Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León visited Cape Canaveral in 1513. Until after World War II the cape was a stretch of barren, sandy scrubland. In 1950, missile testing began there, and in 1958, after NASA was formed, the agency made the cape the basis of its operations for space exploration.
Cape Canaveral, Florida (home to NASA's Kennedy Space Center), is pictured from the International Space Station as it orbited 261 miles above the Sunshine State.
Port Canaveral is a man-made inlet and deep-water port constructed by the United States government as a federal navigation project between 1951 and 1954. The entrance channel, protected by duaI rock jetties, is maintained to a depth of 46 feet to accommodate U.S. Navy Trident class submarines.
Since the lighthouse is located on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, visitors must take one of the many tours offered in order to visit this wonderful lighthouse, museum and gift shop. Unfortunately, you cannot drive out there in your own vehicle.
The Kennedy Space Center visit can take up a full day and you will want to spend at least one day enjoying the beach. Cape Canaveral's proximity to Orlando makes it ideal for additional day trips to the theme parks. Is Cape Canaveral worth visiting? Yes.