10 amazing things to do on family holidays to Florida’s Space Coast

The incredible line up of Florida’s Space Coast family activities makes holidays with kids unforgettable on the nearest and beachiest coast to Orlando’s theme parks.

Beach fun is one of the best Space Coast family activities

Just 45 minutes from Orlando, Florida’s Space Coast is lined with beautiful beaches, laid-back beach towns, wildlife packed parks and rocket launches. It’s also the coast for the Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex, as well as a magnet for serious surfers.

If that sounds like the perfect holiday destination, just wait until you hear about Florida’s Space Coast family activities. We’ve picked our top 10 things to see and do, and that doesn’t even scratch the surface.

Brevard Museum of History & Natural Science

Brevard Museum of History & Natural Science

Some of the world’s oldest human skeletons might be the last thing you’d expect to find in Florida, but the Brevard  Museum of History & Natural Science in Cocoa is packed with surprises.

As well as being the only place where you can see the astonishing findings of the Windover Archaeological Site, it’s also home to the Brevard One Room School, remarkable Ice Age fossils and a cast of a Giant Ground Sloth (just as wild as it sounds). Younger kids will enjoy the interactive Imagination Station and older ones have a full-scale reconstruction of the Windover Site – as it was over 7,000 years ago – to explore.

American Space Museum: free Space Coast family activities

Once you’ve done the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, you have to visit the American Space Museum & Walk of Fame in nearby Titusville.

A celebration of all the unsung heroes who have made space exploration a reality over the past six decades, this outstanding museum gives kids a deeper insight into the U.S. Space Program. Free workshops on the second Saturday of every month are great fun for 4 to 12 year olds. But visitors of all ages will be equal parts inspired and fascinated by exhibits ranging from the Women in Space Gallery to the Apollo Gallery: a deep dive into the Space Program’s most enduringly icon project.

Historic Cocoa Village Playhouse, Florida’s Space Coast

The Historic Cocoa Village Playhouse

A great excuse to spend time in charming downtown Cocoa Village, The Historic Cocoa Village Playhouse has been around in one form or another for over a century.

It started life as the Aladdin Theatre showing silent movies in 1924 and today’s beautifully restored building sweeps you right back to that era with gilded boxes, plush velvet seats and dazzling chandeliers. Although it has since moved on from movies, and now stages some of the best community theatre productions in the state. So whether you’re up for a spot of nostalgic design or you can’t resist a show tune, this one is an unmissable treat for families.

King Center for the Performing Arts ©King Center for the Performing Arts

King Center for the Performing Arts: six storeys of culture

At the opposite end of the theatre spectrum, the six-storey King Center for the Performing Arts couldn’t look more different from a vintage playhouse, but its commitment to great entertainment continues the same tradition.

This striking theatre hosts everything from live music and stage shows in the 2,016 seat Main Theatre to comedy events in the intimate Studio Theatre. It’s a regular venue for stunning productions by the Space Coast Ballet Company and family shows feature large throughout its annual programme.

Surfside Playhouse: entertaining Space Coast for over 80 years

A laid-back vibe is one of the many things we like about Space Coast, Florida and Surfside Playhouse is exactly what we mean by that.

It started off as a small, community theatre group way back in 1959 – even performing on the beach at times – and today that local spirit still thrives. Although the productions are far from amateur and you’ll find them at the dedicated 250-seat theatre in Cocoa Beach. No surprise to discover that the Surfside Playhouse puts on a lot of family shows: it’s had a youth theatre since 1979.

Seasonal performances are another speciality, and a mix of musical theatre and drama means it’s unlikely there won’t be something worth watching whenever you visit.

Cocoa Village, Florida’s Space Coast

Cocoa Beach: the most famous town on Florida’s Space Coast

With its easy-going, surfy vibes and sunshiny colours, Cocoa Beach is probably the best known town on Florida’s Space Coast.

It’s an instant hit with kids for  the aforementioned, plus the fact that it has the nearest beaches to Orlando and the best spots anywhere to watch rocket launches. Apart from being a good place to hang out and soak up the sun, Cocoa Beach is also famous for cute, toes-in-the-sand Tiki Bars, and  great family restaurants, as well as the classic Westgate Cocoa Beach Pier: a big slice of Americana that teens love.

Plus, because it’s only 45 minutes drive from Orlando, the town’s a perfect base for family holidays that mix up theme parks and beaches, so you’ll find everything here from excellent value motels and guesthouses to the type of  holiday homes designed to simplify your multi-gen holiday plans: you can still take all the credit.

Historic Downtown Melbourne: shop and eat local

Historic Downtown Melbourne is the proof that not everywhere is about beaches on Florida’s Space Coast.

Melbourne sits on Indian River Lagoon and its downtown district is well loved enough to earn an acronym ‘DTMB’. Come hungry, there’s a choice of over 20 restaurants and that’s before we even mention the cafés and coffee shops.

Speaking of shops, this is also an amazing spot for picking up local artisanal products, art, crafts, cool clothes and even antiques: more than 45 shops call DTMB home.

Alternatively, if you just want to play, you’re in luck, whether you’re up for kayaking on Indian River Lagoon or taking a fun mural walk with kids: DTMB has 20 murals to discover.

Naturally wonderful parks, Florida’s Space Coast

Florida’s Space Coast parks are packed with family activities

How easily you can immerse yourself in nature is another reason families love Florida’s Space Coast. Our advice? Start with these family-friendly spaces that give you views for miles, wildlife to watch, and places to hike, as well as a sense of peace you might not have expected just 45 minutes from Orlando’s theme parks.

• Jetty Park can easily fill a day between beach fun, the colourful kids’ playground, its classic fishing pier and the excitement of watching cruise ships glide along the coast.
• Head for Barrier Island Sanctuary to stretch your legs on the well marked hiking trails around this 34-acre park. You can also book guided walks if you want to know more about the natural habitat. And always leave time for the interactive Management and Education Center: a great learning experience for kids.
• White sands and lifeguards monitoring the sea, make Lori Wilson Park a firm favourite with families. The beach here is spectacular, and if you want a break from lazing, there are nature walks nearby, along with a volleyball court.
• Snorkelling, diving, fishing and surfing are just a few of the Space Coast family activities on offer at Sebastian Inlet State Park. Should you want to just take it easy, you’ll also find three miles of beaches here too.

Don’t miss these wildlife wonders

• Over 500 species of wildlife, as well as 140 fish species and 358 bird species, give Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge a distinct edge when it comes to entertaining kids. Younger ones will enjoy the self-drive Black Point Wildlife Drive through seven-miles of the refuge, and there are hiking trails for energetic older ones.
• Visit Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge to discover the western hemisphere’s most important nesting area for loggerhead turtles.

Iconic airboat tours on Florida’s Space Coast

Rocket launches aren’t the only out-of-this-world thrills on Space Coast, Florida, as local airboat tours are happy to prove. The whole area is awash with waterways so you can take your pick of tour locations, although St. Johns River and Indian River Lagoon are top choices. And if you’re up for spotting wildlife, this is also one of the best ways to see alligators, in the wild. River boat tours are another fun way to take to the water, with a high chance of seeing dolphins and manatees. Or when you want to go it alone (or with local guides) hire kayaks for a few hours or book a kayaking tour, sea or river, it’s up to you, there are dozens of options to choose from.

READ MORE: Discover out of this world family beach holidays on Florida’s Space Coast