Since 1961 Playground Music Center has been an area leader in musical instrument sales, rental, repairs, music lessons, and training for all types of musical instruments and accessories. Our knowledgeable staff is made up of industry professionals and active musicians. We provide quality products and services including lessons, instrument repairs, band instrument rentals, orchestra rentals, sound equipment rental, keyboard rental, and piano/grand piano rentals. We also offer piano tuning and piano moving. We now have a total of 3 locations: Fort Walton Beach, FL – Panama City, FL – Tallahassee, FL – stop by one of our locations today!

After WWII, James “Jim” Leonard settled in the Fort Walton Beach, Fl area. He was one of the first band directors in Northwest Florida. As the first band director for Choctawhatchee High School in 1954 (now a 5A school with 4 State Championship titles for the Style Marchers school band) his efforts in music education led to a nationwide adoptance of school music as an accredited field of study not just a hobby or Extracurricular activity. Mr. Leonard was also a 50+ year member of the Kiwanis Club of America serving in various leadership positions with the organization over the years. In 1961, Mr. Leonard and his wife Maura started selling band supplies out of necessity – there simply were no easy ways to acquire musical instruments and accessories at that time in Florida. His love for music and music education helped the company thrive through various economic and social transitions. Although the company has operated many stores in Northwest Florida, the original store and company headquarters, learning center, and warehouse are located in Fort Walton Beach, FL in a brand new location as 2016 at 429 Mary Esther Cut Off NW. – We’re also located in Panama City, FL, Tallahassee, FL, and also affiliated with many other surrounding music stores in south Alabama and Southern Georgia.

The Name Playground Music Center comes from the fact that the store is located in the “Musical Center” of the “Playground Area”, the original name of today’s Emerald Coast region of Central Northwest Florida.

Playground Music Center is currently run by company President Anthony “Tony” Leonard, one of Jim’s sons who has worked with the company since 1972. In fact all of Mr. Leonard’s children and four grandchildren (almost all of whom are musicians by the way) are actively involved in the day-to-day operation of Playground Music Center, Inc.