Classifieds
Real Estate
Shopping
Jobs
Our Portfolio
  Things To Do Index

Things to Do in Niceville

The name says it all – Niceville is a nice place to live and to visit. Take a short drive over the Mid-Bay Bridge to this small town situated on the leeward side of Choctawhatchee Bay to find a rich variety of places to see, activities to do and fun to be had.

Page Index

Movies Restaurants Festivals
Sports   Shopping   Museums
Parks/Beaches   Nightlife   Libraries

 

Movies

  • Twin Cities Cinema
    1047 John Sims Pkwy in Palm Plaza
    (850) 678-3815

return to top

Sports

On any given weekend you have a good chance of finding some sort of sports activity to watch or join. Local collegiate and high school teams every year rank in district, region and state tournaments. These games are open to the public at reasonable admission fees. If it’s a pick-up game you’re looking for, or just a field to hit or throw in, there are plenty of sport venues for weekend warriors.

  • Okaloosa-Walton College – men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, softball, tennis and racquetball courts, beach volleyball pit, three-hole golf course
    100 College Blvd
    (850) 678-5111
  • Youth Center – skate park, paint ball field
    Palm Drive behind City Hall
    (850) 729-0758
  • YMCA – gym, indoor pool, martial arts and exercise classes
    Highway 20/Palm Boulevard
    Palm Plaza
    (850) 897-9622
  • Niceville Sports Complex – soccer and baseball fields, concession stand, restrooms
    Palm Boulevard behind City Hall
    (850) 729- 4062
  • Twin Oaks Sports Fields – home to the annual Mullet Festival, home fields for Niceville High School men’s and women’s soccer, concession stand, baseball fields, restrooms, dog park
    Highway 85/College Boulevard
    (850) 729-4062

return to top

Parks

Niceville is just far enough away from the maddening crowds and traffic to make visitors believe they have entered paradise, but it is still close enough to the beaches to not feel like they are missing out on all the fun. If it’s a wild time that you’re looking for, get back to nature and find your inner child at these Niceville parks.

  • William C. Jordan Children's Park – playground, water features, restrooms, vending machines, picnic area, special events, next door to public library
    Partin Drive
    City Hall Complex
    (850) 729-4542
  • Turkey Creek Nature Trail – one mile board walk, swimming and boating, pavilion, stone fireplace, grills, restrooms, city safety officer patrols area regularly
    340 John Sims Pkwy
    (850) 642-7454
  • Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park – camping, walking trails, boat ramp, picnic pavilions, playgrounds, swimming, restrooms, showers, resident camp host
    4281 Highway 20
    Bluewater Bay
    (850) 833-9144
  • Lions Park – boat ramp, pier, picnic pavilions, restrooms
    Bayshore Drive
    Niceville
  • Lincoln Park – boat ramp, pier, picnic pavilions, restrooms, playground, beach area, swimming
    Bayshore Drive
    Valparaiso
  • Florida Park – boat ramp, picnic pavilions, restrooms, playground
    Along Choctawhatchee Bay
    Valparaiso

return to top

Fine Arts

Don’t let the small town persona fool you – Niceville is home to one the region’s most prestigious fine arts venues. The Arts Center at OWC stages concert performances by the Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra and a full calendar of premier musical theater productions.

  • McIlroy Gallery and Holzhauer Gallery – houses permanent exhibits by Emil Holzhauer, Sublette Collection of New Guinea Sculpture and Masks, L.R. Davis Flint Glass Collections, and other international and regional artists
    100 College Blvd
    Art curator: (850) 729-6044

return to top

Restaurants

The Twin Cities area – Niceville and Valparaiso – is populated by a large contingency of military residents. These service members travel the world over and have very cosmopolitan tastes. To address that, Niceville has an international flair, having established its own United Nations of diners, eateries and restaurants offering everything from German, Italian, Mexican, Thai, Korean and Chinese cuisine, to good, old-fashioned Memphis-style barbeque.

  • Bitburger Pub
    4504 E Highway 20
    Merchants Walk in Bluewater
    (850)897-0277
  • Taco Town
    113 N Partin Drive
    (850) 729-8646
  • Nida's International Cuisine
    120 N Partin Drive
    (850) 678-2525
  • Jin-Jin Chinese Restaurant
    1132 E John Sims Pkwy
    (850) 729-1989
  • Buffalo’s Stampede
    1102 E John Sims Pkwy
    Oak Creek Plaza
    (850) 678-8646
  • Sun’s Restaurant
    406 W John Sims Pkwy
    (850) 678-3647

return to top

Shopping

While not the mega-shopping Mecca that Destin might be, Niceville offers its own retail stores worthy of perusal. If you really must venture into the merchandising maelstrom, Destin is just a short three-mile drive over the Mid-Bay Bridge.

  • Oak Creek Plaza
    John Sims Parkway and Juniper Road
    Niceville

  • Palm Plaza
    John Sims Parkway and Palm Boulevard
    Niceville

  • Merchants Walk
    Highway 20 and Bluewater Boulevard
    Bluewater Bay

  • Bayou Plaza
    John Sims Parkway and Highway 85
    Valparaiso

return to top

Nightlife

Mix together great food and great local bands and you have Niceville Nightlife. Pick your tunes and pick your menus at these local clubs and restaurants, each offering a little something different.

  • Tisa’s Restaurant and Lounge
    626 W John Sims Pkwy
    (850) 729-3882

  • Boathouse Landing
    124 W John Sims Pkwy, Valparaiso
    (850) 678-2805

  • Anthony’s Restaurant
    117 E John Sims Pkwy
    (850) 678-9004

  • Cayenne Café
    111 E John Sims Pkwy
    (850) 729-7121

  • Mulhollow’s French Quarter Grill
    714 Howell Rd
    (850) 678-2604

return to top

Festivals

The people of Niceville don’t like having a “nice” time, they want to have a “great” time and they know how to throw a party. Throughout the fall, Niceville is home to some of the area’s most exciting festivals.

  • Oktoberfest – last weekend in September or first weekend in October
    Bluewater Bay

return to top

Museums

History buffs will enjoy a trip back in time as they meander through the Heritage Museum or the Air Force Museum. Both offer entertaining and educational glimpses at the people and industries that helped build this region.

return to top

Library

Located near the City Hall and Police Station, the Niceville Public Library is also adjacent to the William C. Jordan Children's Park. The kids can enjoy a romp in the park, and parents can catch up on the current news and novels in the air-conditioned library. Family-oriented activities are planned weekly and are open to the public.

return to top

 

  Things To Do Index  
  Apalachicola  
  Crestview
 
  Destin
 
  Fort Walton Beach
 
  Navarre
  
  Niceville  
  Panama City  
  Port St. Joe  
  South Walton / 30A  

 

What Event? When is it?

Where is it?
From employment tools to a helpful search engine, EmeraldCoastJobs.com has it! Whether you are an employer or a job seeker, EmeraldCoastJobs.com is your stop for all your employment needs. Emerald Coast Jobs
Find out where to go for your next shopping spree! Whether you are looking for a mall or a specific boutique in the Navarre to Apalachicola area, Emerald Coast Shopping has you covered. Emerald Coast Shopping
Keep up with the latest news and information relevant to you. Sign up to start receiving EmeraldCoast.com’s weekly and monthly eNewsletters delivered via e-mail to your inbox. Newsletter Sign-up
Get today’s classified ads for six papers in one location. Search for cars, jobs, real estate, pets, garage sales and more. Classified Ads
  Things to Do Index  
  Apalachicola  
  Crestview
 
  Destin
 
  Fort Walton Beach
 
  Navarre
  
  Niceville  
  Panama City  
  Port St. Joe  
  South Walton