Fort Walton Beach Attractions

The Air Force Armament Museum features examples of military aircraft and weaponry from the First World War to the present. Planes on display include a B-17 bomber, a B-52 Stratofortress, a Soviet MiG and a Blackbird spy plane. As well there are numerous missiles, bombs and rockets on display including a copy of the atomic bomb that the U.S. dropped on Nagasaki, killing more than 45, 000 people in a single flash. The gun vault at the Air Force Armament Museum includes antique pistols, rifles, and early military weapons.

The Focus Science Center invites visitors to learn about space, physics, biology, computers and more through interactive and "hands-on" exhibits. Some examples of what one might find here include a reflecting Castle of Mirrors, "adult-sized" bubble makers and a hair-raising Vandergraph generator.

Fort Walton Beach Art Museum houses a collection of American paintings, sculpture, and pottery as well as Chinese artifacts. It regularly hosts traveling exhibits each month.

One of the oldest tourist attractions in the area, the Gulfarium features live marine shows, animal exhibits, tropical fish aquariums and scuba diving performances. It also operates a dolphin interaction program for children with learning disabilities, physical handicaps, attention deficit disorders, etc. The facility is also involved in marine mammal and turtle rescue and rehabilitation.

The Indian Temple Mound Museum presents the prehistory and history of the Fort Walton Beach community and Northwest Florida from 12,000 B.C. through the 1950's. Native Indians built the 15 foot (4.5m) high mound around 1400 AD as a political and cultural center and it is currently topped by a replica temple. From the early Native American inhabitants to European exploration, the museum displays a diverse collection of Indian artifacts including pottery, bone and stone tools and more.