THE FLORIDA HISTORICAL SOCIETY IS TRANSFERRING MANAGEMENT OF THE BREVARD MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND NATURAL SCIENCE TO THE CITY OF COCOA, EFFECTIVE MARCH 1, 2021

CONTACT: Dr. Ben Brotemarkle

Executive Director, Florida Historical Society
435 Brevard Avenue, Cocoa, 32922
321-690-1971 ext. 201 (office) or 321-243-0938 (cell)
ben.brotemarkle @ myfloridahistory.org

The Florida Historical Society (FHS) is transferring management of the Brevard Museum of History and Natural Science to the City of Cocoa, effective March 1, 2021.

Located at 2201 Michigan Avenue in Cocoa, the museum has exhibits exploring local and state history and culture from the Ice Age to the Space Age. The museum sits on a 22-acre nature preserve with trails winding through several Florida ecosystems.

The Florida Historical Society saved the Brevard Museum of History and Natural Science from imminent closure when they took over management of the facility in September 2014. While FHS owns the museum collections, the City of Cocoa owns the property and museum buildings. FHS is gifting the museum collections to the City of Cocoa as part of the transfer of management and termination of their lease agreement with the city.

The Brevard Museum of History and Natural Science has been significantly improved under the leadership of the Florida Historical Society.

The centerpiece of the museum, “The People of Windover” exhibit, was expanded to include actual artifacts used by local residents between 7,000 and 8,000 years ago, an interactive archaeology lab space to augment the recreated excavation, a video component, and an incredibly lifelike sculpture of a Windover Woman created using forensic reconstruction techniques.

New displays include the large exhibit “The Hubble Space Telescope: Eye on the Universe” provided by the Kennedy Space Center. Existing displays have been refreshed and refurbished. Two new rotating exhibit spaces have been added, allowing for the display of significant touring exhibitions such as “Viva Florida: Florida Before Statehood” and “Beaches, Creatures, and Cowboys: Florida Movie Posters”; and new original temporary exhibits including “The Apollo Journey: Birth of the Space Coast” and “Stetson Kennedy’s Multicultural Florida.”
The annual Florida Frontiers Festival (cancelled for COVID-19 in 2020) brought diverse Florida musicians, artists, and vendors to the museum grounds each year. The Florida Historical Society Archaeological Institute (FHSAI) provided a variety of public presentations at the museum, serving local residents and attracting visitors from throughout the state and around the world.

The Brevard Museum of History and Natural Science was conceived in 1969, and opened in 1973.

The Florida Historical Society is working with City of Cocoa staff to facilitate a smooth transition of management, to keep the Brevard Museum of History and Natural Science open and available to the public.