ATTRACTIONS
50
PLACES TO SEE
St. Lucie County is home to a variety of attractions that will
satisfy almost any interest. Here are some of the most notable.
ST. LUCIE COUNTY
A.E. Backus Gallery & Museum, 500 N. Indian River Drive,
Fort Pierce. Features works of Florida landscape artist A.E.
Backus and rotating exhibits of Treasure Coast artists. Open
Wednesday-Sunday 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Closed Monday & Tuesday.
Summer hours by appointment. Web site: www.backusgallery.
com. Call 772.465.0630
Heathcote Botanical Gardens, 210 Savannah Road, Fort
Pierce. Themed
botanical
gardens including
a Japanese
bonsai garden.
Gift shop. Open
Tuesday-Saturday
9 a.m.-5
p.m.; open Sundays
from Nov.-
April, 1-5 p.m.
Closed for major
holidays. Web
site: www.heathcotebotanicalgardens.org. Call 772.464.4672
Hallstrom Planetarium at Indian River State College, 3209
Virginia Ave. at 35th Street, Fort Pierce. Planetarium offers
several star shows each season on Fridays and Saturdays
only. Excellent for children as well as adults. Web site: www.
irsc.edu and use Quicklinks box. Tickets: 800.220.9915
Navy UDT-SEAL Museum, 3300 North A1A, Fort Pierce.
Museum featuring
the “Frogmen”
of World
War II who
trained on Fort
Pierce beaches.
Open Monday
(January-April
only) 10 a.m.-4
p.m.; Tuesday-
Saturday 10
a.m.-4 p.m.;
Sunday noon-4 p.m. Web site: www.navysealmuseum.com.
Call 772.595.5845
St. Lucie County Historical Museum, 414 Seaway Drive,
Fort Pierce. The history of St. Lucie County in the museum,
and the 1907 Gardner House, are there to enjoy wandering
through. Open Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Web site:
www.stlucieco.gov/history.
Smithsonian Marine Ecosystems Exhibit Center, 420 Seaway
Drive, Fort Pierce. Visitors can explore six marine habitats
and learn about marine ecosystems. Behind-the-scenes
tour every Saturday, 2-2:45 p.m. Open Tuesday-Saturday 10
a.m.-4 p.m. Web site: www.sms.si.edu/SMEE/smeehome.
htm. Call 772.462.3474
Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute Discovery Center,
5600 N. U.S. 1, Fort Pierce. Visitors can enjoy interactive
exhibits, displays, aquariums, small theater. Learn about
marine life, habitats and research. Open Monday-Friday 10
a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Closed Nov. 27-28; Dec.
24-26; and Jan. 1, 2010. Web site: www.fau.edu/hboi. Call
772.465.2400
Oxbow Eco-Center, 5400 N. E. St. James Drive, Port St. Lucie.
Environmental learning center on 225 acres with winding
walking trails, guided tours, programs, canoe launch; center
built with “green” technology. Open Monday-Friday noon to
5 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; trails open 365 days dawn to dusk.
Web site: www.stlucieco.gov/erd/oxbow. Call 772.785.5833
Manatee Observation and Education Center, 480 N. Indian
River Drive, Fort Pierce. At the intersection of the Indian River
and Moore’s
Creek, the center
offers viewing
outdoors of wild
manatees in their
natural habitat,
and indoor
exhibits. Open
January-June
Tuesday-Saturday
10 a.m.-5 p.m.,
Sunday noon-
4 p.m.; July-September Thursday-Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.;
October-December Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday
noon-4 p.m. Web site: www.manateecenter.com. Call
772.466.1600, Ext. 3333
Tradition Field Stadium,
525 N.W. Peacock Blvd,
Port St. Lucie. Home
of the New York Mets
spring training, St. Lucie
Mets games, community
activities and events. Web
site: www.stlucieco.gov/
parks/trad_field.htm.
Call 772.871.5476
/www.heathcotebotanicalgardens.org
/irsc.edu
/www.navysealmuseum.com
/history
/smeehome
/hboi
/oxbow
/www.manateecenter.com
/