Mel Fisher Treasure Museum

Entrance to the Mel Fisher Museum
in Sebastian, Florida

On July 20, 1985, Mel Fisher, a one-time chicken farmer who became the legendary "World's Greatest Treasure Hunter," after 16 long, challenging years of search, found the sunken Spanish treasure galleons Nuestra Senora de Atocha and Santa Margarita. These ships, carrying untold wealth, had sunk off the Florida coast during a hurricane on September 6, 1622.

Over 40 tons of gold and silver bars, "pieces of eight" and gold jewelry have been recovered. Hundreds of precious stones, including emeralds and diamonds, have been brought to the surface. The treasure recovered so far is worth almost $500 million.

Entering the museum

The museum provides shipwreck artifacts and treasure to provide a glimpse into the world that existed 400 years ago as well as the history of Mel Fisher's dogged quest to find the greatest treasure ship of them all, the Atocha.

Ahoy, matey! Yo ho ho!

Bust of Mel Fisher

Gold nuggets, chains, and pieces of eight!

Life-sized cut-out of Mel Fisher
 and recovered gold chains

Streak Troll and a gold chain and locket
that was recovered

Treasures include engraved
 gold plates, utensils, and
religious artifacts

Troll at the Titusville Space Park

In front of the Project Mercury sculpture

Space View Park in Titusville, Florida is 15 miles directly across the Indian River from the launch pads of the Kennedy Space Center. A hugely popular place from which to watch space launches, it is also the first and only park in America that honors America's astronauts as well as the men and women behind the scenes.

The park is 2.63 acres landscaped with artistic sculpture, foliage, palms and hardwood trees. It features benches, a boardwalk, fishing and boat dock and a sheltered pier and includes a Veterans Memorial and the U.S. Space Walk of Fame. Monuments to the Mercury and Gemini space programs contain profiles of each astronaut with their hand prints in cement.

Tribute to Astronaut Alan Shepard, Jr. 

If you are lucky enough to be in the area when a launch is scheduled and can't get one of the extremely hard to acquire NASA Viewing Center tickets, the Titusville Space Park is the next best place to watch it from and Lil Dude Troll strongly advises you make every effort to see it. It's a Bucket List item!

Along the waterfront of the Titusville Space Park

To see pictures taken from the Titusville Space Park of the May, 2009 launch of the Space Shuttle Atlantis, please visit our sister site at - 2009 Atlantis lift-off.  

Troll at Ponce de Leon Lighthouse in Florida

Lighthouse & Museum entrance

The Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse and Museum is located 10 miles south of Daytona Beach, Florida in the town of Ponce Inlet. The lighthouse is on the north bank of Ponce Inlet where the Halifax and Indian Rivers empty into the Atlantic Ocean. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1998. At 175 feet in height with walls 8 feet thick, it is the tallest lighthouse in Florida and one of the tallest masonry lighthouses in America. Lil Dude Troll came to check it out and rates it as definitely worth a side trip if you are in the area!

One tall lighthouse!

Veteran's Memorial

Yo Ho Ho! 

The park on the grounds is shaded and clean with several
tables - a perfect spot for a picnic!