Welcome to the story of 500 West Belmont — a building, a neighborhood, and the music that brought people together.
The Blocks: A Historic Pensacola Neighborhood
The Belmont-DeVilliers neighborhood, known as “The Blocks,” was a historic Pensacola neighborhood of music, business, and community.
It was part of the Chitlin’ Circuit era of American history and heritage, and it is honored today by Missisippi Blues Trail Marker No. 203 on Belmont Street, placed January 18, 2019, at Five Sisters, 421 W. Belmont.
From Grocery to Pool Hall to Nightclub
Over the years, the building at 500 West Belmont served the neighborhood first as a grocery, then as a pool hall by 1933, before becoming a premier nightclub.
The Sugar Bowl and the Bunny Club
In 1956, John P. Newton opened the Sugar Bowl nightclub here. In the late 1960s it was renamed the Bunny Club — the name generations of Pensacola still remember.
The Mural
The building’s great painted mural of blues musicians was created during the 2014 Foo Foo Festival’s Back on the Blocks, when muralists painted it live.
A New Chapter: The Museum
In January 2010, Michael Allen renovated the building and reopened it as the Belmont and DeVilliers Cultural Heritage Museum. That chapter continues today, as a museum, a community welcome center, a sports bar, and the HOME OF THE BLUES.
History in the Making
Past history — and history in the making
Today, the building hosts the museum, Tuesday through Saturday, 10 AM—5 PM, along with community programs, vendor booths, live blues and soul, and neighborhood gatherings.
More photos of the building today are being added this season.
