Museum · 53 min north
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
See the Space Shuttle Atlantis, a Saturn V rocket and launch pads. A must for space fans.
- Full day · Easy
- Open 9 am-5 pm (check)
- Tickets (check)
Day Trippin' › Florida › From Melbourne
Day trips from Melbourne
From Melbourne, the Brevard Zoo is about 20 minutes away, Sebastian Inlet about half an hour, the Cocoa Beach Pier about 35, Pelican Island under 40, Merritt Island under 50, and the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex under an hour. The best day trips from Melbourne, by drive time.
139 places within a 3-hour drive, by real roads.
10 day trips from Melbourne
- Sebastian Inlet State Park 33 min southeast
- Cocoa Beach Pier 35 min north
- Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex 53 min north
- Magic Kingdom 1 hr 24 min west
- Loggerhead Marinelife Center 1 hr 36 min southeast
- Blue Spring State Park 1 hr 42 min northwest
- Mount Dora 1 hr 44 min northwest
- Castillo de San Marcos 2 hr 14 min north
- Rainbow Springs State Park 2 hr 39 min northwest
- Vizcaya Museum and Gardens 2 hr 45 min south
Within an hour from Melbourne 11 spots
Beach · 33 min southeast
Sebastian Inlet State Park
A famous surf and fishing spot with jetties, beaches and a lagoon.
- Half day · Easy
- North station 24 hours; south station 8 am-sunset
- $8 per vehicle, $4 single occupant (checked Nov 2026)
Family fun · 35 min north
Cocoa Beach Pier
An 800-foot pier with food, bars, an arcade, live music and surf lessons.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round (check hours)
- Free to walk (check parking)
Wildlife · 37 min southeast
Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge
America's first national wildlife refuge with trails and an observation tower over the lagoon.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Daily 7:30 am-sunset
- Free (check)
Garden · 49 min southeast
McKee Botanical Garden
A historic jungle garden with water lilies and old stone buildings in Vero Beach.
- 2 hrs · Easy
- Tue-Sun 10 am-5 pm; closed Mon
- Admission (check)
Beach · 35 min north
Cocoa Beach
The Space Coast's surf town with a long sandy beach and rocket launch views.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round
- Free beach; parking fees vary (check)
Museum · 49 min north
American Space Museum
A small museum full of space program artifacts in Titusville.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Hours (check)
- Admission (check)
Wildlife · 49 min north
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
Black Point Wildlife Drive is a 7-mile loop full of wading birds, gators and winter ducks.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Visitor center Tue-Sat 8:30 am-4 pm
- Refuge pass $10 per vehicle (check)
1 to 2 hours from Melbourne 49 spots
Theme park · 1 hr 24 min west
Magic Kingdom
Cinderella Castle, classic rides and parades. The heart of Walt Disney World.
- Full day · Easy
- Open daily; hours vary (check)
- Date-based tickets (check)
Springs · 1 hr 42 min northwest
Blue Spring State Park
The best place in Florida to see manatees in winter, hundreds at a time, from a boardwalk.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round, 8 am-sunset
- $6 per vehicle (checked Nov 2026)
Small town · 1 hr 44 min northwest
Mount Dora
A hilly lakeside town with antique shops, festivals and lake views.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
Aquarium · 1 hr 36 min southeast
Loggerhead Marinelife Center
Sea turtle hospital in Juno Beach where you can see patients recovering. Free to visit.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Open daily
- Free (donations welcome)
Museum · 1 hr 15 min northwest
Orlando Science Center
Four floors of hands-on science, dinosaurs and a giant-screen theater.
- Half day · Easy
- Hours vary; closed some days (check)
- Admission (check)
Family fun · 1 hr 27 min north
Daytona International Speedway
The World Center of Racing. Tours take you to the track and garages.
- 2 hrs · Easy
- Tour times (check)
- Tour prices (check)
State park · 1 hr 36 min south
Jonathan Dickinson State Park
Big park on the Loxahatchee River with a river boat tour, hiking, biking and a lookout tower.
- Full day · Easy to moderate
- Year-round
- Florida State Parks fee per vehicle (check)
Garden · 1 hr 54 min north
Washington Oaks Gardens State Park
Formal gardens on the river side and a rocky coquina beach on the ocean side, all in one stop.
- 2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round, 8 am-sunset
- $5 per vehicle, $4 single occupant, $2 walk-in or bike (checked Nov 2026)
2 to 3 hours from Melbourne 78 spots
Historic site · 2 hr 14 min north
Castillo de San Marcos
The oldest masonry fort in the continental U.S., guarding St. Augustine's bay since the 1600s.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Daily 9 am-5 pm last entry; closed Thanksgiving and Christmas
- Adult $15 for 7 days, 15 and under free (check)
Springs · 2 hr 39 min northwest
Rainbow Springs State Park
A former roadside attraction with waterfalls, gardens and a buoyed swim area at the head of the Rainbow River.
- Half day · Easy
- Headsprings 8 am-sunset; tubing closed Oct-Mar
- $5 per vehicle, $4 single occupant, $2 walk-in or bike (checked Nov 2026)
Historic site · 2 hr 45 min south
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens
Grand 1916 bayfront estate with Italian-style rooms and formal gardens. Miami's most beautiful old house.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Closed Tuesdays
- ? (check)
Beach · 2 hr 52 min west
Fort De Soto Park
Nearly three miles of beach, a historic fort, fishing piers, a dog beach and a big campground at the mouth of Tampa Bay.
- Full day · Easy
- Year-round
- $6 parking per vehicle (checked Nov 2026); increase approved for Dec 2026 (check)
Museum · 2 hr 54 min west
The Ringling
Circus museum, a grand Venetian-style mansion, an art museum and bayfront gardens on one big campus.
- Full day · Easy
- Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's
- ? (check); Ca' d'Zan tour costs extra
Wildlife · 2 hr 37 min northwest
Three Sisters Springs
Boardwalks over clear springs where hundreds of manatees gather on cold winter days.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- 8:30 am-4:30 pm daily; last entry 3:30 pm
- Admission includes shuttle (check price)
Bike trail · 2 hr 9 min west
Withlacoochee State Trail
Florida's longest paved rail trail, about 46-47 miles through small towns and forest.
- 2-4 hrs · Easy
- 8 am-sunset
- Free
Small town · 2 hr 22 min south
Clewiston
Sugar town on the south shore of Lake Okeechobee, a base for bass fishing and airboat rides.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
Get a day trip idea every Friday
Three ideas for the weekend, one each for Washington, Oregon and Arizona, with a link to plan the day. Free. Unsubscribe any time.
Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP 32901 (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.