11 Fun Things to Do in Merritt Island Florida
Heading to Merritt Island and looking for things to do? You’re in the right place.
I’ve been to Merritt Island twice, but it wasn’t until my last visit that I realized how all the things there are to do there besides the space centre and the cruises.
We stayed at a house in Merritt Island which had a very helpful host, who is a local resident.
She shared with us a whole bunch of ideas of things to do on Merritt Island which made me wish that we were staying longer. As a result – we’ve booked a trip back next year, to visit the Florida Keys and Merritt Island again.
So, let’s jump in – here are all the things there are to do on Merrit Island!
Things to do in Merritt Island
Merritt Island is an interesting place because some parts of it feel very built up and industrial, but quite a bit of it is covered in nature preserves.
Only the south part of the island is ‘built up’ and it can get pretty busy in terms of traffic.
1. Visit Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
After the space center, the national refuge is probably the next big attraction on the island. For one, its huge – 140,000 acres.
It has unspoiled natural Floridian scenery, and it wouldn’t be uncommon for you to see manatees, dolphins or alligators, lots of types of birds.
You can visit the whole thing simply by driving through, or there are trails and boardwalks through the greenery to walk through.
Here are a few tips for visiting the Merritt Island National Refuge:
- Do the Black Point wildlife drive – its 7 miles (11 km) one way, and takes you through the refuge where you can make stops along the way. It’s definitely a must
- Go inside the vistor centre. There are some interactive learning displays, and a gift shop where you can get unique American souvenirs. (When you’re there, ask for a map if you plan to do the Black Point drive, because it has numbered stops where you can look for certain types of animals)
- Head to the Manatee Observation Deck to try to spot manatees
- Bairs Cove ramp is also good place to spot manatees.
- Bring bug spray, the mosquitos are quite viscous (this goes for pretty much anywhere on Merritt Island)
2. Spend an afternoon at Cocoa Beach
Cocoa Beach is a tourist town with beaches, shopping, and some good restaurants.
Much of Merritt Island isn’t touristy perse. But for a nice afternoon in a place that feels like it caters to tourists, I recommend heading to Cocoa Beach.
Cocoa Beach is just south of Cape Caneveral and is about a 1 hour drive from most of the hotels and residential areas on Merritt Island.
By the way- Cocoa Beach near Merritt Island shouldn’t be confused with Cocoa, which is on mainland Florida.
Things to do in Cocoa Beach include:
- Walk along the 800-foot long Westgate Cocoa Beach Pier, which is considered an important landmark on Florida’s Space Coast
- Do a 2-hour dolphin spotting tour in the Cocoa Beach Thousand Islands
- Go kayaking, surfing and other fun beach activities. There are many tour providers that offer different sports
- If you’re travelling with kids, head to the Dinosaur Store and Museum. They have an adventure zone, and lots of activities – great way to escape the heat
3. Do a Bioluminescence Kayak Tour
In east Florida at certain times of the year, you can observe beautiful bioluminescence in the water, and its become popular to enjoy the phenomena through kayaking.
In case you didn’t know – bioluminescence is a phenomenon which involves living things producing light. (Fireflies are an example of bioluminescence.)
It’s much easier to see bioluminescence in the water the summer months.
If you visit off-season, your chances of seeing it are lower- they can never ‘guarantee’ a sighting, but but I guess you still get a kayak tour with a guide out of it either way.
Book your bioluminescence kayak tour here (ages 5+, 2 hours long, and about $75 per person)
4. Have a beach day
Being an island, Merritt Island of course has some beaches (besides Cocoa Beach, which is an hour away) that are great for swimming, sunbathing, surfing or just relaxing to the sound of the waves.
In terms of beaches on Merritt Island, your best bet is Canaveral National Seashore (pictured below)
The Canaveral National Seashore in northwest Merritt Island consists of beautiful unspoiled sandy coastline.
The national seashore has beaches within it, such as Playalinda beach Klondike Beach.
You must pay an entrance fee to get in, and it’s open from 6am to 6pm. There’s lots of parking along the peninsula to visit the beaches.
If you’re willing to drive up to an hour from Merritt Island, here are some additional beaches you could go to which are located further south (in most cases, you’d need to drive back onto mainland to get to them:)
- Spessard Holland Beach (North and South) – lots of parking, restrooms on site, and a long, sandy coastline.
- Coconut Point Park
- Tables Beach
- Pineda Beach Park
- Cocoa Beach, as mentioned
5. Go on sunset sailing tour
This is a really cool tour which allows you to get out onto the water, by sailing on a catamaran while the sun sets.
It’s for all ages, 2 hours long, refreshments are provided and there’s a possibility of seeing wildlife too.
You meet at 290 Marine Harbour on Merritt Island, are taken out in the boat and then dropped back off there at the end of the sailing tour.
Book your Sunset Catamaran Sail in Merritt Island here (all ages, 2 hours long, and about $60 per person)
6. Spend a day (or two!) at Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy Space Center is one of the most obvious choices of things to do on Merritt island, but its still worth a mention.
One thing people don’t realize is very extensive. You can buy a pass for one day, but in my opinion its much better to have at least two days at the space center.
The reason that I think least two days are needed are because of the bus tour. The bus tours are 1-2 hours long (1 hour if you go with the free option, and 2 hours if you pay extra for the journey tour which we did.)
Ultimately, whichever bus tour you choose ends up taking a big chunk of the day because you’re dropped off at the Saturn V center which is on the other side of the complex, and too far to walk. It’s also very much worth a visit in itself so you’ll want to have time there.
So, in order to see all there is to see at the Saturn V, whichever bus tour you choose, plus the main visitor complex, it would be very tight to fit this all into one day.
We visited Kennedy Space Center with my 12 and 3 year old. Read my post with helpful information on visiting KSC with kids.
7. Go for a hike at Ulumay Wildlife Sanctuary
Ulumay Wildlife Sanctuary consist of 600-acres conserved land. There are lots of hiking trails, and lagoons where you can take a kayak.
It’s most famous for bird watching, but you can see other animals too that live in the wild on this lush and unspoiled land.
There are trails that you can walk through the sanctuary. The main trail is this 7km (3.6 mile) loop, which you can do as much or little as you wish.
Unfortunately, Ulumay isn’t always the best maintained (depending on the season, it could be a bit overgrown or just hasn’t been sufficiently cleaned up after other visitors.)
So, if you head to the Ulumay sanctuaty, remember to leave it the way you left it. It’s a free activity with a huge parking lot, so its here if you want to spend time outdoors.
Pro Tip: This goes for pretty much anywhere on Merritt Island, but especially here as there isn’t a lot of shade- don’t forget hats, sunscreen, and lots of bug repellent.
8. See animals up close at the Brevard Zoo
Brevard Zoo isn’t on Merritt Island, but its only about a 30-mintue drive from most places in the hotel/residential area on Merritt Island.
I don’t always recommend zoos, but Brevard Zoo is different from most other zoos. They’re also very much focused on animal care and conservation, and they have a lot of unique activities that aren’t usually available at other zoos.
The coolest thing is that you can actually go kayaking in canals Nyami Nyami River past the animal exhibits. You can watch giraffes munching on some leaves as you paddle along in your boat.
Other activities include:
- a little train that takes you through the zoo (great for young kids)
- rhino encounters
- feeding cocktails, kangaroos or giraffes
- + more (too many to list)
If you want to book any of these activities then you should book them in advance on their website. Otherwise, you can just general admission.
Pro Tip: You can save a few bucks by buying general tickets online vs on-site.
9. Watch a space launch… from anywhere
You don’t have to visit the Kennedy Space Center in order to see (or hear) something be launched into space.
We found out from experience that launches can be seen and heard from anywhere within a certain radius.
We were swimming in our backyard from the house we were staying in when we heard a loud noise of something like a rocket – looked up, and saw this.
The moral of the story is that if you’re prepared, you can experience a launch into space on Merritt Island without having to schedule a viewing at one of their designated viewing areas.
I recommend looking up upcoming launches so that you know when they’ll be happening. Then, maybe you can watch from your backyard, like we did!
10. Sam’s House at Pine Island
Visiting Sam’s House is a really nice family-friendly thing to do, that allows you to learn about local history.
Sam’s House is homestead of a John and Sarah Sams, and their 5 children. It’s the oldest building in the area, built in 1875.
Its located on the 900-acre Pine Island Conservation Area which has lots of wildlife too. It’s a nice thing to do while you’re in Merritt Island.
You can:
- Go inside the house, see the interior and artifacts. Read the stories about the family who lived here
- Walk the on-site trails through mangroves, and spot wildlife. You’ll see a map outside the house showing you all the trail options.
Simply show up anytime between 9am and 5pm.
11. Take part in fun local events
Merritt Island has a population of over 30,000 year-long residents so its almost like a small town.
There are some local events and festivals you can take part in, if you know about them in advance.
- Watch Christmas Boat Parades, which takes place every December. Every year, boats are lit up and sail through the channel – like a parade, but on water. See the event page here (Cocoa Beach and Village also do their own boat parades)
- Mango Festival which is usually held in June, and celebrates locally harvested different varieties of mangos
12. (Bonus) Hang out at a park
Merritt Island has a few parks, and they’re actually the perfect thing to do if if you’re trying to kill time before a cruise boarding.
Many people spend time on Merritt Island because of upcoming cruises that leave from Port Canaveral.
We found Kelly Park East while we were waiting for our Disney Cruise. Its a nice shaded playground right on the Banana River.
Kelly Park is the most convenient park if you’re waiting for a cruise. It has a playground, restrooms, and you can see your cruise ship from the park, which is pretty cool.
Other parks in Merritt Island include:
- Rotary Park Merritt Island (picnic tables, playground, and a trail)
- Manatee Cove Park (playground, and rivers.) Also has an all-ages, family friendly kayak tour that leaves from there to see manatees and dolphins
Where to Eat in Merritt Island
Last time we stayed on Merritt Island, we ordered from Olive Garden, (which I was excited about as we don’t have Olive Garden back home.) Unfortunately, my husband was sick after the meal. Luckily, our host recommended tons of other options for places to eat during our next visit.
- Merritt (My) Island Pancake House – a cute, and much-loved breakfast place on Merritt Island. It even has a small gift shop with souvenirs
- Nitro Kitchen & Cocktails – upscale American Mexican cuisine, and fancy drinks
- Alfredo Paradiso – Italian cuisine with a cozy, sit-down interior
- Balibar Wines & Grinds (currently closed to the public, not sure if/when it will reopen)
- Joy Luck – Chinese takeout
- Wabi Sabi – Japanese cuisine, lots of sushi
- Florida’s Fresh Grill – not technically on Merritt Island, but in Cocoa Beach which is about 1-hour drive away
Where to Stay in Merritt Island
We stayed in a beautiful 3-bedroom home on Merritt Island (pictured above) and my 12 year old called it “one of the best AirBnbs we ever stayed in.” We’d definitely recommend it – it has a swimming pool, a full kitchen, and is very cozy.
Merritt Island is full of houses you can rent. So if you’r ideal situation is a house with a swimming pool, you can find a lot of those in Merritt Island. Many of them are on Booking.com, or on AirBnb.
If you prefer to stay in a hotel, you might have to head to Cocoa Beach. Merritt Island is more residential and doesn’t have as many hotels.
Merritt Island FAQ
Here are the most commonly asked questions about planning a stay in Merritt Island
Does Merritt Island have nice beaches?
Merritt Island has some nice beaches, most of them are in the National Seashore, and others are outside of it. If you want to find more beaches, you can drive 30-60 minutes and head to Cocoa Beach.
Is Merritt Island the same as Cape Canaveral?
Cape Caneveral is attached to the same land mass as Merritt Island, but is generally considered to be separate from Merritt Island. Cape Caneveral is about a 30-minute drive from the residential area of Merritt Island.
Does Merritt Island have a downtown?
Merritt Island doesn’t have a downtown perse. Only the southern part of Merritt Island is ‘built up’ with houses, hotels, malls, restaurants and other services. The northern part of Merritt Island is almost entirely made up of conserved land.
Final Thoughts on Merritt Island
I hope that this guide has given you some ideas for Merritt Island, and that you learned more about the things you already knew you could do. One thing I’ve learned is that Merritt Island is a bit more than just a place to spend a night or two before a cruise. There are some decently fun things to do there or nearby as well.