With over four-hundred-fifty years of colorful history, Pensacola was the first settlement in the continental United States founded in 1559 and controlled by five separate nations including the Spanish, French, British, Confederate States, and U.S. Shaped by wars as well as numerous hurricanes, the city offers a variety of interesting places to see and things to do including Historic Pensacola Village, the oldest historic district in the southeast, Fort San Carlos de Barrancas, which was held by all five nations at one point or another, and the National Museum of Naval Aviation with over one-hundred-fifty aircraft on display. Big Lagoon Recreational Facility offers a great place to camp, hike and commune with nature and the Gulfarium allows families to enjoy a day with the dolphins, sea lions, and other animals.
