Archaeology

Unearthing the Pensacola Bay Area

Pensacola has a lot going on beneath the surface. With more than 450 years of recorded history, not to mention thousands of years of Native American habitation, visitors can really dig into the past and discover its treasures.

Over the years, Pensacola has revealed rich archaeological discoveries both on land and underwater. Our area affords archaeology buffs ample opportunities – summer digs, field projects, lab activities and special events – to study ancient cultures and the historical record.

Buried Treasure

In 1559 – well before the colonies in Plymouth, Massachusetts (1620), Jamestown, Virginia (1607) and St. Augustine, Florida (1565) – Tristán de Luna y Arellano landed on Pensacola’s shores with a fleet of 11 ships and more than 1,400 people. This crew of explorers established the earliest multi-year European settlement in the U.S. Just over a month after arriving, the colony was hit by a hurricane that sank five ships and killed hundreds. The survivors kept the settlement going as long as they could, but by 1561 they had scattered to Cuba, Mexico and beyond.

In 2015, 450 years after the colony was abandoned, archaeologists from the University of West Florida confirmed the exact location of the settlement. The historical site is located in an undisclosed neighborhood in Downtown Pensacola. Among the Spanish colonial and Native American artifacts recovered from the dig were mid-16th-century pottery shards, a lead fishing line weight, copper lacing aglet, wrought iron nail and Native American trading beads.

Underwater Treasure

Pensacola is also home to two underwater archaeological sites. Called the Emanuel Point shipwrecks, they are believed to be the remains of two ships from the original Tristan de Luna fleet that were sunk by a hurricane in September 1559. Discovered in 1992, Emanuel Point I was identified as a 16th-century galleon. In 2006, archaeologists from the University of West Florida received grant money to conduct a systematic magnetic survey of the area where the first shipwreck was found. Emanuel Point II was discovered as a result, and artifacts recovered from the ship suggest that it, too, was part of the original settlement attempt. The Emanuel Point shipwrecks are the oldest found in Florida. Fewer than a dozen ships from this era have ever been discovered, so the fact that two have been identified in Pensacola Bay is extraordinary, and furthers secures Pensacola’s place in maritime history and archaeological research.

FPAN’ing for Archaeological Gold

The Florida Public Archaeology Network is headquartered in Pensacola and works in partnership with the University of West Florida Archaeology Institute and the Pensacola Archaeological Society. Visitors of all ages can volunteer in FPAN’s lab, cleaning and sorting artifacts recovered from local archaeological sites. Accompanied children, families and groups of 12 or less are encouraged to dig in, and volunteers can take on real archaeological work with real lab tools. Along the way, they discover a fascinating way to experience history.

More to Explore

At FPAN’s Coordinating Center in Downtown Pensacola, visitors can experience a museum exhibit titled “A Roadtrip Through Florida Archaeology” to learn more about heritage sites that are open to the public. At the Arcadia Mill Archaeological Site and Museum, visitors can tour Northwest Florida’s largest 19th-century water-powered industrial complex and stroll through the archaeological remains of the mills on an elevated boardwalk. Located in Historic Pensacola Village in Downtown Pensacola, the Colonial Archaeological Trail encompasses a series of open-air archaeology exhibits that trace the ruins of 18th- and 19th-century fortifications occupied by Spanish, British and American soldiers, highlighting features of the forts, such as kitchen sites, buildings, trash pits and wells.

Dig into fun learning experiences in the Pensacola Bay Area!

Dig Into History

1Florida Square

602 North Palafox Street Pensacola, FL 32501 (850) 436-5670

Benches Historical Marker Monument/Statue

2Historic Pensacola

330 South Jefferson St Pensacola, FL 32502 (850) 595-5985

Open Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.

We invite you to explore Historic Pensacola and experience the rich heritage of America’s first multi-year European settlement.

Historic Pensacola encompasses eight and a half acres and 28 properties located within the footprints of the original Spanish and British forts in downtown Pensacola.

Our “One Ticket, Seven Days to Explore” ticketing enables you to leisurely visit all of the museums, participate in guided and self-guided tours of historic homes and interact with period-dressed living history interpreters. Come be a part of history being brought to life!

Admission:

Adults: $12

Seniors 65+, Active Military & Dependents, AAA Members, Pensacola Museum of Art Members, and UWF Alumni Association Members: $11

Children (3-14): $7

Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) Cardholder: Free for up to four individuals per EBT card

Members: FREE

UWF Students: Free with Nautilus card.

Buy Tickets here! Tickets provide admission to the Pensacola Museum of History, Historic Pensacola Village, and the Pensacola Museum of Art.

3Quina House Museum

204 S Alcaniz St Pensacola, FL 32502 (850) 432-3050

Dating back to 1810, the Quina House Museum is Pensacola's oldest building still in its original location. Visit the museum free of charge to learn more!

Dating all the way back to 1810, the Quina House Museum is Pensacola Florida's oldest building still in its original location and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places! Throughout the home you will find pieces of furniture dating from 1790 through the 1880's.

The Quina House Museum is open free of charge Tuesday through Saturday, or you can call and reserve a private group tour for up to 10 people. The private tours run on Saturday at 5:30 by reservation and are at least 90 minutes long with "bottomless" wine and hors d'oeuvres along the way. Call today and schedule a tour for only $40 per person!

4Pensacola Maritime Heritage Trail

499 Bayfront Pkwy Pensacola, FL 32502 (850) 595-5985

Pensacola Maritime Heritage Trail
499 Bayfront Pkwy, Pensacola

Bayfront Parkway from Hawkshaw Lagoon Memorial Park to the Community Maritime Park.
Parking variable locations (Veterans Park, Seville Park, Downtown)
Trail approximately 1 ½-mile (single direction). Wheelchair accessible.
10 panels stretch along the waterfront sidewalk tell the story of Pensacola’s waterfront shipping history.
Need hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen.
Restrooms unavailable.

5Pensacola Lighthouse

2081 Radford Blvd Pensacola, FL 32508 (850) 393-1561

Climb 177 steps up the historic Pensacola Lighthouse for one of the most beautiful views on the Gulf Coast. Built in 1859, the lighthouse is located on board NAS Pensacola, right across from the National Naval Aviation Museum.

The top of the tower offers stunning views of Pensacola Pass (where Pensacola Bay meets the Gulf of Mexico), three historic forts, the Pensacola skyline, and the historic Navy Yard. The fully restored Keepers' Quarters - built in 1869 - is home to the Richard C. Callaway museum, which houses numerous exhibits on local history and the lighthouse itself.

The Pensacola Lighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

****Beginning Oct. 1, Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola’s areas of public interest are closed until further notice. Installation areas of public interest – including the National Naval Aviation Museum (NNAM) and the Pensacola Lighthouse and the National Parks Service’s Fort Barrancas – are closed.

Department of Defense (DoD) identification card holders will still be able to access the installation through either the Main Gate – at the south end of Navy Blvd. – or through the West Gate – at the south end of Blue Angel Parkway.****

6Trader Jons

330 s Jefferson St Pensacola, FL 32502 (850) 595-5985

Trader Jon's

Martin "Trader Jon" Weissman, owner and namesake of Trader Jon's Bar, was well known for his personal eccentricities such as his famously mismatched socks and "Tradernomics" as well as his eclectic establishment. One of Pensacola's top tourist destinations for decades, Trader Jon's, decorated with photos and memorabilia, some traded for drinks, was a safe haven where young flight students, military personnel, astronauts and movie stars rubbed shoulders with local politicians, characters and the occasional ne'er-do-well. Trained as a U. S. paratrooper in WWII, Trader's lifelong love of naval aviation and his livelihood were inseparable. There was truly nothing like it on Earth! Step inside and experience the legend that was Trader Jon's.

The Trader Jon Exhibit is housed in the Pensacola Museum of History. Open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00-4:00 and Noon-4:00 on Sunday.

7Chimney Park

5500 Scenic Highway Pensacola, FL 32503 (850) 436-5670

A remnant of an early sawmill operation in Pensacola owned by Henry Hyer, an old chimney stands on Scenic Highway at Langley Avenue. The Hyer-Knowles Planing Mill prepared lumber for building and was one of the few steam-powered sawmills in the area.

When the Union Army evacuated Pensacola late in the Civil War, an order was given for the sawmills to be razed and burned. Only the chimney survived at this location.

Through efforts of the Scenic Highway Foundation, Historic Pensacola Preservation Board, organization and individuals, Chimney Park has been preserved and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior. Today the park features the remnants of the chimney, benches, a historical marker, and parking.

8Emanuel Point Shipwreck

Emanuel Point Pensacola, FL 32503

Emanuel Point Shipwrecks marker is located in Wayside Park at the Visitor Information Center. In August 1559, eleven ships under the command of Don Tristán de Luna y Arellano sailed into Pensacola Bay, then called Ochuse, to establish a new colony for Spain. Intended to stake a claim on the northern Gulf coast, the settlement was planned to become a city on the edge of the empire. A thousand colonists brought livestock, personal possessions, tools, and materials to build their new town. A month after they arrived, a powerful hurricane struck the fledgling colony and sank most of the ships, which were being used as floating warehouses for supplies and food. Survivors eventually were evacuated and the Spanish did not return to Pensacola Bay until 1698. In 1992, archaeologists with the State of Florida discovered one of Luna's ships off Emanuel Point near the entrance to Bayou Texar. A second ship was found by University of West Florida archaeologists nearby in 2006. Investigations revealed remnants of the doomed colony, ceramic and metal storage containers and cooking pots, including bones from cows and pigs, stone cannonballs and the wheel of a gun carriage, pieces of a suit of armor, wooden tool handles and eating utensils, and even remains of a ship's cat. The rest of Luna's fleet waits to be discovered.

9Fort McRee

Fort McRee Pensacola, FL 32507 (850) 934-2600

Fort McRee is a historic military fort located on a small island at the entrance of Pensacola Bay, Florida. It is part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore and has a rich history dating back to the early 19th century.

10Fort Pickens — Gulf Islands National Seashore

1400 Fort Pickens Road Pensacola Beach, FL 32561 (850) 934-2600

Fort Pickens is one of four military forts designed to protect Pensacola in the 1800s. Located on Pensacola Beach on the Gulf Islands National Seashore, Fort Pickens is accessible by foot and boat and is open year-round from sunrise to sunset. Entrance fees are required and collected upon admittance into the park. The Fort Pickens area is anchored by the historic landmark and offers many recreational activities including fishing both from the shore and the pier, exploring trails and the fort, birdwatching, camping and so much more. A visitor information center is located at the west end of the island and includes a history museum on the area.

Entrance Fees

Entrance fees are required and collected at the following areas of Gulf Islands National Seashore: Fort Pickens Area, Opal Beach at the Santa Rosa Area, Okaloosa Area, Fort Barrancas Area, and Perdido Key Area. All Interagency America the Beautiful passes are accepted for entry into these areas.

One hundred percent of the fees collected at national parks are used by the National Park Service for the improvement and maintenance of park facilities and programming. Eighty percent of the fees collected here are used to replace and improve facilities throughout this park. Free Entrance Days in your national parks.

Per person (pedestrian, cyclist, etc.)............................$15
Motorcycle....................................................................$20
Private vehicle (capacity <15).......................................$25
Private vehicle (capacity >15)......$7 per person; up to $25

Commercial Groups

Per vehicle (capacity 6 or less)....$25 plus; $10 per person
Per vehicle (capacity 7 to 25)........................................$40
Commercial Bus (capacity 26 or more).......................$100

An entrance pass is good for one to seven days at all locations. Interagency passes waive all entrance fees. Frequent visitors may be interested in the park's annual pass which provides access to the national seashore during normal operating hours for twelve months from the date of purchase. Educational groups should visit our Educational Programs page for educational fee waivers.

Park Annual Pass..........................................................$45

11Plaza Ferdinand

East Government St and, S Palafox St Pensacola, FL 32502 (850) 436-5670

Plaza Ferdinand, a park with a very rich and colorful history, is listed on the National Register of Historical Places. Named for King Ferdinand VII of Spain (reign 1813-1833), the land that is now the Plaza was originally given by the Spanish throne to Don Manuel Gonzalez for his services as a farmer, rancher, businessman, military advisor, and political representative of Spain. Gonzalez would later donate the land to the City of Pensacola. In its early days, the Plaza was used as a parade ground for the British fort. The Plaza was also the center of town life during the Colonial era. The cession of Florida to the United States from Spain occurred at the Plaza on July 17, 1821. It was here that Andrew Jackson was sworn in as first Territorial Governor in the Plaza. A bust of Jackson now stands at the spot where he was inaugurated. An obelisk monument stands at the center of the Plaza in memory of William D. Chipley, who was instrumental in bringing the L & N Railroad to Pensacola and points west. A fountain thought to be a replica of one in Seville, Spain was placed on the site in 1909 after local citizens and school children raised funds to pay for it.