Tucked away on Florida’s Atlantic Coast, just an hour east of Orlando, lies laid-back Cocoa Beach. It is located on the “Space Coast” because of its proximity to the Kennedy Space Center and is also considered the surf capital of the east coast. So let’s plan a perfect Cocoa Beach getaway!
Kennedy Space Center
Your first stop should be the Kennedy Space Center, just 25 minutes north. For all of those who dreamed of going to Space Camp as a kid, you will be in heaven! Get there early and plan on staying most of the day. This place blew my mind and goes way beyond your typical boring museum exhibits! They gives you a front row seat into the Space race and will leave you feeling inspired by all that these astronauts and engineers accomplished at NASA.
We started out taking the complimentary bus to the Apollo/Saturn V Center. At this part of the facility you can see a life sized moon landing scene, touch a moon rock, and relive the moon landing in the Lunar theatre. Return by bus to the main visitor complex to enjoy the many other exhibits.
Mission control 
Touch a moon rock 
Recreated moon landing 
Atlantis fuel tank
In the Atlantis building you can see the original Atlantis shuttle, enjoy several different simulators, and go through a shuttle launch simulator. There is also a slide and crawl tunnels for kids (and adults who like to play) to enjoy!
One of my favorite highlights was sitting in the original mission control room and reliving the space launch. The windows were shaking as if the shuttle were actually launching.
When you need a break, there are 2 different IMAX movies to enjoy: Asteroid Hunters 3D and Journey to Space 3D. They are each 40 min long and play throughout the day.
In the same building as the IMAX theatre is the Planet Play! This play zone has climbing structures, slides (for kids only), interactive video games, and even a bar and seating area for adults. This is a great break for kids who need a reset after seeing so many exhibits.
There are several other free tours, movies and live presentations throughout the day to keep you busy!
The Orbit Cafe offers great lunch options including salads, pizza, burgers and desserts. I was super impressed with my salad and loved the computers that make it so quick and easy to order your food. There are several other cafes and food stands as well for ice cream, waffles, hot dogs and more!
Rocket garden 
Nature museum 
Gift shop 
Piece of the Challenger explosion 
Simulator game 
Atlantis shuttle
There is an outdoor Rocket Garden which has lots of great photo taking spots. The Nature and Technology building has a small museum about Florida’s natural history.
We spent 6 hours exploring and could have easily spent more. This is a must do on your Cocoa Beach vacation.
More info can be found here: https://www.kennedyspacecenter-tickets.com/
Go Surfing!
Cocoa beach is the surf capital of the East coast and home town of surf champion Kelly Slater. It has the largest Ron Jon surf shop in the country as well as several surf schools. This is a perfect place to take a surf lesson! Contact the Ron Jon surf school for a private lesson!
http://ronjonsurfschool.com/
Cocoa beach pier
Spend an evening enjoying the sunset while eating at one of the restaurants at the Pier. Grab an ice cream cone and watch the beach volleyball players!
Happy Travels!
Check out some more of our Florida adventures!
