If animals are your interest, the Brevard Zoo and it’s over 550 animal friends invite you to stop in for a visit. The zoo offers some wild adventures including “Expedition Africa”, a kayak voyage through restored wetlands, an eco-tour of the nearby Indian River Lagoon and plenty more. Visit the docks of the “Captain’s House” and get a closer look at the manatees in the Palm Bay waterways. Turkey Creek Sanctuary is a unique attraction that includes two distinct habitats, each home to endangered plants and animals. Winding through the wildlife Sanctuary is a 4,000-foot boardwalk and 1.5 miles of jogging trail. Onsite is the Margaret Hames Nature Center where visitors find a quaint display of hands-on artifacts and teaching guides, a reference library, videos and even puppet shows. Ais Lookout Point Lagoon House displays archaeological, historical, natural, cultural and recreational exhibits as it is stationed on one of the eight corridors in Florida designed as a Florida Scenic Highway.
Twenty-one parks reside in Palm Bay, where residents can enjoy a quiet picnic or partake in activities. Baseball, softball, soccer fields and tennis courts can be found at the various parks. Palm Bay Regional Park spreads over 200 green acres and holds one of the few cricket courts in central Florida. This park is equipped with field lights allowing teams to practice or prove themselves during night games. Parks throughout the city also sponsor aerobics, karaoke, jazz and dancing. For a colorful, unique day at the park, visit Hurricane Paintball Park and battle it out on the paint spotted fields. This is one of the few municipal paintball parks in the country. Over 25 golf courses are in the area including an Arnold Palmer signature golf course at The Majors.
Want to spend a day “out of this world”? Check out Brevard Community College Planetarium & Observatory. Lunar craters, the rings of Saturn, Jupiter’s moons… are all visible on the rooftop observatory where you’ll find the largest telescope in Florida. Enjoy the view in the world-class planetarium. A 70-foot dome projection screen replicates a clear sky full of stars. Minutes away find the Kennedy Space Center Visitor’s Complex. Here you can tour NASA’s launch and landing facilities, touch a real piece of Mars and even board the Space Shuttle Explorer. You can watch a rocket or space shuttle launch from any back yard in Palm Bay. Hence the area code 3-2-1…
And One Town Over…
Living in Palm Bay you’re also not far from a few other attractions frequented by visitors from all over. Port Canaveral, the second busiest cruise port in the world, is thirty minutes north of Palm Bay. A variety of cruise options are available here. If you’re looking for just an afternoon or evening of cruise ship festivities, the Sterling Casino Lines Ambassador II embarks twice daily. The ship welcomes visitors with 75,000 square feet of luxurious Las Vegas style casino and entertainment. If you’re a theme park enthusiast you’ll be happy to know Orlando is only an hour drive away. Awaiting you there are Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Studios Orlando Resort, Sea World, Wet N’ Wild and a host of other attractions.
