Located a couple of miles west of Pensacola Beach, Fort Pickens is an excellent excursion. The Fort Pickens area has approximately 10 miles of park land that includes beautiful beaches, nature trails, fishing, a campground, and of course, the fort.

The fort was named after the Revolutionary War hero Andrew Pickens and was completed and officially ready for troops on October 4, 1834. It is famous for being one of the few forts in the south that was never under Confederate control. In addition, Fort Pickens briefly held Chief Geronimo and several of his warriors and their families (1885-87). During the late 1890's and early 1900's, new gun batteries were constructed at Fort Pickens. In the mid 1900's, World War II brought the last era of coastal fortification in the United States. Most of these additions were finished late in the war, and were only manned for a brief period of time. New technology made coastal forts obsolete.