Brevard Museum of History & Natural Science

Brevard Museum of History & Natural Science

www.myfloridahistory.org

Brevard Museum of History & Natural Science
2201 Michigan Ave.
Cocoa, FL 32926

(321) 632-1830

https://myfloridahistory.org/brevardmuseum

AT A GLANCE:  Brevard Museum of History & Natural Science
Parking	Plentiful and free
Amount of time needed to peruse exhibits:	25-35 minutes
Amount of time needed for gift shop	15 minutes
Dress code	Whatever you are comfortable wearing
Be sure to…..	Really take some time with the Windover Exhibit, and play with the Museum’s hands-on bone identification station.
Nearby/other establishments to visit	From Scratch Restaurant Ron Jon Surf Shop
Walkability, general downtown area / amount of traffic	This area is not walkable for visitors.  The Museum is located in a suburban area, and further excursions require a car.
Safety, in terms of type and number of crimes committed in general area	Imagine the safety you feel in a suburban city block.  It is generally safe, yet it doesn’t hurt to lock your car and put valuables out of sight.

The Brevard Museum of History & Natural Science is a small place that tries to do too much, in my opinion.  You enter the exhibits to the left of the ticket counter into a room with a huge skeleton.  Don’t be afraid, it’s the skeleton of a Giant Ground Sloth.  They roamed Florida during the Ice Age, traveling in herds.  The impressive jaws of a Great White Shark are nearby, as well as the skeleton of a Saber-Tooth Cat, and a Mastodon.  This room has many fun photo opportunities.   

The Museum has an exhibit that you should slow down and read the placards, and that is the Windover Exhibit, which explains how ancient skeletons were discovered, and what the Windover folks were like.  

You will pass a citrus exhibit showcasing Florida’s citrus exhibit, and an exhibit showing the history of “Crackers.”  In Florida, the term “Cracker” refers to the early settlers who came to Florida to raise cattle.  Crackers got their name from the sound of a whip (*crack*) used to drive cattle.

The Brevard Natural History Museum has a relatively new exhibit presenting the Hubble Telescope.  It struck me as odd as to why the Museum selected that exhibit, being a natural history museum.  Take a few minutes and marvel at the photography from the Hubble Telescope on display. 

You should be ready for the gift shop by this time, which true to Florida tradition; you have to pass through to get to the exit. The Museum’s gift shop takes up a goodly amount of space, considering the overall size of the museum.  They do a good job with their selection of books, with the first book rack on your right specializing in Florida’s native wildlife, birds, and other creatures.  The next rack offers a selection regarding local history.  The space between the two book displays small carvings and art by local artists.  The last rack presents additional books related to Florida’s wildlife with an emphasis on ocean dwellers and wetland birds.  The gift shop has souvenirs representing the Space Industry, which is odd because the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is only 40 minutes away.  The KSC gift shops rank among the best, and is the place to go if you want Space souvenirs.  Note:  The KSC gift shops are scheduled to be reviewed in the upcoming months.  Postcards are on a spinning rack in the center of the gift shop, along with scatter pins and less expensive items for children.  T-shirts of various designs and color are for sale in the cabinet on the far side of the gift shop, by the exit.

I have mixed feelings about the Brevard Natural History Museum’s gift shop.  On the one hand, it has many specialty books related to Florida’s local history and its natural history.  Conversely, it doesn’t make good use of space.  This gift shop has potential.  It’s time for lunch.

Get lunch at From Scratch, a restaurant specializing in local dishes.  If you’ve put off trying grits, try them here.  The macaroni and cheese is incredible, too.  I had both of these and couldn’t believe how good they were.  Their food prep area is visible, so I chatted up the two chefs trying to gain insight on how they made their food so good.  My conversation went like this:

Me:  How do you get your mac and cheese to taste so good?

Chef #1:  It’s how you make it.

Me:  Ok, how do you make it?

Chef #1:  *smiles*

Me:  What about your grits?  They were about the best I ever had.

Chef #2:  It’s how you stir it.

Me:  I didn’t know that.  How do you stir it?

Chef #2:  *smiles*

Sigh…denied.  Here’s their website:  http://www.fromscratch321.com/

Your best bet for quality shopping is in Cocoa Beach, located across the Indian River from Cocoa.  To those of you who are a certain age, you may remember Cocoa Beach as the hometown of Major Nelson from the show “I Dream of Jeannie.”  There is a street in the southern part of Cocoa Beach named for that show.  You’ll recognize it when you see it.  

Cocoa Beach has many “touristy” shops, but it has also has a shop that you should plan to see:  Ron Jon Surf Shop.  It’s a big shop with two levels of surfing themed items such as actual surfboards, bathing suits, shorts, dresses and much more.  Ron Jon’s has some cool items for the home, too.  If you have a hankering for bamboo wind chimes, this is the place.  My friend, Martha, had such a hankering when we visited Ron Jon’s.  Martha is a classically trained musician, and had to “test” every single bamboo wind chime.  She heard differences; I heard clunk, clunk, and clunk.  My point is that there’s something for everyone at Ron Jon’s.  Plan to do some early Christmas shopping here.  http://www.ronjonsurfshop.com/location/detail.aspx?LocationId=7

The Museum is tucked away on a suburban street, and I don’t want to discourage you from visiting the museum because of its location.  I highlight a restaurant and and retail shopping in this post to encourage quality stops you can add to your day’s agenda.