Fun Things to do in Panama City FL

For as long as I remember my family and I have gone to visit Panama City FL. We all love going to the beach and Panama City has just always been the place we have gone to since I was around nine years old. I’m okay with that because I have always loved going there, well maybe not always. For the most part, I do now. So, since I have always gone there I want to be able to create a list of fun things to do in Panama City FL.

I know this area is pretty popular during spring break and can be a little bit crazy. I think going to Panama City during spring break probably isn’t the best idea because it just isn’t what it use to be. It’s not really that fun if you’re planning on going down there with your family.

A lot of the college students that go down there now just take things way too far. But I do suggest going down at some point after spring break is over. It’s a lot more enjoyable when a lot of the crazy college students just aren’t there anymore.

So, here are some of the fun things to do in Panama City FL.

Fun things to do in Panama City FL by going shopping at Pier Park

So, I highly suggest going to Pier Park if you haven’t gone before. I know you’re probably wondering why would you go shopping if you’re on vacation. They probably don’t have any stores that you don’t already have where you live.

For the most part that is probably true. Quite a few of these stores you are more than likely to have where you live.

But I suggest going here because there are a ton of restaurants there that aren’t going to be anywhere else. On top of that, there are other fun things to do there that you more than likely don’t have in your hometown.

Not only that but I can guarantee that there are going to be a few stores there that you more than likely don’t have where you live. There’s so much to Pier Park and it really is worth going to.

Shell Island

It has been a very long time since I have gone to Shell Island. I don’t think I have really been since I was maybe twelve or thirteen years old. To be honest I don’t really remember a lot about it but I do remember having fun there.

This is another thing that I want to try doing again as well. I have only done this one time and I really want to go back. I remember being able to see dolphins while we were on a boat and thought that was the coolest thing ever.

I would absolutely love to see our son experience this as well. I know he would absolutely love being able to see the dolphins swimming out in the ocean just like I did.

This is definitely an experience you should go through at least once and see if it is something that you like.

Gulf World Marine Park

Gulf World Marine Park is definitely one of those fun things to do in Panama City FL that I haven’t actually experienced.

When we go down there again I would absolutely love to go to the Marine Park. These are the sort of things that I actually kind of enjoy going to do and I want to be able to experience it. To be honest, out of all of the things that we did when we were in Panama City I’m actually really surprised that this is one of the things that I never experienced while we were there.

Hopefully, this is something that I can experience while we are down there. It’s definitely something that I would love to take my son as well and see if it’s something that he would like as well.

Shipwreck Island Waterpark

I hate to say it but waterparks are not one of my favorite things to do. Many many years ago when I was young I had gone to a waterpark with my family. While I was on one of the slides I kept getting stuck and ever since I have never wanted to go back to a waterpark.

I do have to say that Shipwreck Island Waterpark is actually a really fun place to go. We all go to Panama City for the beach but depending on how long you are there you don’t really want to go to the beach every single day. Or you more than likely want to change things up a little bit.

Shipwreck Island is one of those fun things to do in Panama City FL. If you enjoy waterparks then this area is completely worth the visit.

I do think I need to try and go here again. I feel like I would probably have a lot more fun with my son and see him enjoying himself.

Zoo world is one of those fun things to do in Panama City FL

Zoo World is one of those things that I want to go and do one of these days.

The funny thing is that my family and I stayed in a campground right behind Zoo World and I never bothered going to it. I don’t know how many years we stayed at that campground but it was for a long time. Let’s just say that it was from the time that I was nine years old all the way up until I was about eighteen years old.

So it was obviously for a long time and I never set foot in Zooworld.

I want to change that soon and take my son there to see all of the animals. The last time we tried to go it was so busy that we ended up leaving because there was nowhere to even park.

Ripley’s

There’s a Ripley’s in several places and they are really fun to go to. I do have to say that I’m a bigger fan of the one up in Tennessee over the one here. If you have never been to a Ripley’s then I do suggest going to this one!

Ripley’s is a museum that has some of the craziest facts and some of the craziest things documented there. Some of the things are actually fun to learn about as well.

This is where Ripley’s is located at in Panama City 9907 Front Beach Rd, Panama City Beach, FL 32407-4136.

Conservation Park

I know that this is somewhere that not everyone wants to go to when they go to the beach. But I have to admit that I have gone to this beach so many times that I don’t really care to go to the beach anymore anyways.

This is honestly just me because I have been going here for a vacation for YEARS now. So, I just don’t care to actually go to the beach anymore. I know I know. There are tons of people who can visit the same place for over a decade and still want to go to the beach.

That’s absolutely fine though. If it’s what makes you happy then go. I just know that I have gotten to the point where I want to go somewhere new and try new things around the area.

Airboat ride

Considering how many times I have gone down to Panama City and I haven’t gone on one of the Airboat rides down there. This is something that I do want to try when we go down there again.

I can see this being a really good family fun thing to do when you’re getting kind of tired of just sitting around on the beach. I know a lot of you aren’t like my family when it comes to staying on the beach literally all day long. If you have kids then staying on the beach might not be the best thing either.

Going on an airboat ride might be a fun thing to do for the whole family.

Fun things to do in Panama City FL by going on the Sea Dragon Pirate Cruise

So depending on where you are actually going on the beach, you can actually see the Sea Dragon Pirate Cruise around the shore.

It’s actually a fun thing to watch so I’m sure it’s fun to actually be on the ship as well. I don’t know how many times I have seen this ship cruising on the ocean over the years. I have always wanted to go on it and see if it was something that I would enjoy.

This is definitely one of those fun things to do in Panama City FL with your family. That is unless one of your kids is scared of boats. Otherwise, this would be a really fun thing to do.

Skydive Panama City

So, I actually don’t think I knew about skydiving down in Panama City. I know that this isn’t for everyone though. Skydiving is a pretty scary thing to do and is something that people want to cross off their bucket list.

It is one thing that I really want to cross off of my bucket list! I have always been an adrenaline junky and love doing some of the craziest things. Skydiving is no different. It’s something that I have wanted to do since I was probably thirteen and it really hasn’t gone away.

This is one of those things that I want to try sometime in the future.

Bear Creek Feline Center

I’m starting to realize that there are tons of fun things to do in Panama City FL that I actually didn’t know anything about. Bear Creek Felin Center is one of those things.

This is something that I really want to do the next time we go down to Panama City. I love getting to see animals that we don’t typically see in our day-to-day lives. From what I can tell they have five different types of cats that live in the center.

This might be a fun thing to do as a family or to go to for a date.

Fun things to do in Panama City FL by going on the Sea Screamer

This is actually like the pirate boat ride and is another boat that I’m constantly seeing while on the beach.

I actually think that I went on the Sea Screamer back when I was twelve or thirteen. It was something that I did with my aunt, uncle, and their daughter. The Sea Screamer is one of those fun things to do in Panama City FL that I highly recommend doing with your kids if you have them.

This is a boat ride where you are able to see dolphins swimming out in the ocean. That’s something I remember seeing when we went on the boat. I remember it being the coolest thing at the time especially since my favorite animal was a dolphin.

If you end up doing this then let me know in the comments what you think of it.

Panhandle Helicopter

The Panhandle Helicopter is something that I did with my aunt back when I was young. I’m actually so glad that this was something that we did together.

I love being able to experience new things and trying out new things that I think I would enjoy. When I went to do this it was the first and last time I have ever been in a helicopter. It wasn’t of choice though to never go on another ride again.

Going on the helicopter ride is something I would absolutely love to go and do again. I loved being able to have that experience and I would love for my son to have that experience when he gets older as well.

Panama City Beach Balloon Glow

So, the Beach Balloon Glow is something that I actually did not know that Panama City did. But that’s kind of understandable because we never go down there in November. Usually, we go sometime between May and July.

I would love to go and do something like this with my family. Those balloons are huge and I’ve never really been up close to one before. I would love to go to something like this one day.

I think it would be a cool idea to get close up to one of the balloons and potentially fly on one of them one day. It may be a while before I get the chance to do this but I will eventually make time to do something like this. I’ll make sure of that!

What are some fun things to do in Panama City FL that you enjoy doing? If you’re going there anytime soon then I hope you have a lot of fun!