History and Highlights of Cocoa Beach

Cocoa Beach's first settlement started with a group of recently liberated slaves after the Civil War, but a hurricane disheartened their hope for a lasting residency in 1885. Had the group stayed and been the official originators of the Cocoa Beach settlement, our history would have been completely different. In 1888, a gathering of Cocoa men purchased the land, yet it stayed untouched until lawyer Gus Edwards arrived. In the wake of acquiring Cocoa Beach, Edwards started forming it into the City of Cocoa Beach. The city was set up on June 5, 1925, though it wasn’t until June 29 of 1957 that it was really recognized as an official city.

America’s space program brought Cocoa Beach to life in the 1960s, with the John F. Kennedy Space Center of NASA located only about 15 miles away. Thus, many young families where one or both parents worked with the space program began to consider Cocoa Beach their home. Children raised in the city were often called “Cape Brats” and the community was so populated with children at one point, the schools were overflowing and the construction of portable classrooms was needed to host them. It was normal, at that time, for there to be around 45 children per classroom.

The city held astronaut parades after the successful voyage of manned space flights. Also, Cocoa Beach and its surrounding towns were chock-full of brilliant technical minds preceding the famous “Silicon Valley.” To this very day, an abundance of the Kennedy Space Center workers still calls Cocoa Beach their home. Additionally, Cocoa Beach was the setting for “I Dream of Jeannie,” the popular 1960s sitcom, but only the episode of Jeannie’s wedding was actually filmed there.

Attractions

Ron Jon Surf Shop

The Ron Jon Surf Shop logo and name has become recognized around the globe for more than 50 years because it is a whole water world of eternal summer fun. The shop encompasses over two acres filled with more surfwear, sportswear and beach gear than is available in any other single venue.

Cocoa Beach Pier

The world-popular Pier, which draws more than one million guests every year, traverses 800 feet long and is home to five eateries and bars. In 2014 the President and CEO of Westgate Resorts obtained the Cocoa Beach Pier with plans to revamp the dock and make it the chief family eating and diversion goal for Central Florida/Cocoa Beach.

The Dinosaur Store

The Dinosaur Store brags the biggest in-stock choice of fossils and minerals on the planet. Peruse the extraordinary gathering of bonafide dinosaur teeth, fossil shark teeth, dinosaur hooks, fossil skulls, trilobites, dinosaur imitations and dinosaur castings, golden examples, gems, and shooting stars.