This is also called the Joy & Gordon Patterson Botanical Garden. It is located on the campus of the…read moreFlorida Institute of Technology. You can park in the visitors spaces and admission is free. Twelve thousand years ago, this area was a watering hole for migrating mammoths and mastodons. The Melbourne Mammoth which is currently displayed in Amherst's Beneski Museum of Natural History, was discovered along the Crane tributaries in the 1920s. Fossils including mastodon teeth continue to be found here today. V.C. Brownlie who previously owned the land donated 40 acres to the University of Melbourne for educational purposes. When the University no longer had use for it, Mrs. Virginia Wood, Chairman of the University of Melbourne was instrumental in getting the land donated it to FIT after they pledged to maintain the natural hammock on the property and to not uproot any trees unnecessarily. In honor of their contributions, "Brownlie" and "Wood" halls were named in honor of the two women. In the late 1950's founding university president Jerome Keuper who was a physicist at Cape Canaveral, set aside 15 acres for the garden while the campus was being built. Keuper grew over 200 varieties of Palms from all over the world along with his friend and founder of the Palm Society, Dent Smith. In recognition for Smith's contributions, a trail through the hammock garden was named the Dent Smith Trail in his honor. In 1972 the Board of Trustees of FIT formerly dedicated the botanical garden. The students nicknamed the garden the Jungle and it is kept as natural as possible to this day. The garden has streams which are tributaries of Crane Creek and small bridges cross over the water. There is also picnic benches, a gazebo, a bamboo garden, cycad garden, butterfly garden, fountain, and a turtle pond. Benches in the garden are embossed with quotes from inspirational people such as philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche and local author Zora Neale Hurston. At the beginning of the trail is Melbourne's oldest schoolhouse which dates to 1883. The building was the working schoolhouse for the children of early settlers and is one of Brevard's oldest still existing structures. The "Little Red Schoolhouse" was moved to the gardens in 1970. In 2019, Joy and Gordon Patterson made a large donation to the garden and it was named in their honor. Both Patterson's teach at the School of Arts and Communication of F.I.T. and they felt a special connection to the botanical garden. I always love discovering a new garden and this one even has a historic building. It is so refreshing to the soul to get out in nature and enjoy the clean air and beautiful plants. The fact that this all free makes it even better. The garden is open daily from dawn to dusk. There are both paved and unpaved sections. Anyone can take take a self guided tour. If you contact the college you can arrange for a 45 minute guided tour. This tropical paradise has so much history and beauty. It is well worth it to visit this natural treasure if you are in the Melbourne area.

Visiting a botanical garden for the first time, I expected a vibrant display of diverse flowers and…read moreplants, plus a little bit of cute wildlife, the kind of immersive nature experience you see in travel guides. Instead, this botanical garden felt more like a peaceful park with lots of trees and a well-maintained walking trail. My expectations were definitely high, so the experience surprised me. That said, it was calm, quiet, and relaxing. There were plenty of places to sit, which makes it a great spot for a picnic, reading, journaling, or simply unplugging for a while. If you are looking for a serene outdoor space to reset and enjoy a slow, mindful walk, this is a solid choice. If you are hoping for a colorful, flower-filled botanical garden experience, you may want to visit during peak bloom season or check what is currently flowering before you go.

What a TREASURE to find this place! Haha…read more I wasn't expecting to find this site and my found it when looking for things to do in the area near Disney's Vero Beach Resort. We came due to a windy day that made it near impossible to go to the beach, or the pool - or for doing most outside activity with younger kids. So off we went to the museum. I had seen some documentary type films about Mel Fisher's work and heard about his background - but it was very impressive to watch the informative video of the man, his wife and family and the origins talks their treasure finding lives! The history was quite exciting and the museum has wonderful pieces that proved colorful details and fantastic artifacts, as well as excellent guides and exhibits to demonstrate the history and stories shared through the museums many artifacts and their display. Thanks for a job well done and for sharing the TREASURE we found while visiting the museum to learn more about the history of the finds and the family and others that made it all possible. We had a family of 4 - two adults and our 7&9 year old children. Everyone enjoyed it and they offered scavenger hunt type map with information and learning to be used through the visit with special surprises at the end after completing the museum!

It was cool seeing Spanish treasure and learning about the shipwrecks that Mel fisher found.read more

This is a very cool experience for several reasons first it is filled with local history including…read moredocuments, photos and artifacts. Secondly it's cool as in a great place to get out of the Florida sun. Entry into the museum is included in the entrance fee when entering the park, the museum is located on the south side of the inlet. The Sebastian Fishing Museum is devoted to the rich cultural history of Sebastian's fishing industry. The lives and history of the people who lived in Sebastian were interwoven with fishing and the Indian River Lagoon. The museum commemorates three of Sebastian's early families that operated fish houses: Sembler, Smith, and Judah. Inside you will find a replica of an original fish house and dock. A homemade fishing boat, nets, fishing gear, and photos of fishing in the lagoon are also on display. There is also a gift shop offering some pretty cool stuff!

They closed at quarter till four, not 4 o'clock as posted. Wouldn't even let us into the gift shop.read more

10 out of 10! This festival committee knows how to through a great party! The food was great!…read moreReasonable priced and great quality. The vendor booths were too notch!' The entertainment SO AMAZING! We saw Almighty Queen. I really felt like I was watching an actual Freddy Queen Concert! I would follow them anywhere! Great talent!! I will definitely come back next year!! Thank you.

If you get there by mid-morning, parking is not a problem, and you're able to park right on the…read moregrounds instead of having to go to the airport and take a shuttle. We sampled so many different types of foods, and all were fresh and good as you'd expect. Not the best in any category, but perfectly good. My favorite were the sweet puppies which were essentially hush puppies, but with sugar. Live music played throughout, and the band when we were there was surprisingly good.

Small space, heavy history. The Gifford Historical Museum and Cultural Center punches way above its…read moresize. From the old church building to the surrounding burial grounds, this place tells stories that don't always make it into textbooks. You'll see local Black history through sports, art, faith, and everyday life. Handmade pieces, photographs, memorials, and names that mattered to this community long before anyone thought to preserve them. It's quiet, reflective, and honestly grounding. Not flashy. Not rushed. Just real. The kind of place where you slow down, read the plaques, and walk out knowing a little more than you did going in. What really stood out was learning about Black culture in Gifford and the Highwaymen artists. These painters weren't gallery darlings. They were out there creating beautiful Florida landscapes and selling them straight off the side of the road. Pure talent, hustle, and survival rolled into one. It adds real depth to the museum. You don't just see the art, you understand why it existed and what it took to be seen at all.

This powwow is usually a good one but due to some scheduling conflicts it wasn't the same. The…read morepowwow is usually held under the Agriculture Pavilion but a Dog Show was being held there at the same time so it was moved out onto the grassy field. The dance arena was also made smaller and there was not as many vendors this year either. My friends were the Head Man and Head Lady dancers so I decided to come down and support them. There were 3 Native American drums this year, two from here in Florida and one from North Carolina. They travelled a long way to get out of the cold and snow. I can't blame them for that. While some of the songs that were being sung were not familiar to me, I did my best to keep up with the beat (Yes, I do dance at powwows). I The only major downside to this powwow was who they chose to be Emcee. He said a lot of things deemed "too political" for a powwow setting where we are supposed to be sharing the culture and not putting down other countries, or stating to vets that it's "their fault" we have our freedom. Poor choice of words. I'm sure that this event will be better next year once these things get straightened out.

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

We love the Majestic in Vero Beach the sound was much to…read moreloud. Loved the movie Young Washington and would see it again.

Can't go wrong going here for a flick. Been going here for…read moreyears and still get nostalgic coming in