Fort Walton & Navarre have beach, history, and a great marine park for an exciting coastal vacation
Neighboring cities share Eglin Air Force Base and offer vacationers much to do during their visits
Fort Walton is in Okaloosa County, with Santa Rosa Sound to the south and Choctawhatchee Bay and Cinco Bayou to the north. West on Highway 98 is Navarre, another seaside community that has, like Fort Walton, developed as a tourist destination.
Fort Walton has a small downtown area on U.S. 98 just before the highway crosses a bridge over the Sound. North of downtown, Fort Walton Beach has developed a local commercial district with little tourist attractions, though there is a prominently situated Goofey Golf miniature golf park just north of the downtown area. Over the bridge, though, is where most of Fort Walton’s tourist development has occurred.
Fort Walton History
Indigenous people built mounds on the shoreline and fished and hunted to sustain them. You can still see a mound just off Highway 98 as it passes through Fort Morgan Beach. It’s a protected city park now, part of the Fort Walton Beach Heritage Park & Cultural Center at 139 Southeast Miracle Strip Parkway. Its called the Indian Temple Mount Museum.
Postcard from the 1950s showing what Fort Walton was like before development in the 1980s
Replicates an ancient Indian mound meeting house
This pot was reconstructed from discovered pieces of pottery left behind by ancient Native American tribes
Postcard from the 1950s showing what Fort Walton was like before development in the 1980s
It isn’t known who the people were because the mound is prehistoric, estimated to have been built 14,000 years ago. But the city has done an excellent job of preserving it and the artifacts from there and around the area. The museum is recognized as having one of the finest collections of prehistoric ceramics in the Southeast.
It is known that Spanish and French explorers came ashore for brief excursions, but they did not settle the area. The Native Americans, Creeks mostly, who visited the area for fishing and hunting showed little hospitality to the intruders.
About 1821, after Florida became a territory of the United States, a few hundred settlers arrived and created a small community. But there was little to recommend the area until the Civil War, when the Walton Guards, a Confederate militia of men from Walton and Santa Rosa counties, established a “camp” in the area in 1861, and named it after Colonel George Walton, the acting governor of Florida.
They set up their camp at the base of the shell mound in what is now the center of Fort Walton’s downtown area. There were skirmishes between the militia and Union sailors. That led, on April 1, 1862, to Captain Henry W. Closson of the 1st U.S. Artillery, to move cannon to within range of the camp and ordered his men to open fire on the Confederates. General Braxton Bragg sent naval cannon from Pensacola to help defend the camp against future attacks.
As Confederate positions at Pensacola began to fall apart, Camp Walton was evacuated, and the Walton Guards moved to Tennessee to serve in the 1st Florida Infantry. The camp’s cannon is on display at Fort Walton Beach Heritage Park.
After the Civil War, in 1868, John T. Brooks bought 111 acres in what is now downtown Fort Walton Beach and established a pier, which brought shipping and fishing to the area.
In 1937, the U.S. Air Force opened Eglin Air Force Base nearby and later expanded it. That, along with tourism, caused the town to grow into what it is today. The tourism was led by a descendant of Brooks, who in 1927 built cottages across the sound from Fort Walton. Unfortunately, tourists weren’t attracted to the area, and the venture failed.
But it would not be long before the tourism development that occurred first in Destin took interest in Fort Walton. A big difference is the people of Fort Walton didn’t want the high-rise condos being built in Destin, so they put height restrictions on new construction. That has kept Fort Walton looking a bit quaint for a tourist town on the Gulf Coast.
But it would not be long before the tourism development that settled first in Destin took hold in Fort Walton. A big difference is the people of Fort Walton didn’t want the high-rise condos.
Navarre
Navarre is an unincorporated community that serves as a bedroom community for personnel at Elgin Air Force Base and others. Tourism is situated across the bridge to Okaloosa Island, an area referred to as Navarre Beach. Most of the area remains undeveloped, though since the turn of the 21st century, some low-rise condos and houses have been built to accommodate residents and tourists. Because of the Navarre Beach’s close proximity to Navarre Beach Marine Park and the Gulf Islands National Seashore’s eastern terminus, the area has become popular with people seeking an eco-tourist adventure.
There are hiking trails, waterway trails, and the Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Center, where visitors can learn about sea turtle conservation efforts. Navarre Beach prohibits night tours on its waters because from May through October is sea turtle nesting season, and night activities and lights can scare off female turtles looking to nest and can be harmful later to turtle hatchlings trying to find their way into the ocean.
There’s a quirky story about Navarre’s founder, Colonel Guy Wyman. It involves his adopted daughter and his ex-wife, who were the same person. Wyman served in Europe during World War I, where he met a French nurse, Noelle, whom he married. U.S. immigration regulations would not let him bring a foreign wife with him when he returned to the states, but he could bring a daughter, so he adopted Noelle to get her into the United States. He founded Navarre, which was named by his wife.
The marriage soured during the Great Depression when they lost their property in Navarre for failure to pay taxes on it. They divorced, and Wyman told Noelle to leave Navarre and never return, threatening to shoot her if she did. Well, she did return, and he shot her. Legal authorities reasoned that she had been fairly warned, so no charges were filed against Wyman.
Temperature: The annual average is 77 degrees F. The hottest month is July with an average of 90 degrees F. The coolest month is January, when the average temperature is 60 degrees F.
Precipitation: The average rainfall is 65 to 69 inches. The wettest month is July, which averages 7 to 8 inches.
Population: Fort Walton Beach, 21,971. Navarre, 42,000.
How to Get There: Both communities are served by the Northwest Florida International Airport. The airport is served by Allegiant Airlines, American Eagle, Delta Air Lines, and Delta Connection. If traveling by car, you can exit I-10 at State Road 85. U.S. Highway 98 is the major east-west highway through both towns.
Museums
Fort Walton Beach Heritage Park & Cultural Center, 139 Miracle Strip Parkway Southeast, Fort Walton Beach. (850) 833-9595. This is a small, but amazing complex of museums that help you understand the history and culture of the Fort Walton Beach area. The complex is built around the high shell mound left in the area by indigenous people about 14,000 years ago. The mound is thought to be the largest prehistoric mound on a saltwater coast. The mound was abandoned in the 1500s.
A replica temple stands atop the mound with markers to explain the significance of the mound. There also is a marker about and some artifacts from when a Confederate militia established a small fort by burrowing into the mound during the Civil War.
The adjacent museum building holds more than 1,000 artifacts of stone, bone, clay, and shell that archeologists discovered in the mound. There is an impressive display of prehistoric ceramics. Exhibits also include artifacts from European explorers of the area, local pirates, and early settlers. The complex also includes small museums showing a 19th Century post office, a 19th century school room, and Civil War exhibits.
Hours: Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 9 a.m., Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed Sunday.
Admission: Adults, $5; seniors and military, $4.50; children $3; under 4 years, free.
Air Force Armament Museum, 100 Museum Drive, Eglin Air Force Base. (850) 882-4062. The museum was established in 1969. The museum has weapon exhibits for U.S. wars from World War I through the Gulf War. There are four aircraft and bombs, missiles, and rockets. There are 29 different aircraft inside and outside the museum.
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; closed Sunday. Outside exhibits are available from sun rise to sun set.
Admission: Free
Art Galleries/Museums and Artistic Entertainment
Full Circle Gallery, 44 Elgin Parkway Northeast, Fort Walton Beach. (850) 362-8041. Specializes in the pottery of Mercedes Rodgers. Also has prints.
Artbound Local Post 48, 180 Miracle Strip Parkway Southeast, Fort Walton Beach. (850) 244-4222. A collection of local artwork.
Hours: Daily, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday until 4 p.m.
Beverly Sams Studio & Art Gallery, 180 Miracle Parkway Southeast, Fort Walton Beach (850) 243-5508.
It's off the beach, but has been a landmark in Fort Walton Beach for decades
One of the attractions at the Gulfarium
at the Gulfarium
It's off the beach, but has been a landmark in Fort Walton Beach for decades
Places to Have Fun
Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park, 1010 Miracle Strip Parkway Southeast, Fort Walton Beach. (850) 243-9046. This is an amazing park to visit. They have dolphins, sharks, sea turtles, penguins, sea lions, seals, alligators, snakes, and more. The dolphins and sea lions put on shows, and visitors can get up close to other sea life. The Gulfarium is also a marine rescue center serving the Gulf Coast.
Hours: Open daily from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Admissions: Adults, $23.95; Children, $15.95; with discounts for seniors, military and military personnel’s children. A slight increase on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Additional costs for close-up encounters with dolphins, reptiles, stingrays, alligators, seals, and sea lions. Get coupons!
Emerald Coast Science Center, 31 Southwest Memorial Parkway, Fort Walton Beach. (850) 664-1261. This is an interactive center to engage children of all ages to explore the world of science. Includes exhibits on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Includes CHEM Lab, SMALLab, a reptiles and amphibians exhibit, and Mini Makers and Experimenters Lab.
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday closed.
Admission: Adults, $10; Children and Seniors, $8; Fridays, $5 for adults and children.
Goofy Golf, 401 Eglin Parkway NE, Fort Walton Beach. (850) 862-4922. An iconic entertainment center in Fort Walton, with its large green dragon beckoning patrons since 1958. The T-Rex is named Hammy and stands high at 23 feet. There are 18 holes of miniature golf overlooked by an Indian totem pole and other fun statues.
Hours: Call for hours.
Admission: $3 for adults, $1.50 for children. Cash only.
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Places to Eat
Breakfast
Joe and Eddy’s Family Restaurant, 400 Eglin Parkway Northeast, Fort Walton Beach. (850) 243-0733. Off the main thoroughfare but on the route to Eglin Air Force Base, you’ll find Joe and Eddy’s across the street from Goofy Golf. Home cooked eggs and hashbrowns and pancakes. Great place for breakfast, but they also serve lunch and dinner. How about homemade chicken and dumplings for lunch? Not fancy, just good food and service.
Shark Bite, Highway 98, 8671 Navarre Parkway, Navarre. (310) 242-7676. Great breakfast burritos. For lunch, they have tasty fish tacos. They also have a location in Fort Morgan Beach at 1500 Freedom Self Storage Road, Unit 6.
Hours: Breakfast: Tuesday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. and Saturday & Sunday, 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Lunch is served 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The caveat is they serve during these times “or until sold out.”
Asiagos Skillet, 110 Amberjack Drive, Fort Walton Beach. (850) 586-7998. All about breakfast: eggs benedict with fried potatoes, fried egg over fried crab cake with hollandaise, country fried steaks, biscuits and gravy, steak and eggs, and more.
Hours: 6 a.m. to noon.
TC’s Front Porch Outdoor Café, 8558 Navarre Parkway, Navarre (just over the bridge on Navarre Beach). (850) 936-1601. Biscuits & Gravy, omelets with potatoes or grits. Excellent breakfast or lunch or dinner. Serve burgers and alligator & Seafood gumbo. Great place for a cocktail, too.
Hours: 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Neighborhood Café, 417 Mary Esther Cut Off Northwest, Fort Walton Beach. (85) 243-4211. Family owned and operated since 2005. Homemade pancakes for breakfast, along with omelets and eggs benedict. Or, how about strawberry stuffed French toast? Serves breakfast only.
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Sunday 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Lunch
Stewby’s Seafood Shanty, 427 Racetrack Road, Fort Walton Beach. (850) 586-7001. Great place for fresh seafood such as fried Gulf shrimp or grilled scallops.
Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Juana’s Pagodas and Sailor’s Grill, Gulf Boulevard, Navarre. 850-939-1092. Good for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Breakfast includes wonderful omelets and homemade pastries. Lunch or dinner can get fish or pork tacos, tuna poke nachos, with shrimp ceviche. Great view over the bay.
Hours: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Breakfast served until 11 a.m. Monday through Saturday and until noon on Sunday.
Osi Bistro, 234 Miracle Strip Parkway Southwest, Fort Walton Beach. (850) 586-7645. Specializes in sushi. Rice or noodle dishes for lunch or dinner. Journey cakes and seafood tempura or teriyaki and other great Japanese dishes for dinner.
Hours: Monday through Thursday: lunch 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., dinner 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. (until 10 on Friday and Saturday). Sunday noon to 8 p.m. with the dinner menu served all day.
Dinner
Old Bay Steamer, 102 Santa Rosa Boulevard, Fort Walton Beach. (850) 664-2795. Serving Maine lobster tails, crab claws, mussels, oysters, and Royal Red shrimp. Also pasta and ribs.
Hours: Daily, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Ali’s Bistro, 171 Brooks Street Southeast, Fort Walton Beach. (859) 226-4708. Great for lunch or dinner. Outstanding Italian dishes and steaks or fresh seafood. Great pizza. Dinner includes chicken or veal parmesan, chicken or veal marsala or piccatta, chicken Florentine. How about portabella mushroom ravioli?
Hours: Tuesday through Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., closed on Sunday.
Floyd’s Shrimp House, 1450 Miracle Strip Parkway Southeast, Fort Walton Beach (on the Boardwalk). (850) 243-2232. Offers baked oysters and a variety of fried seafood plus American dishes.
Hours: Lunch or dinner daily 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Fine Dining
Magnolia Grill, 157 Brooks Street Southeast, Fort Walton Beach. (850) 302-0266. Gourmet Italian, American, or seafood. Steaks and grilled or fried seafood, plus a variety of Italian dishes. Located in a refurbished historical home. Get a taste of old-time Fort Walton.
Hours: Lunch Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., dinner Monday through Thursday 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and until 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Closed on Sunday.
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Aunt Martha's B&B
Places to Stay
There are a variety of hotels and condo units in Fort Walton Beach or Navarre Beach. You can search Vacation Renter. Or you can get a good listing from the Emerald Coast website. Navarre has condos and a Best Western motel. You can search here. Here are a couple that I’d recommend that are either locally owned or a bed and breakfast.
Aunt Martha’s Bed and Breakfast, 315 Shell Avenue Southeast, Fort Walton Beach. (850) 243-6702. They offer old Florida charm. There are five rooms and a dining room. Breakfast includes stuffed French toast, homemade sweet breads, baked stuffed apple pancakes, grits, or quiche. Their veranda overlooks the bay. Proprietors are Martha and Bill Garvie. A baby grand piano sits in the living room. Rooms are priced at $105 for a queen bed and $115 for a king bed. Staff’s Restaurant is next door for steaks and seafood.
Pirate’s Bay, 495 Grand Boulevard, Fort Walton Beach. (850) 243-3154. They have 119 privately owned condos, most furnished studios and eight are one-bedroom. There are 121 slips on the bay. You’ll have to go through individual owners or their agents to rent a condo.