Port Canaveral is the right place for the holidays this year. If you think that this place is just for those who enjoy cruising, think again. It might just be the place that will give you the kind of activities and experiences that will make your Christmas holidays the best ever.

Port Canaveral is not only about the Port Area. There are lots of things to see and do here. The place has a lot of tourist spots and amusements that will excite your kids. There is the Cocoa Beach, the Kennedy Space Center and a lot more places to see.

Here are the special holiday treats that await you and your family at Port Canaveral.

1. Kennedy Space Center

Almost everyone is fascinated with space travel. Your kids must be, too. So, what better way to spend the holidays than to visit the Kennedy Space Center? Your kids will be able to get up close and personal with Atlantis, the famous space shuttle.

You will also see the powerful Saturn V rocket that was one of the main power sources of the Apollo Program.  Have you ever met an astronaut? Your kids will have something to tell their classmates when they go back to school.

You can also walk around the rocket garden. The Kennedy Space Center also provides its visitors with juicy pieces of information about their programs connected to their missions to Mars and their efforts of launching more commercial satellites.

2. Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

If your kids are the rowdy types (which most kids are) they will love Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. This is a 140,000 acre wildlife sanctuary. It is very near Kennedy Space Center, so this is a good next stop from there.

You can choose to hike the trails, if you are that active. Or you can choose to ride the auto tours and have a nice trip around the whole place. You will see hundreds of animals that you haven’t seen before.

There are reptiles, birds, mammals and a lot of butterflies. Don’t be afraid of the alligators and the bobcats as long as you keep a safe distance. There are also gopher tortoises and wood storks you will see prowling their habitats. Have you seen a manatee before? There are lots of them there.

3. Jetty Park

There is only one place in the US that has this kind of tourist spot. Imagine, a cruise port and a park in just one place? So, if you want to go picnicking, you have the park. But if you want to go fishing, there is the fishing ground nearby.

Common sites in this place are sharks, dolphins and sea turtles swimming around the jetty. You can just while away your time watching these sea creatures, for free. What a unique way to spend the holidays, without the snow falling on the ground.

4. Exploration Tower

When you arrive at Port Canaveral, you can start enjoying the place right away by going to the Exploration Tower. It is an inter-active exhibit showcased in a seven-story structure. You will learn about the history of the port in this tower.

This place will greet you with amazing views of the whole area from the indoor and outdoor observation decks. In Port Canaveral, you will be able to learn the different activities going around the port. You will learn how the port started its operations, and the system that harbor pilots use in navigating to cruise ships.

5. Golf N Gator

This is the place where golfers and alligators meet. The place is not technically included in Port Canaveral but the trip going to Golf N Gator is not that long so, it is almost always included in tour rides.

Here you can play a game of mini golf while watching carefully the sharp teeth of the alligators prowling the waters. Don’t be afraid because all the gators are kept at bay by a strong fence to keep them from straying down your alley.

6. Cocoa Beach Aerial Adventures

If you are the adventurous type, you will like the activities they offer at Cocoa Beach. It is in the southern part of Port Canaveral, just a couple of minutes ride from the port. There are three different trails with various levels of difficulties in the aerial adventure course of Cocoa Beach.

Try one that fits your skills, abilities and strength. There are 50 bridges to cross, assorted types of swings, wires, obstacles and walls to climb. Don’t fear because they will provide you with the safety equipment that will ensure that nothing happens to you.   

7. The Dinosaur Store and Museum

Port Canaveral also offers things from the very distant past. This place features a museum and a store dedicated to dinosaurs. There is a two-storey museum displaying amazing dioramas and exhibits of dinosaurs as well as the ancient cultures of South America, Mexico, Egypt and China.

If you want to bring home some keepsakes from your trip in this place, you can buy different dinosaur fossils, such as claws, teeth, eggs and many more from souvenir stores.

8. Parker Brothers Concepts

A lot of people consider Parker Brothers Concepts as one of the top attractions of Port Canaveral. To them, this is the best place for families to do something fun. The place has Optimus Prime to delight the kids. On the other hand, the place also has Ecto 1 of the original Ghostbuster movie, to delight the parents. Both you and your kids will enjoy the Tumbler and the bat pod from the Batman movies of Christopher Nolan.

9. Skydive Space Center

In Titusville, north of Port Canaveral is the Skydive Space Center. Have you experienced a tandem drive? This place offers the highest tandem drive in the world. You will be able to see different sights at a dizzying level of 18,000 feet.

This is the place where you can experience a free fall that lasts from 1 to 2 minutes. Then you will also have an 8 to 10 minute parachute drop. Isn’t that some experience that you won’t forget while you’re alive? A bonus of NASA aerial tours comes free with these dives.

If you want a unique Christmas that doesn’t feature the snow and the cold, you need to visit Port Canaveral. Christmas is the best time to visit this place because of its many unique attractions and it’s the time of the year when you and your children have lots of time to spend together. See you there!