There’s always something new and exciting happening on Florida’s Space Coast! This year on top of enjoying watching weekly rocket launches, embarking on countless adventures from a bustling cruise port, and escaping the crowds on miles and miles of secluded shoreline, we’ve got a couple more tricks up our sleeve. Check out this blog to learn what we’re looking forward to sharing with your family on an unforgettable getaway to one of Florida’s best-kept secrets.
Space
The race to space is hotter than ever. This year more space companies are entering the game and attempting liftoff at the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. This Space Coast Launches app is a great way to keep up to date with these launches during your visit. It provides T-minus 2-hour and T-minus 5-minute notifications, a compass to make sure you’re looking in the direction of the launch pad, and more fun tips and tricks for making the most out of your launch experience. Here are just a few of the high-profile launches scheduled here on the Space Coast.
• Blue Origin’s New Glenn Maiden Voyage
• Fram2 Private Crewed Flight
• SpaceX Crew-10
• Sierra Space Dream Chaser
• Axiom-4
• SpaceX Crew-11
• Firefly Aerospace Blue Ghost Moon Lander
• iSpace’s Hakuto Mission-2 lunar lander for JAXA
• Intuitive Machines IM-2 mission with their second Nova-C lander featuring NASA’s PRIME-1 drill to land near the Moon’s south pole
• Astrobotic’s Griffin lunar lander
*NASAS’s Artemis II mission has been bumped to April 2026
Port Canaveral
2025 is going to be a stellar year to book a cruise from Port Canaveral. Home to 16 ships from every major cruise line, there’s no shortage of adventures embarking from here. Take a look at this exciting list of newcomers!
• Carnival Cruise Lines: Freedom, Glory, Mardi Gras, Vista, Venezia (seasonal, new in Q4 2024)
• Celebrity Cruise Lines: Equinox (seasonal, new in Q4 2024)
• Disney Cruise Line: Fantasy, Magic (replacing Fantasy), Treasure (new in Q4 2024), Wish
• MSC Cruise Line: Seashore
• Norwegian Cruise Line: Aqua (seasonal, New April 2025), Epic (Seasonal)
• Princess Cruises: Caribbean Princess (seasonal, new in Q4 2024)
• Royal Caribbean Cruises: Adventure of the Seas, Utopia of the Seas, Voyager of the Seas (seasonal, new Q4 2024), Wonder of the Seas, Star of the Seas (replacing Wonder, new Aug 2025)
With all these magnificent ships, we’re gonna need a bigger parking lot! Thank goodness Port Canaveral has plans to construct two new parking garages that will accommodate 3,000 more vehicles. For more information on cruise parking and packages check here.
Attractions
If more launches and more cruise ships aren’t enough to get you to take a trip to the Space Coast, the exciting new additions to our top attractions just may be what you were waiting for.
Brevard Zoo
Things have been getting wild at the Brevard Zoo. The work to give the Lion brothers a permanent home in Expedition Africa has been completed. Now, your family can enjoy an elevated boardwalk stroll around the lion and rhino habitats. You’re able to extend your gaze over the Nyami Nyami River to see the ostrich, bongo bongos, camels and more. Several other animal encounters and feeding opportunities are now available for the okapis, sloths, stingrays and kangaroos! Make sure to check times during your next visit for a trip to the zoo you’ll remember forever.
The Brevard Zoo is also getting an exciting makeover this year from local artists. Bold Murals: The Joy of Nature, will bring 14 new murals to the space. We can’t wait to see what inspires the Space Coast’s most outstanding muralists. Exhibitions are currently scheduled for May and September of 2025.
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
A new launch viewing and exhibit area is slated to open in early 2025! The Gantry at LC-39 will showcase LC-39’s location within a national wildlife refuge, highlighting the ultimate blend of humankind’s significant achievements and the beauty of planet Earth. Accessible via the Kennedy Space Center Bus Tour, The Gantry at LC-39, offers an unprecedented 360° view of Kennedy Space Center and active launch pads, as well as a range of immersive exhibits and experiences. Its central theme, Off Earth, For Earth, explores the vital relationship between technology and nature and underscores NASA’s ongoing mission to protect Earth through space exploration. Visitors can expect:
• Earth Information Center (EIC): A dynamic data hub featuring an immersive theater show, captivating hyperwall display, and an interactive exhibit gallery, providing a holistic view of how the planet is changing in ways that affect all life on Earth.
• Rocket Build Interactive: Guests can design and virtually launch rockets, experiencing the thrill of space flight from a launch site within view of Kennedy Space Center’s working space ports.
• Launch Viewing Area: A prime location to view real rocket launches, complete with a large LED screen that loops media content to enhance the experience.
• Interactive Exhibits: Educational activities, including gamified experiences where visitors can explore Launch Complexes 39A, 39B, 41, 40, and 37, using binoculars and informational graphics.
• Test Fire Simulation: A thrilling experience where guests of all ages can stand under an impressive, full-scale rocket engine as it simulates a static fire test, feeling the power and excitement of a rocket’s ignition. A roar of sound, light and cooling mist create a visceral thrill.
• Shaded Courtyard with Animal Play Sculptures: Climbable sculptures of sea turtles, alligators, and an eagle nest, as well as interpretive graphics, tell the story of Kennedy Space Center’s home within the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. In the center, an artifact from a retired Mobile Launch Platform connects guests to the historic launch pads nearby.
• Outdoor Dining Area: A comfortable, shaded space for guests to relax and enjoy self-service dining adjacent to the Crawlerway as well as a Crawler-Transporter tread artifact.
Events
This year get excited for the return of the Cocoa Beach Air Show, Thunder on Cocoa Beach and the Ron Jon Beach & Boards Fest. Don’t forget to check out the event calendar to see what awesome events are planned for 2025.