A few weeks ago, in my post on the Pensacola Lighthouse, I mentioned Fort Barrancas as another great place to visit on Pensacola’s Naval Air Station. This week, I’m finally filling in the details on why it’s such a cool stop!
I visited the fort a while back with my parents and husband on the same day we climbed the lighthouse. I have to say, after sweating up those stairs, the stone interior of the fort felt AMAZING! It’s crazy how much cooler it is underground on a hot day.
One of the things that first struck me when we first came to the fort was the view. Fort Barrancas is built into a tall hillside with a commanding panorama of the Gulf of Mexico. It’s an incredibly strategic position (more on that in second), but it’s also absolutely beautiful.
Because this historic site is on the military base, the view is unbroken by modern houses or buildings. The road is the only sign that you haven’t just stepped back to the 1800s.
The interior of the fort is even more unchanged, to the point that it can be a little eerie peering into the dark interiors of prison cells and long hallways. But don’t worry–this location isn’t haunted!
The story and experience are very fascinating, and I’m excited to share the details with you today!
In this post:
- What to know before you visit Fort Barrancas
- The history of Fort Barrancas
- What to do at Fort Barrancas
What to Know Before You Visit Fort Barrancas
How to Get There:
Fort Barrancas is part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore, located on the Pensacola Naval Air Station. Like the Pensacola Lighthouse, you have to enter through the west gate on Blue Angel Parkway, unless you have a military ID.
From that gate, signs will clearly guide you through the base to the different on-site attractions, including Fort Barrancas.
However, if you need more directions, check out the info page from the National Park Service.
What to Bring:
- Military ID or Driver’s License with Real ID for anyone over 16. If you do not have these, you may also use a valid passport.
- Comfortable shoes with soles that have good grip
- Water
Pricing:
Fort Barrancas is free to enter. However, the Gulf Islands National Seashore has an honor system in place with a $20 admission fee per vehicle, which provides you with a seven-day pass to all the areas within the park. You can place your payment in a box at the visitor’s center.
Fort Barrancas Operating Hours:
Both the fort and the visitor center are open from 9 am to 4:15 pm on Thursday through Monday. The visitor center takes about 30 minutes to walk through, and the fort takes up to an hour, so plan to arrive no later than 3 pm to do it all!
The History of Fort Barrancas
The current buildings you see on Fort Barrancas are the latest of several versions of the fort that have existed in this place over the last 300 years.
This strategic piece of land switched hands multiple times, with Spain, France, and Britain all taking control at some point. Due to its perfect vantage point of the Pensacola Bay, each country was eager to command this spot and control the ships that entered the bay.
When Spain sold Florida to the U.S. in 1821, Fort Barrancas came under American control.
In 1839, the current Fort Barrancas was built over the ruins of San Carlos de Barrancas, which was damaged almost beyond repair in the War of 1812. However, the Spanish water battery survived in good shape and was incorporated into the new American fort. Its white-painted walls are a sharp contrast against the red brick of the new fort.
The new Fort Barrancas used six million bricks and has walls that are four-feet thick and twenty-feet high! If you’re interested in reading more about the fort’s construction and why it’s placement and design were so effective, check out this article from Fort Tours.
Despite being in such a battle-ready location, Fort Barrancas only saw action in one war during all its years of service. During the Civil War, a couple of large battles (and a very long stalemate) took place between Confederate troops stationed at Fort Barrancas and Federal Troops at Fort Pickens.
The Confederates abandoned the fort in May of 1862, and it has seen no further combat since.
What to Do at Fort Barrancas
Stop by the Visitor Center
The Visitor Center is a short but education stop that you should definitely take before entering the fort. In about 30 minutes, you can get a much better understanding of the fort’s history.
The Visitor’s Center has a 12-minute video and a few small exhibits to view, as well as the only water fountain and restrooms on-site.
Take a Guided Tour (If running)
If possible, hop in on one of the guided tours of the fort. It’s moderately expansive, so a tour guide will ensure that you don’t miss anything and get all the cool facts along the way.
However, the tours only run when there are enough people, so you may want to call ahead and see if they have any already planned for the day you want to visit.
Explore Fort Barrancas on Your Own
It seems that the general intent is for most visitors to take a tour on their own because self-guided tour brochures for the fort are available at the Visitor Center.
This is what we ended up doing, and it has its perks. You may not have the best route planned out, but you can take your time to observe what interests you on your schedule.
Inside Fort Barrancas…
As I mentioned previously, Fort Barrancas has not changed since the U.S. rebuilt it in the 1800s. It’s actually rather incredible that it’s in such good condition after surviving so many years and hurricanes!
The fort is built into the hillside, with many tunnels running down into the dark lower levels. You do need to be careful because these tunnels are steep and slippery from the many feet that have smoothed down the stones over the years.
The only light inside the fort is sunlight, which adds a neat but rather haunting aesthetic to the experience.
Some of the hallways are merely long tunnels of white-washed walls, broken only by the many embrasures at shoulder-level. Can you imagine being stationed here for long periods of time? I’d go crazy!
However, there are plenty of fascinating nooks and crannies to explore within. Be sure to check out the galley, and the many cells that occupy the interior. You can peek inside some of them to see whether they were storage rooms, bunk rooms, or prison cells.
If you grabbed a brochure, you’ll be able to get more information on each area, its function, and other fascinating details.
Outside the Fort
Be sure to walk around outside and explore the ramparts and artillery on the top of the fort.
They have cannons and a few other items of interest on display.
And of course, the view of the Pensacola Bay from the upper level is absolutely gorgeous!
After you’ve explored the courtyard portion of the fort, head down the stairs of the original Spanish water battery! (Watch your step–they’re rather steep and narrow.)
This is another cool area to explore and, quite frankly, marvel at the engineering of it!
If I remember correctly, there were a few informational plaques in this area with some exciting details on the water battery; but if you grabbed a brochure, you’ll also have lots of information to soak in.
This area has another beautiful, lower-level view of the bay and some pretty flowers/weeds that I had fun photographing (haha).
Closing Thoughts on Fort Barrancas
And that is Fort Barrancas in a nutshell!
As usual, I’ve tried to give you a good enough overview to pique your interest without giving away all the juicy and fascinating details. I genuinely hope that you’ll take any opportunity you have to stop this incredible place and learn all about its history and part in the Civil War and beyond.
I also feel like too many people hit Pensacola just for the beaches and miss out on the other fun stuff in the area. So if you want more ideas on things to do around Pensacola, be sure to check out these posts:
- 3 Fun & Unique Restaurants to Try in Pensacola Beach
- Uncle Sandy’s Bird Park: A Hidden Gem In Pensacola!
- Best Guide to the Pensacola Lighthouse & Maritime Museum
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Happy travels!
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