Bathrooms are very clean and the staff were welcoming and helpful. It was a nice place to stop and stretch my legs on the long drive back to Orlando. I love that they have station to charge electronic devices ex and tons of pamphlets on things to do and see in FL! They also give you free Orange juice which is a nice touch for any visitors to the state. read more

I been coming here since I was a kid. This Florida welcome Center has been here since 1949. Before my mom died her favorite story to tell was a story about me, at this Florida welcome center, when I was just 4 years old. One day we were traveling from my grandparents house in Louisiana (her parents home) back to our home, here in Pensacola. We lived here in Pirate'cola when I was a baby, my father was in the service here. Anyway, as the story goes, we were driving back from grandmas house about 2 and a half hours drive. Everyone wanted to stop for orange juice & I had to pee. I was 4 so orange juice was very important & I was very excited to get my orange juice. Anyway, back in those days I was a little majorette in Kindergarten. I was a very good baton twirler, had a snazzy little blue sequined one piece body suit & white cowboy boots that I wore on the field at the football game. Anyway, I was the smallest majorette with my tiny baton & tiny tiny little white cowboy boots. I was so adorable! I wore them to my grandmothers to show her how cute I was, obviously, and was still wearing my cute little white boots on the way home. So I waited & waited so excited to get my orange juice but it was taking longer than I expected to pull into the Florida Welcome Center. We pull in & I jumped out of the car, running to the bathroom to pee so I could go get my Orange Juice! But i didn't make it up the hill & peed in my little white boots. When my mom got up the hill to the entrance, I was barefoot sitting on the grass. She asked me where are your little white boots & I pointed at the trash can. lol After I peed in my little white boots, I obviously did not need them anymore. duh. Anyway, I did get my orange juice & a new pair of little white boots the next week as I was taught to never litter. Till this very day, every time I come into Pensacola & see that big Florida Welcome sign, I always remember how much I love Florida, my memories of my mother, her exquisitely untarnished love for me & the smell of fresh new white cowboy boots. Highest Recommendations. read more

Florida Welcome Center - Beautiful Florida welcome center. - Visitor Centers Near Me - Pensacola, Florida

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The Florida welcome center was wonderful. So many photo ops. Super clean bathrooms. A helpful guide inside offered fresh orange juice and grapefruit juice. Absolutely delicious. Was able to walk a bit and stretch. Not pet friendly, meaning there wasn't a grass area away from the parking lot. Just small patches of grass near the parking lot. But I do like the photo ops around the inside and out. read more

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Huge, nice, clean welcome center. Clean restrooms and vending machines at the back. Friendly staff that welcomes you with a cup of fresh orange juice or grapefruit juice. Thank you Florida! read more

Florida Welcome Center - Visitor Centers Near Me - Pensacola, Florida

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Free juice.! And what a change from the tired old Mississippi Welcome station. Extremely clean restrooms. Lots of info Lots of parking Picnic tables in the shade read more

Florida Welcome Center - Visitor Centers Near Me - Pensacola, Florida

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Clean restrooms and cool Florida themed decor! Easy off and back on the highway. Staff (might be volunteers) are very friendly too. There's was construction in the area the day I went. In all my Florida travels, I've never stopped there. Glad I finally did. read more

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I stopped at the Florida welcome center to run to the little boys room I checked in and was surprised to acknowledge and am not a visitor to the state of Florida anymore. I've been in Florida over 6 years. However to those who have never been to Florida, our center is a must sop to get your bearings and all you need to know about Florida. The center even offers free juice and lemonade. The receptionist at the desk is very personable. There are different guide books to everything Florida. There was even a kiosk to get a travel pass, but the machine was down for repairs. Unfortunately, most welcome centers are only open in the day. read more

Florida Welcome Center - Me and my turtle - Visitor Centers Near Me - Pensacola, Florida

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This is the Florida Welcome Center along I-10 East. This welcome center goes by a few other names as well. It is also called the State of Florida Welcome Center and the Escambia County Welcome Center. My visit here was on August 26, 2022. The welcome center is located about 4 miles after entering Florida from Alabama. Although the travel services are only open limited hours (8 am to 5 pm), the welcome center otherwise is open 24 hours, with security provided overnight. As of the time of this visit, the welcome center grounds and such are undergoing renovations, so be sure to look out for those workers while walking and visiting the grounds. Even though the welcome center grounds are undergoing some renovations, there is still quite a bit to explore here. There are several photo opportunities both inside and outside. The property seems very vibrant, especially inside the welcome center building. The inside of the welcome center is nice. Many of the signs inside are bright and have ties to military information as well. This is not a surprise since this welcome center isn't too far from Pensacola. The welcome center also highlights the different regions of the state and what they have to offer. They have a display for the spirit of naval aviation, an astronaut, and much more. You do feel like you are going through the different parts of the state as you look at those different areas. I do like their idea for "Florida Time". They have 3 different clocks. One is for central time, which this place is located in. The next one is eastern time, noting that you'll get into that time zone in about 150 miles. The last one is Florida time, with no clock at all. Restrooms are available, and they were clean and well maintained too. After that, I went up to the desk where you can get some free juice. You can choose between orange and grapefruit juice. On the outside, there is still space to stretch those legs too. I didn't get to all of the areas outside since all that construction is going on, but it did what it needed to do. There are areas for pet relief. Just outside the welcome center building, you will see a beautifully decorated turtle with the theme of Navarre Beach. There are some signs too about animal tracks, and what those tracks look like. On the building outside, there is a sign for Florida honoring and remembering POW and MIA servicemembers. Of course, even with the renovation work, the Blue Angel flying statue here stands tall. Overall, this is a very nice welcome center. Even though renovations are ongoing at this time, it's still worth stopping in here to take a break and get any info you need about the state. We all need that break from the road, and this is one of those places to stop. read more

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Excellent place to stop and take a break. Clean restrooms and great information at this facility. Even have fresh orange juice! read more

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Great picture opportunities, large bathrooms and friendly staff. . Very relaxing grounds to walk and easy access from I 10. read more

Florida Welcome Center - Visitor Centers Near Me - Pensacola, Florida

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This Welcone Center is clean with lots of information anount what to do in Florida. The only thing that really bothers me is the way the staff handle the free orange juice cups. They do not use rubber gloves and touch the rim of the cups. as they handle them. This is just really gross and a good way to spread flu, etc Pleas use rubber gloves. read more

Bathrooms were clean. Staff were friendly and very informative. They give you the option of orange or grapefruit for your free juice. The parking lot was big with plenty of parking space. There are two separate entrances. read more

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A cool way to be greeted by Florida as you come in from Alabama on I-10. I would recommend to visit here, it is a great place to shake off the weariness of the road. read more

Super clean bathrooms and the staff was friendly and helpful. They gave us complimentary orange juice. I was able to get different pamphlets about what to do in our time at the beach. read more

Florida Welcome Center - Visitor Centers Near Me - Pensacola, Florida

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If you're driving into Florida from Alabama on I-10, do yourself a favor and stop in here. There is a LOT of great information about Florida tourism, history, attractions, etc. Plus, free juice! The bathrooms are clean, the employees are friendly and helpful, and there is a even a photo opportunity available inside. Safe travels! read more

Florida Welcome Center - Visitor Centers Near Me - Pensacola, Florida

It seems I always pull into this welcome center long after the doors are locked and the free orange juice has been consumed, but I continue to stop here without the perks because it's one of a kind and I need to go it's that simple. Florida does seem to do it right when it comes to rest areas compared to many states and it appears at times their rest stops almost seems like a destination and that certainly is the case here. One of the more interesting displays here is the aircraft on a stick which is a Grumman F-9 Cougar. The Blue Angels flew these from 1954 to mid-season 1957 as cool as that is there's more this welcome center also provides you the opportunity to purchase one of Florida's most treasured possessions that no visitor to the sunshine state should be without - the coveted "SunPass Transponder" this small device that mounts on your windshield allows you to by-pass the many toll booths you'll encounter while visiting and it can be purchased from a vending machine, no long lines or lengthy forms to fill, there are only a few prerequisites prior to using it make the purchase, register it online and have a windshield to stick it on and you're on your way. read more

Friendly worker, free juice, very welcoming, free brochures, a lot of great info. Clean restrooms. There's a kid area where they can color and watch cartoons. See my pictures. Lots of great photo ops. They even have comics. Best welcome center I've been to so far. Love it here! read more

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One of the best welcome centers with free orange or grapefruit juice, all the pamphlets you could want and clean big bathrooms. read more

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Cool welcome center. FREE OJ! Who doesn't like that? They have bribed me for my 5 stars with OJ!!

This welcome center located at I-10 when you travel east to Florida. This will be your first rest area and welcome center to Florida at Alabama/Florida state line. The center is big and comfortable. They has place a full size Blue Angel jet at this location. You can snap the picture with famous Blue Angel fighter jet. A gate shape like skyway bridge with the welcome sign make it official you are in Florida. Inside the building, there are free Florida grapefruit or orange juice. The serve you with the smile. You can snap your picture at the blue screen with background. The center has all the attractions brochures and discounts coupons. The men bathroom is nice and big. This center is a good stopping place after a long drive. Many has head to Disney that I can tell. read more

Florida Welcome Center - Blue angel welcome to Florida gate. - Visitor Centers Near Me - Pensacola, Florida

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This is the coolest rest area I have ever been to. Located a few miles into Florida, this rest area is pretty hard to miss with the Blue Angels jet on a pedestal in the parking lot. After parking and walking in I was completely shocked. This place was awesome. The bathrooms were clean and in addition to the standard men and women's rooms, there were several family bathrooms perfect for travelers with children. Parents will appreciate that feature especially since most gas stations don't have family friendly restrooms. There were numerous vending machines selling everything from Starbucks coffee to toll tags. That's right, toll tags in a vending machine. Louisiana could learn a lot from Florida as far as convenience goes. The areas I mentioned are great, but the real star is the inside area. Once inside I realized Florida knows how to market itself. There were several free standing photo areas with the cut outs for your head. I took a few pictures of my kids and ended up getting asked to take a photo for some foreigners. Apparently my shot wasn't good enough (she said: "it shake"), so I took a few more for them. In addition to the static photo opportunities there was a computerized photo machine that took photos. You pick one of two backdrops (alligator or beach), press the screen and it counts down and takes a photo. You then type in your email and get it instantly. Of course my kids refused to smile and picked the alligator over the beaches, but hey, they had fun. The other great feature about this rest area was the free samples of OJ. I'm not sure if it tasted so great because it was free, but that was one tasty cup of juice. If you're traveling through Florida from Alabama, I highly recommend you stop here. read more

Florida Welcome Center - Highways Air Patrolled - Visitor Centers Near Me - Pensacola, Florida

Such a neat place! The best place ever to take a typical tourist photo!!!!! Highly recommend stopping!

This welcome center crossing from I 10 E from Alabama into Florida is super clean and more than just a rest stop. There is a children's activity area. They have a tribute to NASA, one to Disney. Universal Studios, the beautiful beaches and much more. There are brochures of things to do all over Florida and other places in the US. The grounds are well kept. read more

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I had never been to Florida, so this a cool place to stop and get my tourist on! Plus, they had clean bathrooms, which is always a big plus on a road trip! When you stop, there's a huge cool Blue Angel plane outside, with a welcome to Florida sign as well. Everything is bright and sunny, just like you expect Florida to be! The free OJ is so good. Is OJ in Florida just better? Do they keep the good stuff there and not export? They also have cool photo ops and tons of brochures for all parts of the state, and places to sit and rest. Oh and a Harry Potter/Orlando photo op! Yes! I love Myrtle the Turtle outside, too! This is just a fun place to stop and be welcomed to Florida with OJ and grapefruit juice and friendly people and happiness and sunshine! read more

Florida Welcome Center - Myrtle the turtle! - Visitor Centers Near Me - Pensacola, Florida

Stopped at the Welcome Center entering into Florida! Very friendly staff and extremely helpful! Picked up lots of brochures helping us find things to do in Pensacola! read more

Florida Welcome Center - Visitor Centers Near Me - Pensacola, Florida

Wow! How have we missed this traveling so many times between Texas and Florida. Lots of parking, very clean facility inside and out including bathrooms. They serve you grapefruit or orange juice. Brochures are arranged efficiently. read more

Well, it's a welcome center, so is it worth a review? Oh, why not. If you need a bladder break, it's a good one, especially with the cool astronaut in the lobby and old Blue Angel A4's on display (as with other I-10 rest stops in Florida). Loads of clean bathrooms (and yes, that is plural, as in multiple doors, genders, and locations). Soo clean. Tons of vending. Not your usual interstate rest stop. read more

Florida Welcome Center - Spaceman Christmas - Visitor Centers Near Me - Pensacola, Florida

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This rest area kinda rocks! The state of Florida has really spent some money upgrading and redoing this place! I grew up in Florida and travelled a lot so the interstate rest stops, esp ones with free orange juice and grapefruit juice were always a highlight. Now that I am older, the very clean bathrooms, nice walkways, large information center, and clean picnic areas are all pluses. Not to mention the grass is cut and there wasn't as much as a cigarette butt I saw on the ground. The parking lot is massive, I mean massive much bigger than it needs, and they are building some kind of massive structure behind it. They have cast footprints of some of Florida's native wildlife and they have a replica Blue Angel! The vending machine selection sports cheap water and a good price on other drinks and food. Plus they all take tap based payments so you don't need cash, change or have to swipe your card in sometimes sketchy machines. They have 24 hour security and a replica "Welcome to Florida" sign to take your picture under! Great job FLA some other states could take a lesson or two from this rest area! read more

My favorite Welcome Center by far. Love the decor - what better way to welcome someone to Florida. They have plenty of brochures to choose from so you can plan out your days or plan another vacation. Bathroom is clean and they have a number of vending machines if you need. read more

I've driven through this rest stop dozens of time and never took the opportunity until today. I can't believe I've missed out on all this grapefruit and orange juice. It's so delicious. Facilities are clean, and everything is very well kept here. A must visit for sure! read more

Florida Welcome Center - When your mothers don't want to leave a rest stop. - Visitor Centers Near Me - Pensacola, Florida

Lady at SunPass Help desk was not helpful AT ALL. Very rude and not the attitude someone should have when dealing with tourists and people who don't know. If you can't handle people asking questions, you should look in another line of work because this ain't it my friend. read more

This is a great place for some photo ops. Nice archway with "Florida welcomes you. Colorful, large sea turtle. Model jet in the air. They no longer serve fresh orange juice due to budget cuts. The bathrooms could have been a bit cleaner when we went through, but it wasn't the dirtiest rest stop we'd seen. read more

Such an awesome welcome center and rest area! Great restrooms which are pretty large and clean! They even have free orange juice! Makes me proud of my state! They have lots of vending machines with different options when it comes to snacks and drinks. There are also a ton of brochures of different attractions in the state of Florida for tourists and travelers. There is a lot of parking space and good amount of walking space for those who want to stretch their legs. Overall, a great welcome center and rest area. It's very well kept and clean. Plus who could say no to free Florida orange juice? Welcome to Florida! read more

This welcome center was one of the best one that I have been to. They had a great play area for kids so that they could burn some energy after being on the road. They had free OJ and grapefruit juice, a Photo Booth wall, ice cream vending machines, and so much more. The reason for 4 stars is because when we went, there was a bad smell near the bathrooms. I'm sure it was probably just a one time thing. Here is a video of our family's time there so that you can get a better idea of what to expect: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFcm5BFC-Ag read more

Welcome to Florida!! Oh what a wonderful sign to see.... This is a very good rest area/welcome center....It's nice and large and kept very clean... There are plenty of vending machines for snacks and drinks... There are a lot of brochures for various sights and attractions in Florida....Oh, and let's not forget the free orange juice! read more

I'm always inclined to stop at this welcome center. It gives you a taste of sunny and bright Florida, and it's a great place for a photo op. The new welcome sign has two sides, a "welcome" and a "thanks for visiting." I love the Blue Angel they have, and also the Myrtle the turtle statue. Employees were super nice and helpful. The actual facility is okay. The restrooms were sort of gross and the drink vending machine broke itself when we were trying to get something. It spits out dollar coins instead of your bill back. There are vending machines where you can get a Sun Pass for toll. As much as I go to Florida I should actually think about getting one, as I was sent a bill for $6.50 from the mail home tolls, and that's not including tolls to get in and out the island of Destin. There was also a little photobooth area with a sky background. read more

I love welcome centers because you can somewhat get a taste for the State's special culture and history. They make road-trips a little bit more exciting because once somebody in the car spots that sign that says "Welcome Center 10 miles" we all jump and get excited. Like you were 1/2 way done running that marathon. Florida Welcome Centers tend to make me even more excited because of one word: ORANGE JUICE! Yum! Who doesn't love free orange juice! They also had samples of grapefruit juice as well. Fairly nice bathrooms for a rest stop and nice open and spacious resting area inside. Florida is such a large state that they have two huge walls dividing each section of the wall so you can pickup flyers to decide on what attractions to see or visit. read more

They still give away orange juice and there's lots of fun stuff for the kids to do and see. Ample parking, clean restrooms, great vending items, lots of information where to go and what to see in FL. We were headed to the beach then 30a for some great eats. We researched all the fun stuff to do along the emerald coast for the next ten days. The landscaping at the rest stop is really nice. Easy on and off and lots of restrooms so that there are never lines to stand in. We planned s trampoline park visit, a trip out to joe patty's seafood to get some live lobster and lobster ceviche for a picnic, a visit to the beach both the calm sound side where there are no dangerous currents and it's not as crowded, then s trip to the gulf side with wildly crashing surf that will suck you out to sea if you're not careful and some great body surfing imagining the great white shark coming up below me and just matter of factly biting my entire body cleanly in two as I sink with a shocked look on my face... and we planned it all right here at the Florida Welcome Center! read more

Florida Welcome Center - Visitor Centers Near Me - Pensacola, Florida

This welcome center actually seems quite welcoming with its beautiful landscaping and amenities. Having hot food would make it better though that's very uncommon at most welcome centers. But for some reason this one seems large enough that I could see a concession being here. read more

One of my favorite stops as I cross the country is to go to the visitor centers. Are usually located on off-ramp number one as you enter a state, sometimes off-ramp two, but they're usually there and they want to show off the best of their state. A worthy thing to do for people traveling into the state. Even though we have Google Maps, you can still always get a paper map and take a look at the lay of the land in one big picture rather than that tiny screen on your handheld. They usually have giant selection of brochures and information. The people behind the counter are always selected to be the most amiable engaging and fun people they can find. They want you to sign the guestbook always, most have free coffee, but this one in Florida wow. It even had free orange juice. You know Florida oranges. There was a space suit to take a picture next to as they do launch from Florida a lot. And of course the big welcome to Florida sign in the parking lot. Clean restrooms, nice people, let's face it I'm hooked on welcome centers. Always stop. It's always worth it read more