10 Wheelchair Accessible Things to Do in Panama City Beach, Florida

I’ve visited Panama City Beach, Florida numerous times throughout my life. It is easily one of my favorite beach destinations in the world and it’s been incredible to see it become more and more wheelchair-friendly over the years. Now, there are a plethora of accessible things to do in Panama City Beach. From rolling on the sand to visiting museums and enjoying delicious foods, you can undoubtedly have a phenomenal time in Panama City Beach no matter what your abilities are. 

Recently, I spent a long weekend in Panama City Beach (four days, three nights to be exact) and during that time, I was able to discover even more wheelchair accessible attractions and places to visit. If you are looking to visit this Florida destination in the near future, here are 10 wheelchair accessible things to do in Panama City Beach that shouldn’t be overlooked –

Wheelchair Accessible Panama City Beach Florida Attractions and Things to Do

Roll on the beach

This probably goes without saying, but on any beach trip, the most important thing to do is enjoy time on the beach! However, for wheelchair users, going on the beach can be a bit tricky sometimes. However, in Panama City Beach, everyone can spend time on the sand, including wheelchair users. 

Manual beach wheelchairs are available to use for free on a first-come, first-served basis at Russel-Fields City Pier & Beach, St. Andrew’s State Park, Camp Helen State Park, and some resorts even offer free beach wheelchairs (we’ll discuss each of these options in more detail in just a bit). But if you would rather use a powered beach wheelchair to get out on the beach, that is an option as well. 

Beach Powered Mobility offers a variety of beach wheelchairs to rent, including floating beach wheelchairs that can roll on sand or float in the water. My favorite though is their motorized beach wheelchair, as I can independently drive it up and down the beach. It can be driven with a joystick just like my everyday powered wheelchair, so it’s easy to use and rolls great on the sand. I love that multiple options of beach wheelchairs are available in Panama City Beach! 

Explore Pier Park

Pier Park is one of my favorite places in all of Panama City Beach and I could easily spend an entire day there. In fact, I have spent an entire day at Pier Park before. This shopping, dining, and entertainment center has dozens of fun and accessible things to enjoy. 

Start your visit to Pier Park at the SkyWheel. The SkyWheel is a giant Ferris wheel and similar to the London Eye or the High Roller in Las Vegas, each of its pods are enclosed. What’s really awesome though is the fact that all of the SkyWheel’s pods, except for one, are wheelchair accessible. 

After getting tickets at the SkyWheel’s admission center, I was shown where to go to roll onto the SkyWheel. Just a few minutes went by before I was able to roll into a pod and begin climbing high over Pier Park. It was very smooth and easy for me to enter the enclosed pod in my powered wheelchair, and there was plenty of space for one companion. 

From the SkyWheel, I could see all of Pier Park, the beach, the City Pier, and more. It was a beautiful ride and gave me a unique perspective of the area. I’d highly suggest riding the SkyWheel at the start of your visit to Pier Park to get a grasp of where everything is. 

Once you’ve seen Pier Park from above, explore the many shops and attractions at street-level. Some of my favorites include Dave & Buster’s, Kilwin’s, Buttermilk Sky Pie Shop, Margaritaville, and the Emerald Coast Mirror Maze, but you can also try your luck in an escape room, watch a movie in the movie theatre, get a massage, and so much more. Trust me when I say that you’ll never get bored at Pier Park. 

Go to the end of the City Pier

Right across the street from the main Pier Park entrance is the Russell-Fields City Pier. This pier is over 1,500 feet long, making it one of the longest piers on the Gulf Coast. You can go fishing on the pier or just stroll to the end of it and take in the views. Visiting at sunset is particularly special.

The City Pier is open 365 days per year and 24 hours a day. Admission is only $7 per adult if you plan on fishing or $4 if you’re a spectator. For people with disabilities though, all prices are reduced to $3. 

The City Beach is located by the pier and manual beach wheelchairs are available on a complimentary basis at the pier. You just need to submit a valid ID at the pier’s ticketing office to use one of the beach wheelchairs. 

Enjoy Camp Helen State Park

I had actually never even heard of Camp Helen State Park until my most recent trip to Panama City Beach, but I am so glad that I know about it now and was able to visit. I had a lot of fun during a couple hours at Camp Helen and I enjoyed learning about its history as well.

From 1945 to 1987, Camp Helen was a company resort for the employees of Avondale Mills, an Alabama textile mill, but today it is much more. The historic district at Camp Helen is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is home to many of the buildings that were around when it was a resort for Avondale Mills. Today, you can see the water tower, lodge, some of the cottages, and a recreation hall. There were paved sidewalks throughout the historic district, so I was able to easily roll around and feel like I went back in time. Interpretive panels were around the park and told about the history. 

Aside from wandering around the historic district, many families come to Camp Helen to go to the beach. I attempted to roll to the beach in my powered wheelchair, but I quickly got stuck in some mud, as the trail to the beach isn’t paved. However, you can use a manual beach wheelchair to get to the beach if you’d like. To get the beach wheelchair, just pop into the Camp Helen Visitor’s Center and let them know. 

While the trail to the beach at Camp Helen isn’t the most accessible, there are wheelchair-friendly trails available. I really liked rolling on the North Trail, as it was the most accessible. The North Trail is 1.8 miles long and goes by Lake Powell, offering terrific views. The first 0.8 miles of the North Trail are paved and boardwalked, making it incredibly smooth in a wheelchair. The last mile of this trail is dirt, so you may or may not want to attempt it (I opted not to), but I had a fun time doing the first 0.8 miles. 

If you’re a history buff, Camp Helen could be a cool place for you to visit in Panama City Beach. But even if you aren’t a history buff, it’s still a great place to visit because you can enjoy the great outdoors. I absolutely loved my time here and was so surprised that I had never visited, or even heard about it, in my previous trips to the area. 

Have fun at Wonderworks 

If you are wondering “What is Wonderworks?!”, just think of it as an amusement park for the mind. From the time you drive up and see the building, which is an upside-down house, you know it is totally something different. The outer appearance is as fun as the inside and it is like no other place in Panama City Beach. 

Once inside, there are over 100 hands-on exhibits that challenge the mind and expand your imagination. One of the first things I had to try was the Hurricane Shack. I rolled into the accessible entrance and as the sounds of thunderstorms began, I was then right in the middle of a category one hurricane experiencing 74 miles-per-hour winds! What a feeling! Next, I rolled to the Physical Challenge Zone and my mom placed a huge bubble wand in some soapy water and stretched a bubble right over my head. That had to be the biggest bubble I’ve ever seen. I also really enjoyed the shadow wall. I parked my chair directly in front of a camera  and against a wall. Then the countdown began and the camera flashed. After the flash, I rolled away from the wall and looked back and there was my shadow still on the wall! My shadow had frozen there for all to see, even though I had already driven away. It was amazing. 

Other fun things inside Wonderworks included a three story, glow in the dark ropes course, a laser tag arena, and even a bed of nails. Even though I was not able to participate in these, I still thoroughly enjoyed watching people try all of these exciting adventures. 

Up your selfie game at Selfie Spot PCB

Tucked inside the shopping district on Bluefish Drive is the most fun experience that I have had in a while, Selfie Spot PCB. All you have to take with you is your phone and you are set for a fun-filled hour of capturing the best looking selfies on anyone’s social media feed. 

As I rolled in, I encountered a super friendly woman at the desk. For a cost of only $29.99, she gave me a remote control that I bluetoothed to my phone for easy clicking of photos and a ring light stand with a phone mount. My moment in the spotlight had begun! 

There were over 30 selfie booths with awesome designs and props, and I posed and snapped away one after another. It was like unveiling a Christmas gift every time I’d round the corner and see a new selfie spot. Each one was set up with bright lights, designs, and all the extra props to make photos the best that they could be. I also loved the fact that all of the selfie spots, except for two, were completely wheelchair accessible.

At Selfie Spot PCB, I laughed until I cried and had such a fun time. I now have so many photos in my phone and I can hardly wait to begin uploading them to my social media outlets. 

See the unbelievable at Ripley’s 

Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museums have fascinated me since I was a young kid, so when I saw that there is one in Panama City Beach, I had to check it out. Ripley’s is located across the street from Wonderworks and somewhat similar to Wonderworks, it will have your mind spinning with disbelief. 

Ripley’s has four different attractions in the building and two of them are wheelchair accessible. Wheelchair users can explore the Believe It or Not Museum and roll through Ripley’s Marvelous Mirror Maze, both of which I immensely enjoyed. The other two attractions at Ripley’s that aren’t wheelchair-friendly are the 7D Moving Theater and Ripley’s Impossible Laser Race, but each attraction is sold individually, so don’t worry about paying for them even though they’re not accessible.  

I started my visit to Ripley’s in the Believe It or Not Museum, which was so much fun. Over the course of an hour or so, I rolled through a dozen galleries devoted to showcasing the unbelievable. I saw a replica of the world’s tallest man, participated in numerous interactive exhibits, learned how to shrink heads, and was almost tempted to eat a cricket (yes, really), but I decided not to give in to peer pressure. I’m telling you… this is such a fun museum and absolutely shouldn’t be missed!

After exploring the museum, I headed over to Ripley’s Marvelous Mirror Maze to try my luck. There were thousands of mirrors on display in the maze and I ran into dead ends a few times, but I actually found my way out of the maze within ten minutes. I was pretty surprised that I did so well. This was a lot of fun and completely wheelchair accessible… just drive slowly so that you don’t get seven years of bad luck for breaking a mirror!

Check out St. Andrew’s State Park

If you’re looking to enjoy some time at the beach, St. Andrew’s State Park is a must-visit. I love visiting this state park on every trip to Panama City Beach because it is one of the most wheelchair accessible places in the area. St. Andrew’s has over a mile and a half of beach, a gator overlook where you can frequently see alligators, two fishing piers, campsites, and more.

I love the beach here because they have multiple Mobi-Mats on the sand, making it easy for me to roll out on the beach while staying in my everyday powered wheelchair. Some of my favorite memories in Panama City Beach have been made while sitting there and watching the waves come in.
If you’d like to venture a bit further out on the beach, manual beach wheelchairs are available complimentary on a first-come, first-served basis. If you’d like to use one, just inquire at the ranger station. They have standard manual beach wheelchairs and ones that can float in the water as well. 

St. Andrew’s State Park is open 365 days per year from 8am until sundown. To get into the park, there is a fee of $8 per vehicle.

Enjoy delicious food

During any trip to Panama City Beach, one of my favorite things to do is to enjoy as much of the delicious food as possible. There are dozens of terrific restaurants within the destination, but for this article, I’d love to discuss some of my favorites for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 

Breakfast: To start your day in Panama City Beach, I’d recommend getting breakfast at The Pour Coffee & Community, Andy’s Flour Power Cafe & Bakery, or Finn’s Barista Bar. You can’t go wrong at any of these. At Finn’s Barista Bar, you’ll find healthier options (I love the açaí bowl!!), but at The Pour and Andy’s Flour Power, you’ll find more traditional breakfast offerings. The breakfast casserole is almost a heavenly experience at The Pour and at Andy’s Flour Power, the French toast is a ten out of ten. 

Lunch: For lunch, I love going to Pineapple Willy’s and Hook’d Pier Bar & Grill. Both restaurants have oceanfront dining, great frozen drinks, and delicious food. At Pineapple Willy’s, I always sit out on the pier and order the one pound bucket of ribs. They are hands-down the best ribs on planet Earth, I am 100% sure. This is a lot of food for lunch, so splitting it with someone that’s dining with you could be a good idea. But hey, if you decide to go all-in and eat it all yourself, I won’t judge you a bit. At Hook’d Pier Bar & Grill, on the other end of Panama City Beach, the grouper tacos are a delicious lunch item. They’re topped with mango pico de gallo, cheese, and cabbage. There’s hardly a better combination than the tacos and a frozen daiquiri. 

Dinner: In the evening, I like to dress up a bit and go enjoy a delicious dinner somewhere nice. Two of my favorite places to do this are Saltwater Grill and Capt. Anderson’s Restaurant. To be honest, Saltwater Grill is probably my favorite restaurant in all of Panama City Beach. As soon as you go inside the restaurant, you can see the 25,000 gallon tropical saltwater aquarium and while it’s fun to look at, the real star of Saltwater Grill is the food. For appetizers, they have the best smoked tuna dip I’ve ever eaten and the lobster spring rolls are great as well. For an entree, I love the grouper imperial. It’s fresh gulf grouper topped with jumbo lump crab and served with garlic whipped potatoes and asparagus, but I’d recommend getting the creamed spinach instead of asparagus. Yum! One of my other favorite restaurants for a spectacular dinner is Capt. Anderson’s Restaurant. It’s a popular restaurant in Panama City Beach and has been in operation since 1967. Every time that I dine at Capt. Anderson’s, I tend to get the same food – the grilled bay shrimp appetizer, the oven broiled stuffed filet of grouper for my entree, and the chocolate & peanut butter pie for dessert. It’s the perfect dinner! 

Relax at a great resort

After a few days of nonstop thrills and fun, it can be nice to have a day where you just lounge at the resort you’re staying at. There are some great places to stay in Panama City Beach, but one of my favorites that I recently stayed at was Holiday Inn Resort Panama City Beach. This resort has everything you can imagine – a beachfront location, accessible pools, spacious rooms, on-site activities, and much more. 

Every room at Holiday Inn Resort has a view of the ocean. I stayed in a wheelchair accessible room with two beds (a hoyer lift could not roll under the beds, which was my only complaint). The room was spacious enough for me to maneuver around and we even had a balcony. There was a small lip to go on the balcony (about one inch), but my wheelchair was able to go out there. 

In my bathroom, there were grab bars by the toilet, a pull-under sink, and a roll-in shower. The roll-in shower had a fold-down shower seat and a handheld shower wand, making it perfect for my accessibility needs. 

The resort also had a ramp to the beach and complimentary manual beach wheelchairs for guests to use. I was tremendously impressed that the resort had beach wheelchairs, as that’s something that I typically don’t find at beachfront hotels. 

If you want to get in the water, you could also splash around in the resort’s pool or float in the lazy river. Both have an access lift to make it easier to get in and out of the water. For younger children, there’s also a splash pad near the pool. 

As I previously said, the Holiday Inn Resort truly has it all, including entertainment. Every night, there is a different performer or show. During my stay, there were singers and even a Polynesian luau style show. It was quite entertaining and hard to believe that all of this was included in the cost of my room. There’s so much to do at Holiday Inn Resort Panama City Beach that you could certainly spend a whole day at the resort! 

As you can see, Panama City Beach has something for everyone to enjoy. And that’s why I keep going back to this beach paradise year after year. Whether I’m lounging on the beach or having fun at one of the many local attractions, Panama City Beach is, in my opinion, one of the best wheelchair accessible beach destinations in the world! 

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*Thank you to Visit Panama City Beach for working with me on this trip and showing me the best of wheelchair accessible Panama City Beach! While my experiences in Panama City Beach were complimentary, all opinions expressed are authentic and my own.

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