Museum Plaza is an interactive historic exhibit located directly behind the T. T. Wentworth Museum in Pensacola, Florida. As a space that allows visitors to understand the history of the area while experiencing the culture and activities of the present, Museum Plaza is a place where audiences can be part of numerous activities that are unique to the space and to Pensacola.
Sharing the Legacy of Pensacola
There are 32 historic properties that reside on what had otherwise been empty space where colonial Spanish and British forts used to exist, which is also where the T. T. Wentworth Museum is located. Two years of planning resulted in the transformation of this space to create a Museum Plaza. It was designed to share the legacy and history of Pensacola with the community and the rest of the world.
There are four distinct areas where audiences can experience and learn about Pensacola. Discovery Square, the Commanding Officers’ Compound, the Linda Evans Memorial Educational Pavilion and the Rose Garden Storytelling Circle each provide audiences with a different perspective about the past and present of the city. Between these areas are pathways and contemporary artworks that liven up the space along with many historical markers and information signs.
The Commanding Officers’ Compound features the archeological remains of the forts that resided in the area, along with access to the Colonial Archeological Trail. Discovery Square contains an interactive early learning playground, while the Linda Evans Memorial Education Pavilion features space for organized events. It is available to local teachers and school children as an outdoor classroom.
Built with funding from several area organizations and donors, there were a variety of unique naming opportunities, including name plaques, elegant benches, and historical themed bike racks, that enabled the project to become a reality. The T. T. Wentworth Museum has also experienced a surge in popularity thanks to the reinvigoration of the space.
As the realization of a vision to unite education and history, Museum Plaza has been able to provide audiences with experiences that have allowed it to become an attraction for the entire region.
From a Dead Zone to Community Hub
The area that is now Museum Plaza used to be a dead zone that was previously occupied by a parking lot. By converting what was empty space into an area that connects and engages the community, Museum Plaza has become a staple of downtown Pensacola. It highlights what it can mean to create experiences for audiences of all types using little more than the history and culture of the surrounding space.
