Under $10 Fun

1. Reggae Concert & 24 oz. Fat Tuesday Daiquiri on the Pineapple Willy’s Pier Bar Deck

Every weekend when the sun goes down at Pineapple Willy’s Pier Bar, the free reggae concerts and the gorgeous beach views make for one heck of a perfect night out. For $10, you can get 24 oz of a delicious, cold Fat Tuesday daiquiri sit back and listen to amazing reggae and jazz musicians at the Pier Bar while watching the sun go down on Panama City Beach. Not a bad way to spend ten bucks. And Pineapple Willy’s is famous for having one of the most laid back and inviting atmospheres anywhere on Panama City Beach. So, have a drink, listen to some great music and abscond into the ultra-tropical vibe. You can thank us later.

2. Frank Brown Park Aquatic Center

This says Aquatic Center because it is the only thing at the amazing Frank Brown Park you have to pay to do. Everything else, from the playground and basketball courts to the various soccer and softball fields is totally free. But the aquatic center, a advanced swimming facility complete with a heated/cooled 50 meter Olympic swimming pool with a one meter springboard diving well and a 5,000 square foot Splash Park for the kids. It’s the perfect way to skip the beach and still have a blast getting wet. Best of all, it’s only $6 bucks a day for residents, $10 bucks for non-residents. It’s one splashing good time.

3. Movies & A Carousel Ride

The Grande Movie Theater in Pier Park is a state-of-the-art movie going experience. Just outside is a flare of the nostalgic in a refurbished carousel brought back from one of Panama City Beach’s beloved attractions, Miracle Strip Amusement Park. It is quite a thing to see Panama City Beach’s past and present in one place and to be able to enjoy them both for $10.00. Ride the carousel for $3.00 then scoot over to the Grande for a matinee for only $7.00.

4. Fish Tacos & Margarita on the Deck @ Spinnaker’s Cantina

Spinnaker’s on Panama City Beach is known for being one of the best night club atmospheres in all of Northwest Florida. What you may not know is that the Paradise Grill and the Cantina Taco and Tequila Bar are even better. When the sun is out on Panama City Beach, you can head over to Spinnaker Cantina, choose from a menu that features a variety of Southwestern favorites combined with a massive margarita menu, top shelf tequila list and exotic Mexican beers, and hang out on the deck overlooking the world’s most beautiful beach. Sound good right? Well, wait until you try the amazing fish taco for only $2.95 and couple that with a $6.00 Margarita. It’ll be like heaven.

5. Eden Gardens State Park

Just West of Panama City Beach is a place that is so beautiful it can only be described as Eden. This stunning park is a menagerie of gorgeous moss-draped live oaks, ornamental gardens and nature trails overlooking the Bay. The focal point of this park is a beautifully renovated, two-story house with elegant white columns and wrap-around porch called the Wesley House. The Wesley house inspires visions of hoop skirts and landed gentry. The park is part of the estate owned in the 1800s by the Wesley’s, a wealthy Florida timber family. In 1963, Lois Maxon bought and renovated the home, creating a showplace for her family heirlooms and antiques. The collection of Louis XVI furniture is the second largest in the United States. Guided tours of the house are available hourly Thursday through Monday (including holidays). Visitors can enjoy the grounds, gardens, and picnic area daily from 8:00 a.m. to sunset. Admission to the park is $4.00 and guided tours are $4.00.

6. Mini Golf or Gran Maze @ Coconut Creek Fun Park

Coconut Creek Family Fun Park is one of Panama City Beach’s staples, stirring up all sorts of fun for all ages. Located on Front Beach Road, the exciting park offers an awesome and challenging 18-hole mini-golf course where you might just bump into an elephant or two or even a gorilla! The Gran Maze, and giant outdoor maze, is about the size of a football field and promises to test your best navigational skills as you find the four checkpoints before you exit. You can try each for $10.00.

7. St. Andrew’s State Park

The reason Panama City Beach is called the “World’s Most Beautiful Beach” is St. Andrew’s State Park. At the park, there is so much you can do for under ten bucks. You can go to the beach and enjoy swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, kayaking, and canoeing. Two fishing piers, a jetty, and a boat-ramp provide ample fishing opportunities for anglers. Or you can exchange the sandals for shoes and take a trip down one of two nature trails that wind through a rich diversity of coastal plant communities – a place made for birdwatching. If you are a fearless one, you can head to Gator Lake and get up close and personal with some of the most dangerous animals on the planet – the American alligator. But for those looking to just relax St. Andrew’s State Park’s beach is absolutely stunning, alone worth the trip. Cost: $8.00 per vehicle.

8. RockIt Lanes

RockIt Lanes is a 50,000 square ft. family entertainment center located in the Shoppes at Edgewater packed with arcades, skating, bowling, billards and a sports bar. For under ten bucks you can hit the biggest arcade on the beach, with over 150 different games ranging from carnival-style hoops and skeetball to advanced virtual reality games designed for the most discriminating gamers. If you are a poolshark, RockIt Lanes offers 22 pool tables under perfect lighting. The pool-playing blends nicely with the adjacent sports bar. Packed weekly for Thursday night bar wars (11 pm to 1 am $1.50 well drinks & domestic beers or $2.25 premium drinks and import beers), RockIt Lanes’ sports bar is one of the most underrated bars on the beach. With big screen TV’s, NFL Sunday Ticket, ESPN Gameplan and more, RockIt Lanes sports bar even made our list of top 5 places on Panama City Beach to watch the game.

9. Dan Russell Pier “County Pier”

The newly completed Pier provides the best views of Panama City Beach. Stretching out 1500 feet over the Gulf of Mexico, it makes for an fun and exciting outing. If you want to fish, the cost is $6 per person, but if you just want to walk out, the cost is $2 with kids 6 and under getting in for free.

10. Museum of the Man in the Sea

Are you into diving? Panama City Beach has a unique museum all about underwater mysteries and diving: The Museum of the Man in the Sea. Located only a few blocks west of Highway 79, The Museum of the Man in the Sea is a trip back in time to re-discover man’s first attempts to travel and work underwater and uncover the mysteries of the ocean. The museum houses many fascinating exhibits, including the SEALAB-1, the world’s first working undersea habitat. Both family and wallet friendly, the Museum of the Man in the Sea is a great way to spend some time combining education and fun! Tickets are $5 per person for ages 7-64, under 7 are free.

These are 10 things but, of course, there is always the beach and that’s free.