James A Nance is a 5.45 acre park that is part of a string of ocean front parks in Indialantic and…read moreMelbourne Beach. Thus park was named in honor of James A. Nance who was a Melbourne based attorney. He played an integral role in a landmark tobacco lawsuit filed by the state of Florida against major tobacco companies. Between 1997 and 2012 he donated more than $1 million to local charities and organizations including local law enforcement agencies, hospitals, and youth sports leagues. One of his favorite charities was The Haven for Children, which helps neglected, abused and abandoned children. In 1923, the Indialantic Casino was built on the site of what is now the southeast corner of James A. Nance Park. For years it was the epicenter of events in Indialantic. Today James A Nance Park has a lot of great amenities for a family day at the beach. These include beach access, restrooms, exterior showers, pavilions, two sand volleyball courts, and boardwalk There is also an adaptive playground built by community volunteers in honor of Mikey Goodwin who passed away at only 19 from a tumor on his brain stem. His family does a lot of charitable work in his memory. The beach is a great place to catch a rocket launch or sea turtles nesting from March through October. The Sea Turtle Preservation Society is located just a short walk away, so this area is heavily monitored for sea turtle nests. If you are local, annual parking passes for the beach can be purchased at town hall for $50.This pass allows you to park at Wave Crest Avenue, Watson Drive, Tampa Avenue, Sixth Avenue and here at Nance Park. If you are coming for the day you have to pay hourly. If I remember correctly I believe it was $3.50 an hour. Just make sure you pay because the lot was being patrolled to make sure people paid.

Shout out to indiAtlantic for allowing a permit to still have bonfires on the beach. Thanks Long…read moreDoggers for picking up everyone's Christmas trees and for picking up the permit.

I was looking for a "re-installation" of a swingset that we brought with us when we moved. Mark…read morewas easy to get a hold of and answered all my questions. We scheduled the install and everything went so smoothly! The crew was on time and did a great job ensuring the layout was correct for our space. The crew had to do some extra work to move around existing plants, etc and when they left you would have never known anything was shuffled around. The swing set is safely dug in and installed and the kids could not be happier. I highly recommend using them and wont go anywhere else!

This family owned company builds some of the highest quality and best looking swing sets, tree…read morehouses and playgrounds I've ever seen. Their craftsmanship and attention to detail are second to none and Mark and Matthew are such a delight to work with. I highly recommend Playlofts for all of your residential and commercial play system needs.

Ryckman Park is located on Ocean Avenue in Melbourne Beach. It is on the Indian River in the…read morehistoric section of town. The park contains important town buildings including the Town Hall and the Melbourne Beach Community Center which was formerly the Women's Club. It also has a playground, several gazebos, public art, restrooms, and splash pad. Displayed throughout the park are Hometown Hero banners that recognize Melbourne Beach residents and family members, past and present, who have served in the Armed Forces. The Parks Board sponsored this project. My favorite part of Ryckman Park is all of the historical buildings and structures. The Ryckham House, one of the oldest homes in Melbourne Beach is front and center in the park. The park also has a replica of the Beaujean home and first post office and the Melbourne Beach Pier which was built in 1889. I very much enjoyed all of the history and beauty of the this scenic waterfront park. It was especially nice to relax on a bench swing in the breeze as I took in the view. If there is a drawback to this park it would be that you have to pay to park. The kiosk was broken and you had to either scan the QR code or text to pay. It took a few extra minutes to figure it all out but the enjoyment I got from this park was well worth the $3.25 I paid. While I was sorting out the parking I noticed Djon's Steak and Lobster House across from the park. It is a longtime community favorite known for their excellent happy hour menu. I will definitely put it at the top pf the list next tine I am in the area.

Lovely and scenic park! The park is within walking distance of the beach. Nice stop in Melbourne.read more

This is a nice overall park. I found the vibe to be relaxing and enjoyable and the atmosphere…read moredefinitely has a calming effect on the soul. There is definitely adequate parking and again, it definitely is a cool enough park. We as a community need parks. Places like this where we as a community can gather in respite. If you find yourself in the area, I would definitely recommend this particular park. Go check it out, I do not think that you will be disappointed.

Gleason Park is a lovely place to visit. I always feel safe there; there are plenty of people…read morearound but not too many that it's crowded. I also see at least one Gopher Tortoise which is fun. There are several walking paths (semi-shaded), work out equipment, and they are in the middle of adding another playground. There are a lot of benches along the walking paths and around the lake. Plenty of parking and there is even a (smaller, mostly lap lanes) public pool.

Beach is clean and large enough for the people there. Bathrooms and showers are undergoing…read morerenovations and are not available. If they were a solid 4 stars.

Best to visit during the week as there is often no parking on the weekends. There are volleyball…read morecourts, clean bathrooms, pavillons you can rent and a really nice playground.

Awesome park. Clean. Multiple play sets for kids, swings, slides, baseball and football fields.read more

In 1921 the Indian River Land Co. deeded Pocahontas Park to Vero Beach. In the 1920's the park had…read morea small zoo that included alligators, a bear, and a bobcat. The tennis courts were added in 1925. The town's first community center was built in the park in 1935. During WWII it served as a club for Navy personnel training at the airport. After the war it was again used as a community center until a new one was built just north of it. The original center is now The Heritage Center with a museum dedicated to the citrus industry. A plaque outside the building commemorates the spot in Pocahontas Park where on July 2, 1925 William Jennings Bryan delivered a speech for the county's inaugural festivities. Today families visiting the historic Vero Beach downtown area can still enjoy this charming park that has delighted generations of families. The park has pickleball courts, a playground, restroom. shuffle board court, and tennis courts. Standing guard at the entrance to the park is Patriot the fiberglass horse. Pocahontas Park is the perfect place to take the kids to play or to enjoy a game of tennis.

Pocahontas Park is a pleasant enough place located in the Main Street Vero Beach section of the…read moretown. It is more designed for kids, however there are plenty of benches out front and it seems to be a popular place for people just to chill for a bit.

Melbourne Riverview Park Is located on 15.4 acres of the Indian River Lagoon. The city of Melbourne…read moreassumed ownership of Riverview Park from Brevard County in June 2012. Locals and visitors will find amenities for both active recreation as well as relaxation. There are picnic pavilions with tables, grills, restrooms, Scurrah's Landing canoe and kayak launch, and a playground. For 18 years Melbourne Riverview Park has been the site of the Melbourne Farmers Market. It is open 10-2 Every Saturday October - May and the 1st & 3rd Saturday June - Sept. You can fid fresh foods, plants, artisans and more. Whether you are coming for an event or recreation, this park provides a peaceful respite from the busy downtown area. I enjoyed stretching my legs and bird watching over the river. If you have children, the recently renovated playground looks particularly inviting.

This place is meant for the fishing enthusiasts. There's not much of a park other than a swing, a…read morefew benches and and plenty of parking spots. It was a nice little outing for a stroll and that was about it for my family.

The Melbourne Beach Pier is steeped in history. Located in Ryckman Park, the pier was built between…read more1888 and 1889 by the Indian River and Atlantic Railway Company. It was constructed from wood planks and pilings as was common in the late 1800's. The pier is the oldest known example of such piers on the Indian River. After the pier was built it served as a crucial transportation link moving tourists, residents, freight, and mail between the mainland and the barrier island. A railroad was laid from the ferry landing on the dock and across the barrier island 7/10 of a mile to the ocean beach. This provided access to the Atlantic Ocean by a pushcart and later by a motorized car. A ferry service was operated by the Beaujean family between 1889 and 1923. The railroad provided access to the island and excursion boats from the mainland communities brought winter tourists to dock at the pier. The community's first post office was located at the east end of the pier and provided the daily mail service in 1894. The building of the toll bridge between Melbourne and Indialantic in 1921 ended the pier's importance for island access. On April 12, 1984, the pier was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. In 1985 a restoration project supported by local citizens and state programs helped to preserve this iconic Melbourne Beach structure. Today the pier offers a panoramic view of the Indian River and is ideal for fishing, relaxation, and sunset strolls. I enjoyed my walk back in time down this historic pier, and best of all unlike many piers there is no charge to enjoy it.

Located in a really beautiful community, really clean, sunrise and sunset are beautiful and Ocean…read moreAvenue is right at opposite end of the street to surf or just go to the beach. Parking is free all around until 8:00 AM, but plenty of spaces and pay stations where you can pay with card. If you're taking a kid or anyone fishing for the first time and you want to GUARANTEE a bite, go to Black Dog Bait and Tackle like 5 minutes away, get one or two dozen live shrimp with a bubbler bucket and cast off any corner of this pier. I will say that the only thing that bit was catfish NONSTOP. They put up a fun fight and they come in all sizes and they rarely swallow the hook, but once you catch a couple, I suggest going to the beach or finishing up your bait at Geiger Point at Kiwani's Park. You'll have a better shot of catching some little snappers and drums (which you can't keep any size in this area). Super beautiful spot though for a kid's first time out.