Navarre, Florida may look like a sleepy beach town today, but it has a rich and varied past. From its early Native American roots to influencing events in the American Civil War, Navarre has been shaped by a unique heritage spanning centuries. Traces of its diverse history are woven throughout this coast community. Discover Navarre’s captivating journey through time by exploring these sites and landmarks.
Navarre Beach Marine Science Station
This education center occupies a historic site on Navarre Beach that once held Fort McRee, built by Confederate troops during the Civil War. Union attackers were never able to overtake the fort. Visitors can still see remnants of the historic battlements along the beach today. Exhibits detail the fort’s role defending Pensacola Bay and Navarre’s place in Civil War history.
Holley Navarre Historical Society Museum
Located in the heart of Holley by the Sea, this small museum brings Navarre history to life through photographs, artifacts and educational displays. Permanent exhibits highlight topics like the Timber Industry that built early settlements, the Civilian Conservation Corps presence in the 1930s, and the establishment of military bases that drove 20th century growth.
Historic memorabilia includes vintage clothing, World War II ration books, antique furniture from local homesteads, orange-grove harvesting tools and more. Special exhibits rotate seasonally so there is always something new to discover from Navarre’s past.
Historic Holley Gravel Pit
Dug by hand in the early 1900s, locals mined this pit site for gravel used to build roads connecting the remote settlement of Holley to bustling Pensacola. Visitors can still view the unused gravel pit today. Look for an interpretive panel detailing how gravel extraction supported development of Holley before asphalt roads were common.
Bagdad Village Historic District
Established in the mid-1800’s as a lumber town, Historic Bagdad Village flourished into a vibrant community thanks to logging and manufacturing. Today the town’s history emerges in preserved buildings lining the streets. The 1927 Bagdad Mill Site, Anderson Boarding House, Old L&N Depot and other structures hark back to Bagdad’s heydays.
Don’t miss the historic Bagdad Village Cemetery either, resting place of many founding residents. The Bagdad Historic Walking Tour brochure maps sites throughout the district and details the town’s past as an important economic hub.
Kerrigan-Green Castle
This striking medieval-style castle visible from Highway 98 offers free tours on Sundays. Completed in 1927, tours allow exploring the beautiful interior and learning about the family who built it and life in Navarre when the castle dominated the landscape. Designed to replicate castles in the Kerrigan family’s native Ireland, it remains a charming architectural novelty.
Preservation Pathway
Dedicated in 2004, informational plaques along this 1.6-mile trail through Holley Navarre Historical Park highlight area history. Topics include Navarre’s early settlers, founding industries, establishment of the railroad, and disasters like the 1926 hurricane. It provides an educational overview of key events across centuries.
A accessible crushed gravel path lined with benches leads past native plants identified for their historical uses. Download the free app to access additional historical materials as you walk. The trail allows an immersive walk through the chronology of local history.
From Native American shell middens to the lumber and railroad industries that fueled development, remnants of Navarre’s rich past are woven through the community today. Its unique role in the Civil War also helped chart Florida’s course. Whether through museums, cemeteries, preserved architecture or heritage trails, Navarre invites visitors to trace its fascinating journey through centuries of change.