The Eau Gallie Arts District is a cool part of Melbourne, Florida to spend a bit of time…read more There are murals and cool shops. There are also cool restaurants and bars, as well. In my opinion, a townor city needs to have a neighborhood with a funky, eclectic soul like this particular neighborhood. If you find yourself in Melbourne, Florida, I would definitely recommend checking out the Eau Gallie Arts District.

Eau Gallie is a historic Florida settlement in what is now Melbourne. This area of Florida is known…read moreas the Space Coast. The first settlement in Eau Gallie was established in 1859 when John C. Houston received an 80-acre homestead on the north shore of the Eau Gallie River. In the late1800's the area had thriving pineapple plantations and land was selling for $1,000 an acre until the freeze of 1894-95 which killed off the pineapple crops. The Eau Gallie Arts District is known as EGAD. It is a Florida Main Street program created to bring revitalization to the historic downtown Eau Gallie area by adding murals to the buildings. In November 2017, 19 murals were added to the downtown creating an outdoor art museum. The murals are part of the Anti-Gravity Project aimed to "elevate outdoor spaces, generate positive community energy, and showcase the EGAD as the growing epicenter of innovation on the Space Coast." The historic district includes the Historic Rossetter House Museum and Gardens, the Eau Gallie Public Library, Pineapple Park and restaurants, galleries, and shops. FM Pizza and Joan's Perfect Pies are two businesses you don't want to miss. The Eau Gallie Arts District hosts various events throughout the year. One of the most popular is First Fridays when you can stroll down the historic Highland Avenue and visit the different shops, galleries, and bars that host events and exhibits. Other popular events throughout the year include Whiskey in the District, An Evening in Paris, and the Rocky Water Brew Fest. I love when art and history come together so this was a really fun place for me to explore. Unfortunately the downtown arts recently suffered a blow with the closing of the Foosaner Art Museum whose loss will be felt for years to come. In the future EGAD will see the former art museum into a 180-room hotel by Northboro Builders who purchased it, a parking garage built, and more retail businesses added to Highland Avenue. Hopefully as they focus on getting bigger they won't loss the old Florida charm which was what made this such a delightful place to visit in the first place.

Decent collection of military uniforms and accessories. It also has 2 static helicopter and 1 tank…read moredisplay. Good local military history items. I took a rambunctious 4 yr old without incident. Not very interesting for him though.

Overall Rating: 3.5 Atmosphere: 3.5| Price Per Artifact: 5.0…read more Cool little museum, especially considering it's completely free. There are some genuinely interesting artifacts and exhibits, although the place could definitely use an infusion of newer, more up-to-date material. The strangest part is that they don't even accept donations. Apparently, ever since the city bought the museum, they're unable to accept money at all. So admission is free, but visitors can't even contribute a few dollars to help them update or add exhibits. Overall, it's a cool museum and worth checking out, especially for free. There's just a lot of untapped potential, and with a little investment, it could be much better.

I love a history museum, especially one that's free, and the Brevard Museum of History and Natural…read moreScience checks both boxes. With more than 3,000 fascinating artifacts in its permanent collection, there's so much to learn and explore. The Brevard Museum, Inc. was formed in 1969. The museum is currently operated by the City of Cocoa in a building tucked away in the quiet College Green Estates housing subdivision. If you didn't know it was there, you could easily drive right past it. The museum has two wings to explore. One focuses on Florida's natural history, featuring Ice Age fossils, including a giant ground sloth and mastodon, along with exhibits that recreate life in 1800's Florida. The other wing traces the region's human history, beginning with indigenous people, the Spanish colonization of Florida, and continuing through pioneer life, before ending with the Space Age. Exhibits cover a wide range of topics, including Florida's Indigenous peoples, Ice Age and modern wildlife, early Brevard settlers, Spanish ships, the citrus and turpentine industries, Flagler's railway, space exploration, arrowheads, artifacts from the Seminole, Miccosukee, and Ais peoples, shells, and casts of prehistoric and modern animal fossils. The Albert and Grace Taylor exhibit displays the personal effects of pioneers Albert and Grace Taylor. Grace Webster Taylor was a resident of the City of Cocoa, who passed away on December 27, 1945. There are also replicas of a one-room schoolhouse, a general store, and the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse. The exhibit that fascinated me most was about the Windover archaeological site. In 1982, a bulldozer excavating a pond for a new housing development uncovered several human skulls. Archaeologists soon determined that the remains belonged to an ancient Indigenous community that had lived in the area approximately 7,000 to 8,000 years ago. Over time, researchers recovered the remains of 168 individuals from the peat at the bottom of the pond. The peat created remarkable preservation conditions, protecting not only the skeletons but also soft tissues, including some brain tissue. Research conducted by Florida State University revealed a wealth of information about Florida's earliest inhabitants. Textiles recovered from the burials provided rare insights into ancient weaving techniques, while preserved stomach contents offered valuable clues about their diet. The museum exhibit displays a preserved skeleton, a bust of the "Windover Woman," and a recreation of the unique wet archaeological excavation. Unlike many local history museums I visit, this one has activities for kids making it more family friendly. There is a Discovery Room designed for children, where there are toys and a rocket capsule they can climb into along with other hands-on activities to enjoy. Behind the museum is a nature preserve and the Johnnie Johnson Nature Trails. The winding network of paved and natural-surface trails meanders through 22 acres of native Florida upland and wetland ecosystems surrounding Clear Lake, making it a fun way to extend a visit. There is so much local history packed into this small, free museum. The exhibits on archaeology, Florida history, natural science, and the Space Age are interesting for all ages. This is a wonderful budget friendly activity outside of the typical tourist destinations.

Suppppperr cute surf shop on the main road. Small store but clean. Employees are friendly too…read more Occasional patio sales outside of the store which is always fun and affordable. Definitely stop here... colorful building. Can't miss it.

I never expected to find a Native American gallery in Cocoa Village, but there you go. This place…read moreis for sure worth a stop to visit. Besides the gallery, there is a private collection you can view while there. The owner was working while we there and told us much about the items and the history. He is the second generation of his family to run the store, they have been doing this for many years. You will see some beautiful, unique items here.

I happened to be in the Cocoa area and on my way into Downtown Cocoa when the sign to this business…read morecaught my attention. I knew my wife being native american would like this place if they just had something native in it. What we found was a beautiful little museum type store packed with tons of great native american items. From amazingly beautiful pictures to historic peices tucked away in another area of this store. The man who was working there was so nice and really helped continuing to set the mood for the day. Cocoa had some very nice people. But back to the man, I believe he might have said he and his mom ran the store. He really enjoyed showing pictures of his mom and him and speaking about his wife and kid who was working on going to school for something in the medical field. But beside that great conversation he showed us some amazing things that were all very expensive understandably and collectable peices some for sale, some not. He was very passionate about being native american and showed me and my wife and kids around the store. I definitely recommend this spot for anyone in the area. Such amazing things to see in here and such nice stories that this man shared with us. Right before we were ready to leave I was beginning to ask my kids who had been looking at some nice arrowhead peices which one's they wanted and before I could finish asking them the man told my kids to grab one for each. It wasn't about receiving anything for free because this man was genuinely so nice even before that but this was a great experience and the next time I'm in the Cocoa area I will definitely stop by this place again.

The Melbourne Chamber Music Society hosts incredible chamber music concerts at St Marks …read more I've never been to services at the church, so I cant comment on that. This lovely church graciously lends its home to the breathtaking, intimate performances of some of the finest musicians in the world, including the Vienna Piano Trio, the Guarneri String Quartet , and the Parker String Quartet, for just a few examples from the 2008- 2009 season.. The Melbourne Chamber Music Society, a non profit organization, books performances by world renowned classical musicians who are happy to stop by on their way to gigs in New York or Miami, and play for an appreciative audience in this very warm and cozy setting. And they play at greatly reduced prices, compared to the big cities! The 'stage' is near the center of the acoustically ideal and very attractive sanctuary, and many seats are so close to the musicians that you can actually read the music on the page along with the performers! If you love classical music, or are curious about what fine music sounds like "up close and personal" you should make it a point to experience one of these shows. Its the best entertainment deal in Brevard, I guarantee it! Be sure to check the Society's website for performers, dates and times. http://www.melbournechambermusicsociety.com/index.php

Love this art center/ gallery/ boutique! I may be a little biased as I have my jewelry line on…read moredisplay and for sale here, but there are many reasons why I dig this place. Off Center has some really amazing locally created art and art pieces. Ruth Ann, who owns Off Center is not only a creative visionary and jack of all trades, but she's a genuinely nice person. All the staff is friendly and creative. They offer several art classes for children, which they really seem to enjoy. This place is a great resource for art and creativity, and a little retail therapy.

I have visited Betsy's Art Studio several times and have had such a great creative time. I choose…read moreto do a stitching project following Betsy's guidance and I love what I was able to do. There are so many projects to consider and the guidance of a master artist is always available. Im not in town as often as I like but when I am, a visit to Betsy's is a must. Its a very relaxed atmosphere and no pressure to be perfect!! Try it-you will not be disappointed. A fan from Kentucky!