Things To Do With Family in Panama City Beach FL
Published March 21, 2025
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Panama City Beach (also known as PCB) is among the top locations to enjoy in the State of Florida.
Prepare for sunshine, ocean, and beaches as I explore the best activities to enjoy on this beach with family.
From gearing up for an exciting airboat adventure to wandering Shell Island, this list ensures a family holiday brimming with happiness, fun, and experiences that will endure a lifespan.
Find out the things to do with family in Panama City Beach FL!
Where's Panama City Beach?
Panama City Beach can be found in the northwest region of Florida by the stunning Gulf of Mexico, recognized as Florida's panhandle.
The region is famous for its breathtaking pristine sandy shores and transparent green-blue seas.
Located around 95 miles to the capital city's southwest, Tallahassee, this beach stands as a well-known tourist spot recognized for its lively environment, aquatic sports, and varied leisure activities.
The beach really provides a wealth of options for everyone.
Head into PCB and your entire family will enjoy a trip they'll cherish and discuss for many years ahead.
Things To Do With Family in Panama City Beach FL
Let’s explore the enjoyable activities to experience in PCB with family.
Combining days at the beach and by the pool with adventures and excursions, your family will effortlessly stay for a week and find plenty of activities to enjoy.
Daytime Snorkeling Excursion
This is a preferred Panama City Beach family activity.
Heavenly Expeditions provides fantastic catamaran cruises during the day or evening that are suitable for children.
Therefore, hop on for an awe-inspiring voyage across the gorgeous Gulf of Mexico.
Observe how the sky changes right in front of you, crafting an enchanting setting for cherished family duration.
Also, remember to bring your camera because these experiences are ideal for photos.
Day Tours from the Beach
There are countless amazing activities to enjoy within Panama City Beach's day tours, which are also among the fun things to do in Panama City Beach for couples.
This includes taking a drive to the Florida Caverns Park, family horse riding close to the beach, a kayaking or canoe trip to the lovely Cypress Springs, and a lot more.
Wonderworks Museum
You won't want to overlook this 29000 square feet museum that is both entertaining and educational.
It’s located in an inverted structure, and your kids will definitely enjoy it and want to visit throughout the years.
Ripley's Believe It or Not
This place guarantees a quirky journey for everyone in the family.
From strange relics to amazing illusions, it’s guaranteed to provoke some fascinating responses from the children.
Allocate one to two hours for visiting this museum as it's one of the wonderful PCB indoor family activities.
Schooners
Be sure to visit Schooners, one of the top things to do in Panama City Beach with kids, and situated directly on the Panama City Beach with daily sunset cannon festivities.
Their scallops and tuna are among the finest you will ever enjoy.
Also, their service is excellent, quick, and impressive as well.
Schooners is one of the best Panama City Beach family amusement and pleasant spot.
Delight in St. Andrews Park
A real treasure, this park is an excellent spot for a day out.
Through trekking paths, sandy shores, and chances for birdwatching, it is a nature enthusiast’s haven for families looking for a sunny day.
Also, it is among my preferred Panama City Beach family activities to enjoy.
Note that the jetties are a highly favored spot here.
Also, you can catch a shuttle from this location to the stunning Shell Island.
Privateer Catamaran Sunset Cruise
This sunset boat trip is ideal for couples and families with countless chances to observe ocean creatures.
Here, you can see the sails of the catamaran navigating the Grand Lagoon waters, beyond the state recreational areas and marinas.
Also, savor music, chill atmospheres, and a delightful experience for the entire family.
Explore ZooWorld
For some dose of feathery, furry excitement, ZooWorld is the place to be and is among the best things to do in Panama City Beach with family.
Here, you can choose intimate interactions with unique creatures.
This compact zoo is simple to explore and provides an excellent learning experience and excursion.
It's among the most Panama City Beach's most favored activities for families with children of every age group.
Salt Water Grill
In this restaurant, you will have an incredibly distinct adventure with a 25000-gallon saltwater aquarium located at the restaurant's center.
Their calamari and crab cake are the finest you will ever taste and you will enjoy their steak as well.
It's extremely romantic and family-friendly as well.
Experience The Thrilling Scream Machine
This Scream Machine isn’t just another boat ride; it is an exhilarating experience and thrilling journey across the ocean, and is part of the cheap things to do in Panama City Beach.
Experience the breeze as you set off on a fast-paced adventure, ideal for everyone in the family.
Children need to be a minimum of 38″ tall to partake in the ride, and you’ll get splashed on this thrilling boat ride of one hour.
Pour Coffee and Community
Here, you and your family will enjoy delicious breakfast sandwiches, freshly brewed coffee, and homemade treats.
Their pastries are all directed towards a worthwhile purpose, to foster sustainable community change.
You will also enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and remember to take a spot at their swings for added enjoyment to start your morning.
Shipwreck Island Fun
The Gulf Coast's summers are sweltering, and for many years, both tourists and residents alike have chilled out at the Shipwreck Island Park.
Situated in the heart of Panama City, Shipwreck Island offers exciting slides, wave pools, and relaxing rivers, and is among the free things to do in Panama City Beach.
The waterpark is constantly a fantastic experience for the whole family and is always rated as Panama City Beach's leading activity for families.
The place is incredibly enjoyable for individuals of all ages and swimming abilities.
The park of 20 acres features one wave pool, which is incredibly fun, and an enjoyable splash zone with numerous water slides, boats, and play zones for adults and children.
Hook’d Pier Restaurant
Submerge your toes inside the water as you savor a delicious tortilla or fish taco.
This place is incredible and perfectly situated in the center of the activity on the shore.
Hang Five
This seaside eatery is a newly opened one featuring a stunning view and newly caught seafood.
Here, you can take a deck seat with a cool drink in hand.
Airboat Adventures of Wild Thang
Jump on the airboat and enjoy an exciting journey through the wetlands and hidden waters, looking for dolphins, alligators, and birds.
Wild Thang provides one-hour rides and 30-minute rides, as well as evening excursions.
Andy's Flour
Andy’s Flour has the most delectable fluffy eggs and omelets you will ever discover, and it’s among the unique things to do in Panama City Beach.
This nearby location exclusively offers lunch and breakfast, so make sure to get their flaky treats while you are in Panama City Beach.
They could be the ideal mid-morning light meal for you.
Sandcastle Lesson
Do you want to truly wow your children? Reserve them a lesson for building sandcastles.
The Beach Sand Sculpture and Sandcastle Guy provide exclusive sandcastle-building lessons and teachings for families.
Note that it is necessary to reserve these ahead of time and the teachings can be expensive.
I believe they are ideal for somewhat older children who pay attention and can adhere to instructions clearly.
This truly is part of those enjoyable activities for families in Panama City Beach.
Thomas Donuts
Thomas Donut’s stands as a beloved spot and a haven for the finest donuts by the coast - their Keylime donut will make you salivate.
Then, make sure to leave space for their breakfast bacon biscuits as well. You won’t regret it.
Beach Fun
Even with the other numerous enjoyable activities available with family in PCB, you should still make sure to dedicate ample time to the beach.
Panama City Beach offers lots of public access points to the beach in contrast to areas such as 30A, where the majority of the beaches are privately owned.
However, at the other numerous beaches, you will be able to enjoy boat banana rides and also try parasailing.
Note that you should always observe the flags on the beach.
Knee deep usually is excessively deep on the days of red flags. Also, the water remains off-limits when you observe two red flags waving because of hazardous rip currents.
So, avoid allowing your children into the water whenever the red banners and flags are present.
Finns Island
If you enjoy fish tacos, Finns Island is the place for burritos, breakfast tacos, nachos, quesadillas, and ceviche, and is one of the family things to do in Panama City Beach.
They additionally provide a truly delicious and enormous
Dolphin Watching
It's typical to spot dolphins playing inside the Gulf while on PCB from your chair.
So, you can embark on a tour of dolphin-watching and observe these frisky beings in their wild environment.
It’s an enchanted experience that will keep your family amazed as they follow you guys in the boat's wake.
You might also want to think about a dolphin-watching private tour.
Even, numerous companies provide group excursions for dolphin watching.
Capt. Anderson's Eatery
Without a doubt, this eatery is a must-see experience.
Your children will really like viewing the vessels from the ground to the ceiling windows.
No matter where you gaze, you can find a bit of Florida's past events.
Also, their cuisine is luxurious, tasty, and unlike others.
Even, their scallops and crab are incredible as well, so reserve a table just for you and your family.
Gulf World
Explore the marvels of oceanic creatures at Panama City Beach's Gulf World, which is part of the things to do in Panama City Beach for families.
From child-friendly dolphin adventures to unique interactive displays, your children will be captivated and thrilled to have fun at Gulf World.
Note that it's a more compact location and is distinct from places such as Georgia Aquarium or SeaWorld.
Nevertheless, they provide several distinct dolphin interaction experiences and I suggest reserving them ahead of time.
Discover Shell Island
Take your sunscreen before boarding a boat straight to this unspoiled paradise which is among my favorite spots in Panama City Beach.
Accessible solely by boat, Shell Island does necessitate full foresight.
A preferred method to reach here is by hiring their pontoon boat, though there are also shuttle services and arranged boat trips.
During fall and summer, when the temperatures of the water are highest, Paradise Adventures provides tours of this place.
Also, the water park in this bay is truly enjoyable for children.
You can hire a jet-ski for the noon to discover Shell Island.
You'll travel for about 2 hours over the bay right to this renowned Shell Island which can only be reached by water vehicles or boat.
While here, discover the verdant terrains and uncover the most distinctive, untouched capsules.
Shell Island is truly an ideal spot for families who love adventure.
Fish Offshore
Throw out a line to enjoy the excitement of a fishing off-shore experience.
Whether you're an experienced fisherman or a beginner, the Gulf water adjacent to PCB provides the top fishing opportunities nearby.
Here, there is a significant range of choices available for fishing off-shore. Nearly 60 choices are available.
Guests can organize ahead of time and reserve deep-sea full-day fishing excursions or simply venture out for some hours aboard the Captain Anderson boat.
Ensure you have a place to store your catch during the rest of your journey and a means to transport them home.
Sea Dragon Cruise
This is a place that all families should see. The ocean expedition is packed with actual pirates and their crew.
They engage in games, perform songs, and glide effortlessly through time.
In case you have little ones, they will enjoy this thrilling family Pirate adventure sail of 2 hours.
So, climb aboard an authentic pirate vessel and delight in dolphin-watching, music, and endless pirate fun things for the children to do.
Also, parents can unwind and savor the seaside breeze while the team entertains the children with swordplay, cleaning the deck, discovering treasure, and hosting their pirate dance celebration.
Indeed, there's a lot to do here and it’s definitely among the best things to do with family in Panama City Beach FL!
Runaway Island
Dual tiers of the indoor dining area and expansive outdoor porch render this the ideal spot for families to relax with drinks and observe the sunset.
Sharky’s Dining By The Beach
Enjoy Panama City Beach's tastes at Sharky’s.
Here, parents can relish seaside eating beneath the large tiki as the children dart about and have fun on their playgrounds and sand.
The sea air and fresh fish here create a memorable family experience. Also, there is consistently live music.
Sharky’s Dining stands out as one of Panama City Beach's most recognizable and distinct activities to experience.
Mini Golf Fun
PCB is genuinely a haven for mini-golf enthusiasts.
Your children will really enjoy this activity and want to participate daily.
There are plenty of water elements, animal sculptures, and tiered pits spread across the entirety of the mini golf course which makes it quite unforgettable.
Conclude in the Gran Maze which is football-sized and will make everyone laugh and dash.
Coconut Creek Park
This remains one of Panama City Beach's top activities for families to enjoy.
Find your path through both or either of Coconut Creek's 18-hole mini-golf family courses.
Alternatively, choose their Gran Maze - children aged 5 or under can enter for free.
You'll also discover numerous other fantastic courses for mini golf, go-karts, arcades, and entertainment parks here.
Pier Park Fun
Pier Park features more than 124 thrilling shops and dining options in the center of the stunning shorelines.
Your entire family will really enjoy exploring the park and it even features numerous photo opportunities.
It's enjoyable to walk by the vivid and cheerful structures here while you relish shopping at over 120 shops.
Families can also enjoy meals at famous family vacation locations like Dick Last Resort and Margaritaville.
Here also, you can experience the renowned Panama City Beach's Skywheel, watch an IMAX film, enjoy Dave & Buster’s, and conquer the Pirate’s Quest Tag or Mirror Maze.
Conclusion
There are numerous activities for families to enjoy in PCB.
The beach remains a goldmine of family activities, providing an ideal mix of sun-drenched shores, exciting activities, and memorable moments.
You can reflect on escape rooms, go pier fishing, shop locally, explore bookstores, and enjoy various other activities.
From the thrilling adventures of tracking alligators to tranquil sunsets on a catamaran, each moment in PCB presents a chance to build treasured moments with your family.
Therefore, gather your luggage and savor your family getaway on this stunning beach!
