This is a beautiful theater built in the1920's that has been fully restored to its original glory…read more It was expanded backstage to accommodate sets and better backstage activity making this a great venue in which to perform and a great experience for the audience as well. I have attended dozens of performances here and each one was a quality production. Frankly, that was a surprise for such a small community. It seems that many professional actors have retired in the area and performers from Disney and other entertainment theme parks come here to gain additional experience and build their resumes. The out of all of this is this is a great venue with great actors. So you can enjoy good theater locally. AND Cocoa Village is an interesting eclectic area to shop and explore before the performance and for drinks and dinner afterwards.

Really great local theatre!…read more The sets, costumes, and performances are impressive considering these shows run off volunteer based time. It's really great to see the energy of these performers, as everyone clearly loves being on stage and putting on a show! Theatre is set up with the floor angles and mezzanine for everyone to have a pretty good view. They also have concessions with beer/wine/hard seltzer and snacks for purchase. There are limited bathrooms, so make sure to keep that in mind before and during intermissions. Would definitely recommend to anyone to come check it out!

I came here with my homeschooling co-op, they did a free mini class event for us. Very nice of the…read moreteacher to take the time to teach the kiddos all about navigation and she made it really fun for them as well as broke it down for them to understand in game form. I think it lasted about 25 mins or so. Only wish I would have walked more into their trail to see the water view if there is one I didn't get to see it. In all a cool spot to get a bit of history and sight seeing.

Wow! What a cool place. My husband and I have been choosing a different nature sanctuary in…read moreBrevard county to explore and walk, today we chose Sams house and Pine Island sanctuary. We decided to park at the Pine Island end of the trail, there are a couple of rustic areas to park. The trail head for the Pine Island loop which is about 3/4 of a mile is near the manatee viewing area and kayak launch. The walk from parking area to the start of the garnet trail which takes you to Sam's house is a wide open green area that is used for walking or horseback riding, there is no shade but if you're lucky there is a beautiful breeze along the lake. The trail to Sam's house is very rustic with some boardwalks and lots of root covered ground. The path is clear but some areas a a little soft due to the surrounding canals. Sam's house is one of the original homes in Merritt Island. There are areas with explanations and examples of what was grown and sold in the area. Apparently there were prehistoric animal remains found in the area as well as the burial mound of Indigenous people. This is a definite place to revisit and explore the other trails and bits of history.

We visited Exploration Tower twice. Last year we went to the observation Deck. It was free…read moreadmission. We saw the views all around and they had tons of information all over for you to read about everything. The views are amazing here's since this is also where the port is. This last time we went on July 2. We came for the fireworks. It was very spacious, and nice to see the glow of the observation tower at night. Great stop to see. Currently, the tower is not open according to their website. It is closed for projects. Glad we got to go in the tower when we did. During the fireworks, they had a VIP ticket up there for $35 yikes.

I really wanted to see the Nasa launch pads so I figured I would check this place out. I visited…read moreright when they opened on a Saturday morning, so there weren't many other people around. I headed up to the observation deck on the 7th floor and had a great view of the entire area. It was really awesome to have such a great view. The grounds are really beautiful, and it is very serene. I was on a time crunch so I wasn't able to stay long but I will definitely come back to visit again.

While wandering historic downtown Cocoa I discovered the stately Porcher House in Cocoa Riverfront…read morePark. As a fan of historic architecture, this is a gem worth checking out. In front of the home is a historic marker that is part of the Historical Marker Program, one of the Division of Historical Resources' most popular and valued public history programs. The markers raise awareness of Florida's cultural history while enhancing the enjoyment of historic sites for residents and tourists. The blue historic markers tell the stories of the people and places that were important to Florida's history and they can be found in front of schools, forts, roads, archaeological sites, battlefields, cemeteries, roads, churches, historic districts, and historic buildings like this one. Historic marker F-937 was installed in 2017 by Brevard County Historical Commission, The Brevard Heritage Council, The Brevard County Tourist Development Council, and the Florida Department of State. This impressive home is associated with Edward Porcher. As a young man he moved to Cocoa from South Carolina in the late 1800's. He and wife Byrnina Peck of Atlanta settled into Merritt Island where they raised their family and operated Deerfield Groves, a citrus farm. He was the first person to grade fruit for shipping, patented the first fruit stamping machine, and he invented a machine to wash the fruit. He was the founder of the Indian River Orange Growers Association. In 1962 he was inducted into the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame. Byrnina was the first postmistress on Merritt Island. In 1895 the Porcher family moved into a three story wood frame house where the Cocoa Civic Center is now located. Construction on the Porcher's Neo Classical Revival home began in 1914 based on Mrs. Porcher's design. A special feature in front of the house are the stones that were cut to represent the suits of cards in a game of Bridge. The house was built from native coquina rock and included ten bedrooms, four and one-half baths, a partial basement, and an attic. The staircase is made of teak, the floor is oak, and the wainscoting and trim are cedar. The Porcher family moved into the grandest home in Cocoa on October 31, 1916. Portions of the house are original while others are restorations. No longer on the property are the porte-cochere on the north side, the Porcher's swimming pool, and the large packinghouse that was on the river bank behind the house. The packing house was used to process produce delivered by boat the family's groves on Merritt Island. Edward Porcher passes away in June 1939. Upon his death the house passed to his son Arthur who died the next month. The house became a hotel and then in 1945 the City of Cocoa purchased it and used it for City Hall. Money from city and state historic preservation grants were used to restore the Porcher House and it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 6, 1986. Today the Porcher House can be rented for private events like weddings.

Porcher was in the business of oranges. Later, this house was used as city hall…read more Now it is an event venue for weddings and such. The house has been restored, but it is not furnished as a residence. Some of the rooms contain offices where you can reserve the house for an event, and arrange for catering. The front door latch is a bit hard to open, so try a little harder before giving up on it. Don't expect a guided tour of the house, but walk thru and have a look, when there is no wedding or reserved private event going on. There is an elevator to the second floor, with water fountain and restrooms nearby. Look out the first floor back porch to the river. Walk out the back and stroll to the river thru a park with an amphitheater. There is another park on the block that has swing sets for the younger folk. This Porcher House is next door to the civic center.

I will be honest and say I only discovered this museum because the huge park next to it has a bunch…read moreof geocaches. However, because of my hobby I discovered amazing places like this. According to their official website, the Brevard Veterans Memorial Center is as follows: "Since 1978 the Brevard Veterans Memorial Center and Council have taken on many missions to support over 70,000 Brevard Veterans and their families as well as to help all citizens and visitors learn firsthand about what U.S. veterans have contributed to make our country great." I cannot review how they support our veterans directly, but I can review the park and museum. Starting with the park, it is huge. It has a lot of space for patrons to get their running miles or walking steps in. There is a playground and greenhouse in the middle of the park so families with their kids could enjoy a time outside too. As mentioned earlier, geocaching is the reason I found this area and there are six geocaches hidden in the park. Next is the museum which includes the memorials, monuments, and replicas outside too. Loved the tank and helicopters and the monuments have excellent information that I did not know about certain wars in your country's short and young history. Back to geocaching, there is one Adventure Lab and the initial way point for a multicache in here. Also, there are way mark finds here too. Finally, the actual museum is three floors of U.S. military history starting with the Revolutionary War all the way to the War on Terror. I have learned so many details about each war besides weaponry, tactics, and such. I learned who the first female officer on a U.S. naval ship was. I learned the tantamount damage PTSD causes in war. I learned how uniforms have evolved. And so on and so forth. And to wrap things all up, there is a rare letterbox in here too. If you letterbox like I do, bring your letterbox journal, stamp, and ink pad. Overall, such a wonderful place to learn. I am so happy there are organizations keeping history alive because much of our young people do not know (and sadly don't care) about our U.S. history. I pray such a place will help such young generations to grow and mature that we don't repeat the mistakes other nations have in the past.

This is a must-see for anyone visiting Brevard. A big shout out to Richard Donoghue for his expect…read morepersonal tour!

The sushi is really good. My daughter and I really enjoyed it. The rum runners were on point. If…read moreyou're able to request Will M, you'll have great service. The only reason I didn't give 5 stars was the a/c was on the fritz and there was a table of 15 people with 3 bratty kids. They screamed 70% of the time .

You can't bring water in and if you ask if you can leave it outside the pier the give you a hard…read moreno. There's no fishing whatsoever under it or on it. So very stupid what pier has no fishing. My brother tried to get a little air on his foot in the chill area and the FRONT GUARD for the pier screamed at him "THATS NOT OPEN" like he was going into the area, oh and by the way the door was open by a couple inches. There's a no swimming sign and a rule that says no swimming within 100ft of the pier but not a single person gets in trouble like a fisherman does. I would suggest never going there!!

Space Shuttle Atlantis at the Kennedy Space Center is absolutely astounding. So cool to witness…read moreall the marvels of space travel in the past, see all that's being done in the present and into the future. If you have any questions about space travel or ever had any doubts about the legitimacy of NASA or any space related, this marvel of a spectacle is definitely worth a visit if you are planning to come to Orlando! 5 solid stars and two galactic thumbs up!

The last building that we toured was the impressive Space Shuttle Atlantis. Kennedy is the…read morepermanent home of Space Shuttle Atlantis. Atlantis is raised 30 feet off the ground, and is turned 43.21 degrees as if it were in space. There's a full scale external tank and two rocket boosters that are the grand gateway. The huge orange external tank is suspended 23 feet above the ground, and reaches 184 feet in the air. The inside tour tells the entire story of the Space Shuttle Program. There is over 60 exhibits and simulators to experience in the space shuttle center. Two other sights to see is full sized replica of the Hubble Space Telescope, that hangs opposite the open payload bay doors of Space Shuttle Atlantis, with Atlantis' Canada Arm extended(the robotic arm made by Canada). The permanent memorial honors the lives lost during the space shuttle missions, Challenger and Columbia are in the complex with patches along the walls, Challenger on the left and Columbia on the right. We didn't do the space shuttle experience(another trip in the works later this year) on this visit, but some of my younger family members did take the slide down to the next level. Space Shuttle Atlantis also has a souvenir shop located on the way out. I REALLY enjoyed my second time visiting Kennedy Space Center, it was worth the 33 yrs. wait return visit.

**INITIAL REVIEW**…read more The Cape Canaveral Lighthouse Tour (which I will shorthand simply to the Lighthouse Tour) has been one of those "backyard adventures" I've been wanting to go on for the longest time. Eventually, I was able to partake in said adventure with my friends, Nate and Chops. Afterwards, I have to say that even for a probably "one-and-done" for a tour, it is definitely worth every penny spent. This tour was everything I wanted and loved, and it delivered. First and foremost, the actual business building for the Lighthouse Tour is nothing you have to worry about. According to all the tours, you will meet up at the Sands Space Museum and take a charter van to multiple locales on the tour. Before we get to the actual tour I partook in, it should be noted there are numerous tour options such as the museums alone, the lighthouse alone, or the full experience. Prices range from $35 (lighthouse only) to $65 (full tour). I went with the latter which includes numerous museums, historic launch sites, and the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse. It should also be noted that the more you do, the longer the tour. The full tour is four hours long. Please take note the things you need to check before the tour such as wearing shoes if you plan to walk up the five floors of the lighthouse, small bags allowed with small closed-contained foods and drinks only. Finally, you need to fill out a clearance check as all the stops, with the exception of Sands Space Museum, is on the Cape Canaveral Air Force Military Base. With those in mind, the full tour - known as the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse and Space Flight Tour - is all the stops if possible. I say "if possible" because some stops may be closed for maintenance or upgrades. For us, The Sands Space Museum, where the tour stars, was closed for renovation. However, the museum is free and not on protected property so I can go back and check it out. We visited four different launch sites, three museums, and the Cape Canaveral lighthouse. I personally loved the lighthouse and Hanger "A" which housed some of the larger historic rockets and jets that have helped bring NASA and the U.S. military where it is now. I personally was surprised that the first drone was used as target practice. I can't really detail everything I saw or this would become one my longest reviews, longer than I usually do. Just know that, like I said earlier in the review, for a possible one-and-done, it is worth every penny. However, if you really want to make sure the tour is a one-and-done, pay for the full tour. You'll have enough time to visit everything within the four hours, and if anything is closed, they'll take you to the Canaveral National Seashore, which was amazing because it is literally almost "untouched" by tourism. I will give this tour four out of five stars. I am not going to say consistency will earn the fifth star because only a super fan will take this tour numerous times... or work for the tour company. I will say that the lacking star has to do with the price. It can be high overall especially if stops are closed for some reason.

Great experience an excellent adventure for all in the family. Make sure add to you agenda.read more

Cocoa Beach will always be associated with the classic sitcom I Dream of Jeannie. Airing from 1965…read moreto 1970, the television series starred Barbara Eden as a 2,000 year-old genie and Larry Hagman as astronaut Major Anthony Nelson. After a wayward space mission, Nelson crash lands on a deserted island where he discovers Jeannie sealed inside an ornate bottle. She hitches a ride back to Cocoa Beach in his bag, where her magical powers and love for him lead to five seasons of comedy. Although the series was filmed almost entirely in Hollywood, California, it was set in Cocoa Beach because of its close ties to NASA and the Space Coast. The cast and crew made two promotional visits to Cocoa beach but the city itself never served as a filming location. The show continues on through reruns and streaming. After portraying the handsome Major Anthony Nelson, Larry Hagman went on to even greater fame as the ruthless oil tycoon J.R. Ewing in the hit television drama Dallas, which aired from 1978 to 1991. Hagman passed away in 2012. Barbara Eden, now 94 continues to make occasional public appearances while supporting charitable causes. Cocoa Beach has proudly embraced the legacy of I Dream of Jeannie. In 1996, city leaders dedicated the street beside Lori Wilson Park as I Dream of Jeannie Lane, with Barbara Eden attending the ceremony. Then, on August 24, 2012, the city unveiled a commemorative roadside plaque outside the park honoring the series. I happened to be visiting Lori Wilson Park when I found this roadside reminder of the show. I couldn't help but hum the familiar I Dream of Jeannie theme song as memories came to mind. Jeannie's iconic pink outfit is still a favorite of cosplayers. This is a nostalgic stop that commemorates Cocoa Beach's connection to the golden age of the space race and one of television's most enduring comedies.

I've been driving by this "historic marker" for years, like most of these markers there's nothing…read moreto see commemorating the "I Dream of Jeanie" television show. I finally turn in on the drivable lane and did a short drive through the park, the parking lot to my surprise was filled with vehicles, most were there to let their dogs run free inside the fenced in dog park. Since the sitcom ran between 1965 - 1970 a lot of today's kids are oblivious to this show which most from my generation watched religiously after school after playing outside or riding our motor-less bicycles, life was simpler. Barbara Eden is now 94 according to Wikipedia and is the only surviving member of the cast and receives no royalties since she opted for a cash payment after getting a new contract after the third season of the show...

Orbit, the restaurant was extremely disorganized, slow, dirty, and some older hag behind the…read morecounter was really unprofessionally reprimanding overwhelmed shorthanded staff. I felt completely aghast and disgusted that the staff is treated as such. After waiting 45 minutes, once I finally got my food, there wasn't a clean table to be found. this ruined what was a great experience we were having otherwise.

Always a great experience. So many things to see and do, you definitely need 1 full day just to…read moreview all of the videos and do the experiences. Then you go back to see all the artifcats. Of course, you want to do all of the outside stuff early in the morning when it is not raining or too hot. Recommend the KSC Explore Tour to add to the adventure. You do get some experiences that you don't get on the normal bus tour. Ken and Melanie were great with the bus ride and the stories to tell.