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As a barrier island, Cocoa Beach does have beautiful
beaches, lined with Oceanfront hotels and its local
landmark, the Ron Jon's Surf Shop. But across the
causeway on the mainland, Cocoa Village has just been
restored. It's charming and old fashioned. However,
just a few miles away, there are several more sites
you might be interested in seeing.
Brevard Museum: Located just six miles northwest of
town, it's small but holds important clues to
Florida's archeological past. In 1984, a bulldozer
clearing an area by Windover Pond a driver hit what he
thought was rocks. They turned out to be human skulls.
Archeologists moved in and discovered a 7,000 year old
burial ground. With research and time, archeologist
found a link to the past. The museum's displays show
the life of the Inidans. There is also a recreation of
a grave showing how bodies were placed. Also on
display: weapons, food and jewelry. All of these items
were historically placed in graves because the tribes
believed the person who died would take these items
with them to their afterlife.
Astronaut Memorial Planetarium and Observatory: Only a
few minutes away from the museum, it's a must see.
Cocoa Beach area boasts 300 plus nights every year of
clear skies. At the observatory you can look into a
24-inch telescope to check out those clear skies. An
expert is on hand to explain what you are seeing.
Downstairs at the planetarium, you can look at the ski
as astronauts do, thanks to the simultaneous playing
of two different projection systems. There are also
laser shows with music along with exhibits on the
development of manned space programs. Also, there is a
chance to ask questions about space exploration.
How to Tour the Kennedy Space Center
It's a museum and a theme park all rolled into one.
The Space Center is a great place to learn about the
past, present and future of the American space
program. And it doesn't even feel like learning! Allow
one entire day to tour the complex.
The Center is located just off shore on Merritt
Island. Nasa shares its bi-tech home with rare and
endangered wildlife. The entire complex is 220 square
miles of machinery, equipment, sand, swamp and
waterways. On that land, you will not only see rockets
and shuttles, you will see manatees and bald eagles.
The actual launch pad is at Cape Canaveral, just a
little farther east of the Center.
There are several tours to chose from at the Center.
Here are the sites you will see. Make sure to select
the tour that will include all of your interests.
Tour One: Vehicle Assembly Building: The first stop on
the bus tour, the building is massive. It's one-fifth
of the size of Rhode Island. In terms of volume, it is
the third largest building in the world. Each stripe
of the American flag painted on the outside is ten
feet wide, the blue field behind the stars is larger
than a basketball court. The building is designed to
accommodate four Saturn V rockets, which are equal two
about two empire state buildings.
Next you will visit the outdoor gallery of rockets, a
copy of the space shuttle orbiter and IMAX theaters.
Special Tour: Include seeing launch pads, the shuttle
landing facility and the runway where returning
orbiters land. Make sure if you are interested in
seeing these areas to check ahead and see if these
tours are available. Normally, these working areas are
not open to the public.
Tour Two: The bus covers the early days of the space
program by visiting the Air Force Space Museum on Cape
Canaveral. An early visit is suggested to avoid long
lines. But if you do have to wait, you do get to
listen to Houston mission control over loud speakers.
The narrator on the bus is former Commander of the
Apollo 11, James Lovell.
Call ahead and you may be able to make some further
plans before you get to the Space Center. Otherwise,
you can choose your tour, or can just walk around open
access areas, when you arrive.
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