6 Wheelchair Accessible Things to Do on Florida’s Space Coast
Sitting along the east coast of Florida, only about 45 miles from Orlando, is Florida’s Space Coast. It is a 72 mile stretch of gorgeous coastline and it is filled with tons of wheelchair accessible things to do.
On the Space Coast, you will find Kennedy Space Center, the Cape Canaveral cruise terminal, and so much more. I’ve been to this area multiple times throughout my life to get on cruises, but I never realized just how much the Space Coast offers until my recent stay in the area.
Staying in this area is truly paradise and this is certainly a destination that will leave you wanting to come back before you even leave (I’m already dreaming of my next trip and I just left the Space Coast… seriously!). So, let’s dive right in with six of the best wheelchair accessible things to do on Florida’s Space Coast!
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Wheelchair Accessible Space Coast Attractions & Things to Do
Given the name, you probably already know that the Space Coast offers space-themed activities, which are incredible, but there is so much more to the area as well. Whether you want to feed a giraffe, see relics from one of the greatest movies of all time (The Wizard of Oz), eat delicious food, or something else, Florida’s Space Coast has you covered!
Follow the Yellow Brick Road to the Wizard of Oz Museum
At The Wizard of Oz Museum located in Cocoa Beach, Florida, visitors will find an expansive collection of memorabilia. The owner has been collecting everything Oz related for over 40 years and it is incredibly impressive. As someone that was somewhat obsessed with the movie as a kid, I loved exploring every aspect of this museum!
Rolling inside, you will find one of the actual dresses that Dorothy wore in the movie, as it is on display here, along with some of her ruby slippers (the ones that were featured on The Great Movie Ride at Walt Disney World), and even the original screenplay from the movie.
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The Wizard of Oz Museum includes a children’s room complete with a toy-filled Wizard of Oz play room, and a table and chairs for your little kiddo to enjoy while they are watching a movie on the screen. This room has a smooth entryway, making it easy to roll inside and maneuver around.
You can also get your picture made with lifelike statues of Dorothy, the winged monkeys, the wicked witch, and more, but the most unique room in the museum is an immersive experience. In here, you will be surrounded by videos of the Wizard of Oz and truly feel as though you are in the clips. It was really cool and access to the immersive experience is included with your museum ticket.
The Wizard of Oz Museum has wheelchair accessible parking near the entrance and a smooth entry. Customers using a wheelchair shouldn’t have any issues rolling throughout the exhibits and displays. Please note that there is an accessible companion care restroom in the lobby area.
Eat at Delicious Restaurants
The Space Coast has some fantastic restaurants and during my recent trip, I had a chance to try some of them. The following three restaurants were my favorites and all of them offer stunning waterfront views and excellent accessibility.
Coconuts on the Beach
Coconuts on the Beach, located in Cocoa Beach, Florida, is the perfect beachfront restaurant and bar. They offer both indoor and outdoor dining. They offer a drink specialty menu, so you can enjoy that cool fruity taste beachside. This restaurant is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner. The entrance is smooth and easily accessible. Their menu is expansive, and I chose the Bangin’ Shrimp for my meal with a side of fries after our waiter recommended it. The shrimp were perfectly breaded and fried, and covered in their bangin’ sauce. For dessert, make sure that you don’t forget the key lime pie. I really enjoyed all of the food, but the views and vibes at Coconuts on the Beach were hard to beat as well.
Pier 62 Oceanfront Restaurant & Bar
This restaurant is located on the Cocoa Beach Pier, so the views are absolutely spectacular from the tables. As I looked out of the big glass windows by our table, I was just in awe, but the food might have wowed me even more! I enjoyed the smoked fish dip for an appetizer, the blackened grouper sandwich with fries for my entree, and then I topped it all off with a succulent slice of key lime pie.
Pier 220 Seafood and Grill
Pier 220 is in the perfect waterfront location in Titusville, Florida. This restaurant sits right on the water, just beneath the bridge. You can choose to dine inside or outdoors. Entrance to the indoor seating is behind the bar and has a ramped, smooth entry. Parking is free and wheelchair accessible parking is near the entrance. For the appetizer, make sure to choose the Garlic Cheese Curds with marinara. They are super tasty! For the entree, my mom and I chose to split the seafood platter. It came with fried shrimp, coconut shrimp, grouper bites, conch fritters, and fries. If you’re looking for some fresh and delicious seafood with a great view of the water , this is the place, but they offer some non-seafood options as well. You can find items like salad, burgers, sandwiches, pastas, barbecue, and more on their menu.
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See Rockets and Meet an Astronaut at Kennedy Space Center
I’ve been fascinated by space since I was a kid, so a visit to Kennedy Space Center was an absolute must for me. And I’m happy to say that it certainly lived up to my expectations, and even surpassed them in many ways. I spent about 8 hours at Kennedy Space Center enjoying everything, so definitely plan a full day for this place!
Wheelchair accessible parking at Kennedy Space Center is near the entrance at the Visitor’s Complex. Here, make sure to ask what time the Meet an Astronaut program is on the day of your visit because this is something that you don’t want to miss! On the day that I visited, I was able to meet Astronaut Jose Hernandez. His story is incredibly inspiring, and there’s actually a movie on Prime about his journey to becoming an astronaut called A Million Miles Away. It’s definitely worth watching!
Once inside the gate, you can roll among rockets from NASA’s Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs along a paved pathway at the Rocket Garden exhibit. At the nearby Gateway: The Deep Space Launch Complex, you will be able to watch a video with a sans motion simulator, in a viewing area from the comforts of your wheelchair. I loved that even though I couldn’t physically get in some of the simulator rides, alternative accessible options were available for me to still see the movies and have a fun experience.
Make sure while visiting that you don’t miss the Apollo/Saturn Center. To visit this area, you will need to take a wheelchair accessible bus with a lift that is included in your ticket price. A staff member will happily assist you on the lift and the employee will make sure that your wheelchair is safely buckled down at all four points on the bus. After a short drive, you will arrive into the land of space exploration and actually see the gigantic Saturn V, which is the largest rocket ever flown. While in this area, make sure to grab a bite for lunch at the Moon Rock Cafe. They offer items such as burgers and pizzas that will curb your appetite and help you to enjoy the rest of your visit.
After riding the bus back to the Main Visitor’s Complex, make sure to visit the Space Shuttle Atlantis and Shuttle Launch Experience. Here, you can watch a video from your wheelchair with a sans motion simulator, of the most epic shuttle launch of the Atlantis, complete with a heart-stopping countdown clock. Without a doubt, this was one of my favorite experiences at Kennedy Space Center.
After a full day of touring the exhibits, meeting an actual astronaut, and feeling the rush of watching a video of a historic shuttle launch, grab some quick souvenirs for your friends and family back home. They even offer packets of space food for sale. They also have plenty of t-shirts and hats to suit your taste.
You can watch the short video below to see a full recap of my day at Kennedy Space Center:
See Over 900 Animals at Brevard Zoo
Visiting the Brevard Zoo in a wheelchair is such a fun experience. The entire zoo is predominantly flat and has smooth, paved pathways throughout all of the exhibits. There are also two companion care restrooms located to the right of the main entrance, so I was able to fully enjoy my day here as a wheelchair user!
One of the coolest things about Brevard Zoo is the fact that you can hand-feed giraffes from a wheelchair accessible platform area. If you just purchase some leaves for a minimal fee, you’ll be able to feed them. In addition to giraffes, you can also feed kangaroos from an accessible pathway and birds! All of these feeding experiences are an extra cost, but very reasonably priced.
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This zoo includes bald eagles, rhinos, zebras, alligators, and even bears. All of the exhibits will allow wheelchair users to get up close and personal to the animals, with a safety fence or glass wall between you and the animals, of course.
You will also be happy to see that the train has a wheelchair lift on it, so wheelchair users can easily board. On the train, you can enjoy riding through the park and do a tour of the zoo. I didn’t do the train ride on the day of my visit, but it did look like it’d be a good experience, no matter what your abilities are.
Brevard Zoo is open seven days per week from 9:30am-5pm and admission costs $34.95 per adult and $23.95 per child if purchased at the zoo. However, discounts are available if you get your tickets online in advance of your visit to the zoo.
Enjoy Basking in the Sunshine at the Beach
You can’t go to a beach destination without visiting the beach! On Florida’s Space Coast, there are several places that will allow people who use wheelchairs to remain in their wheelchairs and roll across the sand by using Mobi-Mats.
These mats are smooth and placed atop the sand, making less potential of your tires getting stuck in the sand. You will find that they are installed on the following beach crossovers: Monroe Avenue, Polk Avenue, Buchanan Avenue (this one was my favorite!), and Ridgewood Avenue Beach Crossover.
If you’d like to get a bit closer to the water (or even in the water potentially), manual beach wheelchairs are available for rent from Crabby’s Beach Wheels. You can also rent motorized beach wheelchairs from Sand Helper, so no matter what kind of beach wheelchair you’d like to use, it is available to rent.
Roll 800 Feet Over the Atlantic Ocean on the Cocoa Beach Pier
Wheelchair accessible parking for the pier can be found for free just to the left of the entrance outside the gate. There’s only one accessible spot there that is free though, so you really have to luck out for this desired spot. There are also accessible parking spots inside the fencing near the entrance that will cost you $15 per car.
Once on the pier, which is 800 feet long, wheelchair users are able to roll all the way to the end. It’s fairly smooth, which I was happy about, as piers can often be pretty bumpy. Cocoa Beach Pier was excellent though! Towards the end of the pier, you’ll find a tiki bar and you can enjoy views of the beach and shoreline.
There are also a couple of souvenir shops on the pier, as well as a delicious restaurant called Pier 62, which I mentioned earlier in this blog post. The Cocoa Beach Pier is a beautiful place to enjoy a nice day on Florida’s Space Coast.
Where To Stay: Home2 Suites by Hilton Cape Canaveral Cruise Port
Home2 Suites by Hilton Cape Canaveral Cruise Port offers wheelchair accessible rooms located in the heart of all the fun. The hotel is just minutes from the cruise port, and I could actually see the big cruise ships out of my window, but it’s just a short drive from all of the Space Coast’s best attractions as well!
We stayed in a double queen wheelchair accessible suite with a roll-in shower. This style room had two queen beds, both of which had space underneath for a hoyer lift and the beds were 26 inches tall. The bedroom also had a TV and another TV was located in the living area, where there was a couch. This style suite came complete with a refrigerator and freezer, microwave, sink, dishes, and even a dishwasher. The living area in the queen accessible suite is huge and very spacious with a dining area including a table and chairs.
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In the bathroom, there was a roll-in shower, grab bars beside and behind the toilet, a handheld shower sprayer, and a fold-down seat. The bathroom was perfect for my needs, as was the entire room, and I would certainly stay here again.
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The hotel also offers free breakfast and has an outdoor pool with a lift. If you’d like to learn more about the Home2 Suites by Hilton Cape Canaveral Cruise Port or check rates for a stay of your own, just click here.
No matter what kind of wheelchair accessible activities you enjoy, you are sure to find it on Florida’s Space Coast. As you can see, there are a plethora of fun things to do that you can enjoy no matter what your abilities are. So, pack up your bags and roll on down to the sunny Space Coast! With this much excitement, you don’t want to miss it!
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*Thank you to Visit Florida for working with me on this trip and showing me the best wheelchair accessible things to do on Florida’s Space Coast! While my experiences were complimentary, all opinions expressed are authentic and my own.
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