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Melbourne, Florida: Where Fun Meets the Sun – The Best Places to Visit and Things to Do!

Summer out here is all of the beaches and all of the water, and the heat runs hard through it. Launch schedules are the other calendar, and a rocket going up beats every single other plan. Winter is when the walking and all of the hiking actually work without punishing you at all. Sea turtle season runs right through all of the warm months. Sky.

Planning a trip to Melbourne, Florida and wondering what to do with it? Start here. This lively city on the Space Coast covers nature people, thrill people, art people and anybody who eats well.

Take the laid-back Melbourne pace and get out into the natural side of it. Brevard Zoo lets you kayak the Giraffe Enclosure, and Canaveral National Seashore runs the long walk. For something faster, take an airboat ride or a fishing trip. And the Space Coast opens up properly at the Kennedy Space Center, where the scale of the thing puts you in your place.

Melbourne’s art and culture scene runs through the Foosaner Art Museum and the Henegar Center for the Arts. And when the appetite arrives, Melbourne covers dining from fresh seafood to farm-to-table. Stay in one of Melbourne’s own places, beachside resorts through to cozy bed and breakfasts. Ready to plan it? Here are the key takeaways:

Key Takeaways

• Embrace the laid-back Melbourne vibe and explore its natural playground
• Immerse yourself in Melbourne’s art and culture scene
• Feast on fresh seafood and farm-to-table cuisine while staying in one of Melbourne’s unique accommodations.

Embracing the Melbourne, Florida Vibe

You have arrived in Melbourne, Florida and the sunshine starts working on you immediately. From the charming neighborhoods to the busy harbor city, this historic city gives everybody something.

Start with a walk through Historic Downtown Melbourne. This charming area runs unique shops, local restaurants and plenty of benches to sit on. Take a coffee and a pastry from one of the cafes and watch the town go past.

Next, head over to the Harbor City. This busy area holds the strongest seafood restaurants in the city. Take a table outside, let the ocean breeze work, and eat whatever came in that morning.

But do not skip the neighborhoods. Each one carries its own character. Drive the tree-lined streets and look at the houses. You might spot a famous resident along the way.

Wherever you go in Melbourne, the sunshine holds. So take the sunscreen and the curiosity and get into the Melbourne, Florida pace.

Nature’s Playground

Nature people belong in Melbourne, Florida. The natural surroundings, the wildlife and the unspoiled beaches make this the outdoor town it is. Here are the places to work through:

Wildlife Wonders

Melbourne holds a serious range of wildlife, alligators through birds through fish. Brevard Zoo is where you get closest, with a kayak tour through the giraffe enclosure, giraffe feeding and a kangaroo walkabout. For the natural habitat version, take the Ritch Grissom Memorial Wetlands, where the birds and the rest go about their business without you.

Unspoiled Beaches

With miles and miles of unspoiled beaches, Melbourne is the perfect place to relax and soak up the sun. Whether you’re looking for a quiet spot to read a book or a place to play beach volleyball, Melbourne’s beaches have something for everyone. Some of the best beaches in the area include Paradise Beach, Cocoa Beach, and Sebastian Inlet State Park.

Hiking Trails

For Melbourne’s natural side on foot, the hiking trails are there. The Turkey Creek Sanctuary runs miles of trail through natural Florida habitat, where turtles and otters and a long list of birds live. For the harder walk, take the Enchanted Forest Sanctuary, with a seven-mile spread of trails across a genuinely varied landscape.

Wetlands, beach or forest, Melbourne, Florida runs all three. Get out into it.

Thrilling Outdoor Activities

For the adrenaline outdoors in Melbourne, Florida, you are in the right place. Water sports through to golfing, this city covers the range.

Water Sports

Melbourne sits along the Indian River Lagoon, which makes the water sports easy. Kayaking, surfing or fishing, the options are all here. And the Brevard Zoo runs kayaking through the giraffe enclosure, which you will not find anywhere else.

Golfing

Golf people will do well, because Melbourne holds some of the strongest courses in Florida. The Duran Golf Club is an 18-hole championship course that tests you without ruining the day. The Baytree National Golf Links is the other, with the surroundings and the greens both kept properly.

Go-Karting

For speed and competition, Andretti Thrill Park is the answer. This outdoor amusement park runs a spread of thrill activities, go-karting among them. Race the friends or the family across the tracks, the Super Speedway, the Andretti Challenge and the Rookie Track among them.

So get out into the outdoors in Melbourne, Florida. A playground, the ocean or a go-kart, none of it runs short.

Exploring the Space Coast

For something genuinely out of scale, take the Space Coast. Between the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral, the final frontier is reachable without leaving Florida.

Kennedy Space Center

At the Kennedy Space Center you stand next to what NASA actually built. Space Shuttle Atlantis and the Apollo/Saturn V Center hold the machinery that made space travel work. And with luck a rocket launch happens while you are there, which recalibrates everything.

Cape Canaveral

To see where it happens, head over to Cape Canaveral. NASA launches its rockets into space from here, and a launch in person is unlike anything else. And launch or no launch, there is plenty on. Take the Air Force Space and Missile Museum or a tour of the launch facilities.

So pack the bag and get ready for something on a genuinely different scale.

Art and Culture in Melbourne

Melbourne, Florida runs a real art and culture scene. The Eau Gallie Arts District through to the museums, there is plenty to work through.

Eau Gallie Arts District

For art with some oddness in it, take the Eau Gallie Arts District. The district holds galleries and studios, along with outdoor murals and sculptures. Highland Avenue carries the colorful murals along the street. You may find a local artist mid-piece while you are there.

Museums

Melbourne holds museums worth the stop too. The Liberty Bell Memorial Museum earns it for history people. The museum sits in the former Melbourne Army Air Field and keeps the history of the U.S. military. Exhibits cover World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, alongside a replica of the Liberty Bell.

Art people should work the galleries in the Eau Gallie Arts District. The Foosaner Art Museum is the other one. It sits in the heart of the Eau Gallie Arts District with a collection of American art out of the 19th and 20th centuries. It is on the National Register of Historic Places too.

The Melbourne Army Air Field turned into the Liberty Bell Memorial Museum after the war had ended. The Foosaner collection covers the American art out of the 19th and the 20th centuries. Rockets have been going up off Cape Canaveral since long before most of us were even born. The Apollo and Saturn V hardware is still standing over at the space center. And it all stays.

Feasting in Melbourne

Melbourne is known for the beaches and the attractions, and the food holds up alongside them. Restaurants, food trucks and cafes run right through the city. Here is how to work the dining scene in Melbourne.

Downtown Dining

Downtown Melbourne is where the dining choice sits. Seafood through to Italian, the range covers everybody. Here are the restaurants to try:

Restaurant	Cuisine	Price Range
The Mansion	Seafood	$$$
Matt’s Casbah	Asian Fusion	$$
The Dove III	Italian	$$
El Ambia Cubano	Cuban	$

For something more casual, take the food trucks in downtown Melbourne. They run cuisines across the board and suit a quick stop.

Food Trucks

Melbourne runs a real food truck scene, with trucks putting out everything from tacos to cupcakes. Here are the trucks to try:

• Coastal Kitchen: Serving up fresh seafood and fish tacos.
• The Bearded Chef: Offers a variety of sandwiches and burgers.
• The Daily City Food Truck Bazaar: A weekly event featuring a rotating selection of food trucks.

A sit-down meal or something quick on foot, Melbourne covers both. Take the appetite out and work the dining scene.

Exploring the Animal Kingdom

Animal people are in the right place in Melbourne, Florida. The city holds two organizations built around preserving local wildlife: the Brevard Zoo and the Sea Turtle Preservation Society.

Brevard Zoo

Brevard Zoo holds over 900 animals from more than 195 species around the world. The zoo splits into themed areas, Expedition Africa, Wild Florida and Australia/Asia among them. Animal encounters get you closer than most zoos allow, feeding a giraffe or petting a rhino among them.

Paws On is the busiest exhibit at the Brevard Zoo, where you handle domestic animals, goats and sheep and pigs among them. The zoo also runs a train around the park and a zip line that puts the animals underneath you.

Sea Turtle Preservation Society

The Sea Turtle Preservation Society is a non-profit built around protecting sea turtles. The society runs a rehabilitation center, where injured or sick turtles recover before going back into the wild.

Visitors to the Sea Turtle Preservation Society can take the guided tour of the facility. You get the different species, their habitats and what they are up against out there. The gift shop sells souvenirs and educational material, and that money goes into the conservation work.

Beyond the turtles, the society works on other marine animals too, manatees and dolphins among them. Anybody who cares about marine conservation should make the stop at the Sea Turtle Preservation Society.

Brevard Zoo or the sea turtles at the preservation society, either way Melbourne, Florida gives you a wild day.

Day Trips from Melbourne

Melbourne, Florida holds you well, but a day out of town works too. There are day trips inside easy driving distance. Here are the two we keep taking:

Sebastian Inlet State Park

For a slow day at the beach, Sebastian Inlet State Park is the answer. The park sits a straightforward drive south of Melbourne and runs miles of clean beach, strong fishing, and water sports like kayaking and paddleboarding.

Sebastian Fishing Museum sits on site at Sebastian Inlet State Park and is the other reason to go. It covers the history of fishing in Florida, from commercial operations through to recreational angling.

Orlando

For something with more in it, head to Orlando. The city sits a straightforward drive northwest of Melbourne and holds some of the strongest theme parks anywhere, Walt Disney World, Universal Studios and SeaWorld among them.

Theme parks are only part of Orlando. There is shopping, dining, museums and art galleries through the city as well. And sports people should take the Amway Center, home of the Orlando Magic basketball team.

Whatever the interest, a day trip to Orlando lands. Bring comfortable shoes, because there is a lot of walking in it.

Where to Stay in Melbourne

So you are coming to Melbourne, Florida and you will need somewhere to sleep after the days out. Melbourne has options across the budget range.

For a luxurious stay, the Hilton Melbourne Beach Oceanfront is the one. Ocean views, a heated outdoor pool and a private beach, and you will not want to leave the property.

For the budget answer, take the Days Inn by Wyndham Melbourne. It does without the extras, and it is clean, comfortable and close to most of Melbourne’s attractions.

Traveling with a group or a family, a vacation home or a condo works better. Sites like Airbnb or VRBO carry the options.

And for something rougher, try camping. Wickham Park in Melbourne runs campsites for tents and RVs, which puts you in the natural side of Melbourne properly.

Wherever you sleep, Melbourne, Florida gives you the days.

Melbourne’s Unique Shopping Experience

You might not think of Melbourne, Florida as a shopping town, and it will surprise you. This charming coastal town holds shops and boutiques you will not see repeated anywhere. Take the wallet.

First stop, Downtown Melbourne. This historic district runs over 30 shops and boutiques, handmade jewelry through vintage clothing through gourmet chocolates. And with the tree-lined streets and the cozy cafes, an afternoon goes easily in it.

For something more offbeat, head to the Eau Gallie Arts District. This eclectic neighborhood holds the most creative shops in town. Take the Foosaner Art Museum’s gift shop for souvenirs with some thought behind them, or work the vintage vinyl at the Eau Gallie Book Exchange.

But the center of Melbourne’s shopping is the Melbourne Square Mall. This indoor shopping center runs department stores, specialty shops and a movie theater. And with over 125 stores, something will catch you.

What sets Melbourne’s shopping apart is the local flair. There are no big box stores here, only shops run by locals who care about what they sell. A handmade piece of jewelry or a vintage record, something will land.

Melbourne, Florida is not the first name in shopping, and it deserves to be higher. Between the boutiques, the creative shops and the local flair, it does not run like anywhere else. Get out and start working it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some free things to do in Melbourne, FL?

There are plenty of free things in Melbourne, FL. Walk the historic downtown and work the murals and the street art. Take the Brevard Zoo and see the animals without spending a thing. And the beach costs nothing at all, which is rather the point of it.

What’s the best restaurant in Melbourne, FL?

We cannot pick just one, because Melbourne, FL feeds you too well. For breakfast, take The Broken Barrel Tavern for the eggs benedict. For lunch, take a sandwich at the Mustard’s Last Stand. And for dinner, head to the Chart House for fresh seafood and the river out the window.

Are there any day trips worth taking from Melbourne, FL?

Plenty. Take a short drive to Cocoa Beach for surf lessons and a slow beach day. Or head to the Kennedy Space Center for a day of space exploration. And for something bigger, drive to Orlando and work the theme parks.

What’s the nightlife like in Melbourne, FL?

We are not Miami, and the nights still work. Take the Off the Traxx Sports Bar & Grille for drinks and live music. Or head to the Iron Oak Post for craft beers and board games. And the Victory Casino Cruises run gambling with the ocean out the window.

Why should I visit Melbourne, Florida?

Why not. There are the beaches, the food, and a pace that nothing beats. And Orlando and the theme parks are a short drive away. The weather holds up more or less all year, which is the rest of it.

What’s Melbourne Beach known for?

Melbourne Beach is known for the white sand and the clear water. It works for surfing, fishing and sitting in the sun. And Sebastian Inlet State Park is right there, which nature people should not skip.

Frequently asked questions about Melbourne, Florida

How many of the animals actually live right inside the Brevard Zoo out there, then, really now, in the end?

Over 900 of them out there, and the whole of that runs to more than 195 species. Expedition Africa and Wild Florida and Australia and Asia are the themed areas out there. A kayak tour runs right through the whole of the giraffe enclosure out there as well. Zip line.

Which one of the trails around Melbourne actually runs the longest out there, then, really now, in the end?

Enchanted Forest Sanctuary out there, and the whole of that one is a seven-mile spread. Turkey Creek Sanctuary is the easier one of them, running through natural Florida habitat instead. Turtles and otters and a long list of birds all live right out along it. Boardwalk.

Which one of the exhibits at the Kennedy Space Center actually holds the shuttle itself, then, really now, in the end?

Space Shuttle Atlantis out there, and the whole of it hangs right in front of you. The Apollo and Saturn V Center covers the whole of the rest of the hardware out there. A launch off Cape Canaveral turns up on the schedule often enough to be worth catching. Rockets.

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