Fall True Crime Walking Tours in Pensacola

By Michael Earl Simmons | Sweet Tea Murders

You can walk through downtown Pensacola, admire the old buildings, stop for something good to eat, and never realize how many stories you have passed.

Some were front-page news once. Names filled newspaper columns. Witnesses gave their accounts. Families waited for answers. Then the years slipped by, the businesses changed hands, and the people who remembered grew fewer.

But the streets are still here.

This fall, I invite you to walk them with me.

A familiar town with unfamiliar stories

On my Sweet Tea Murders walking tours, we explore the crimes, mysteries, and questions left behind in old Pensacola. These are stories about real people: the lives they built, the decisions they made, and the events that brought them into the newspapers.

There is something different about hearing a story while standing in the place connected to it. A street corner becomes more than a place to cross. An old building becomes more than a handsome backdrop. You begin to picture the town as it was when the news was fresh and nobody yet knew how the story would end.

That is the part I love sharing.

I spent thirty years with the Pensacola Police Department. As an author and historical true crime storyteller, I now spend a good deal of time looking backward—through old accounts and forgotten names—to bring these stories back into view.

The police work gave me one way of looking at a case. The history gives me another. And storytelling lets me bring you along.

Come for the history. Bring your curiosity.

You do not need to be a true crime enthusiast to enjoy the walk. Perhaps you love Pensacola history. Perhaps you have visitors coming and want to share something beyond the familiar sights. Or perhaps you have lived here for years and have begun to wonder what happened along the streets you know so well.

Come with a friend, bring your questions, and take a little time to look around.

My approach is Southern storytelling: conversational, thoughtful, and respectful of the people whose lives became these stories. We follow the history, consider the mysteries, and remember that behind every old headline was somebody’s family.

You may recognize the streets. I hope you will leave knowing them a little better.

Choose your fall tour

Three upcoming Crimes Around the Plaza Walking Tours begin at 4:00 PM:

• Saturday, October 24, 2026
• Saturday, October 31, 2026
• Saturday, November 7, 2026

View tour details and reserve through Viator.

There is also a walking tour on Thursday, October 29, 2026, at 5:00 PM. This date has a separate event listing:

View the October 29 event and attendance details.

All times are local to Pensacola. Please check the listing for your chosen date for the meeting location, ticket information, and other arrangements.

Walk with me

October offers a fitting occasion to explore the mysteries of an old Southern town, and our November 7 walk carries that curiosity into the next month.

Beneath the familiar view is another Pensacola—one preserved in newspaper columns, court accounts, and the lives of people who walked here long before us.

I would be glad to introduce you.

Choose your date, follow the appropriate event link, and join me for a Sweet Tea Murders walking tour.

The streets still whisper. Let’s take a walk.