! You can watch the Blue Angels practice over NAS most Tuesday and Wednesday mornings during the season (March through November).  You can catch free shows weekly at Naval Air Station as the Blue Angels practice for their upcoming shows. Even better- the Blue Angels are available at the National Museum of Naval Aviation after Wednesday morning practices for photo opportunities and to sign free autographs. 

Navy Blue Angels at National Museum of Naval Aviation
View of Blue Angels taking off over NAS~
2012 Remainder Practice Schedule at NAS
September 12th, 18th, and 19th
October 17th, 23rd, 24th, and 30th
November 2 & 3rd is the annual Blue Angels Homecoming Show at the Naval Air Station. 

For more information on the National Museum of Naval Aviation, visit their website or call them at (850) 452-3604. 

While you are here, you might as well go across the street and visit the Pensacola Lighthouse and Museum! From the top, you'll have a one-of-a-kind view of the Naval Air Station, Museum, and the Gulf of Mexico.

See you at the NAS Pensacola!
Nicole St. Aubin & Pam Keen Brantley
Realty Masters of FL~ #1 in Pensacola area Property Management
4400 Bayou Blvd. #58B, Pensacola, FL 32503~ (850) 473-3983
www.PensacolaRealtyMasters.com ~ Facebook ~ Pinterest ~ YouTube