Top 15 Attractions and Activities in Fort Pierce, Florida

Summary

Fort Pierce Inlet State Park
Downtown Fort Pierce
The Downtown Fort Pierce Farmers Market
A. E. Backus Museum & Gallery
St. Lucie County Aquarium
Sunrise Theatre for the Performing Arts
UDT – SEAL Museum
South Causeway Beach
St. Lucie County Regional History Center
Heathcote Botanical Gardens
Manatee Observation & Education Center
Summer Crush Vineyard and Winery
Al’s Family Farms
The Highwaymen Trail
Gator Trace Golf & Country Club

Located on Florida’s Treasure Coast, Fort Pierce, often referred to as Sunrise City, is known for its breathtaking sunrises over the vast Indian River Lagoon.

Fort Pierce epitomizes an ideal coastal town, featuring picturesque beaches along both the ocean and lagoon, a vibrant downtown area, live entertainment, and an active social calendar.

The city boasts a variety of museums, celebrating topics from landscape painting to the Navy SEALs, which originated here. On Saturday mornings, visitors can enjoy a bustling farmers’ market by the waterfront.

Additionally, the Fort Pierce Inlet State Park offers scenic coastal hammocks, dunes, and mangroves that border a pristine Atlantic beach.

1. Fort Pierce Inlet State Park

Spanning nearly 350 acres of stunning coastline, Fort Pierce Inlet State Park serves as an exceptional destination for outdoor enthusiasts.

It features a half-mile stretch of Atlantic beach alongside the tranquil waters of Tucker Cove on the Indian River Lagoon. Trails offer access through dunes and coastal hammocks.

Popular activities include canoeing, kayaking, and birdwatching. A guided kayaking tour through the mangroves to the sandbar offers an insightful perspective on the region’s beauty.

From September to February, this park is among the most prominent surfing locations in the state, hosting exciting tournaments regularly visible from the beach.

2. Downtown Fort Pierce

Vibrant and easily navigable on foot, Fort Pierce’s picturesque waterfront downtown area has recently garnered significant acclaim.

In fact, it was recognized in 2015 as one of USA Today’s Most Idyllic and Historic Main Streets in America.

This area is home to seven buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including the Old City Hall (1925) and the historic P.P. Cobb building, which now operates as a stylish coffee shop.

Downtown Fort Pierce embodies the essence of a thriving town center, offering a rich array of art, cultural events, live performances, and an impressive variety of dining establishments.

Within the span of a single block, visitors can find diverse culinary options such as steaks, sushi, seafood, smoothies, tacos, pizza, subs, Cuban cuisine, and American classics.

3. The Downtown Fort Pierce Farmers Market

Farmers markets provide an excellent insight into daily life in an unfamiliar area, and Fort Pierce’s market has operated since 1997.

Featuring live music on Saturday mornings, the Downtown Fort Pierce Farmers Market is situated conveniently by the City Marina.

With more than 70 vendors, patrons can browse local citrus, artisanal cheeses, pasture-raised meats, guacamole, orchids, loose-leaf teas, croissants, essential oils, all-natural soap, and a myriad of other goods.

Notably, the food offerings from food trucks enhance the market experience, providing options ranging from gyros and pizza to BBQ, tacos, acai bowls, and Maryland-style crab cakes.

4. A. E. Backus Museum & Gallery

Established in 1960, the A. E. Backus Museum and Gallery holds the preeminent collection of works from Fort Pierce’s most renowned artist.

Albert Ernest Backus (1906-1990) was a self-taught painter celebrated for his vibrant Florida landscapes. The collection represents a comprehensive overview of Backus’s artistic journey from age 16 through his final years.

During my visit, I was particularly impressed by the exhibition dedicated to The Highwaymen, a group of approximately two dozen African American landscape artists influential in the Fort Pierce area during the Jim Crow era.

Much like the Backus exhibition, this display continually evolves with new pieces from the museum’s extensive holdings, ensuring a fresh experience with each visit.

5. St. Lucie County Aquarium

The Indian River Lagoon, with 3,000 recorded species, ranks as the most biologically diverse estuary in the United States.The St. Lucie County Aquarium captures this remarkable biodiversity in a compact yet engaging venue.

The Smithsonian Marine Ecosystems Exhibit particularly stood out, offering a detailed living model of a coral reef ecosystem originally designed for the National Museum of Natural History.

Other tanks within the aquarium showcase various fish species, crustaceans, mollusks, and additional aquatic life typical of the Indian River.

Children particularly enjoy the informative Feeding Frenzy tours offered at 10:30 am and 2:30 pm, complemented by behind-the-scenes tours conducted by lab staff on Saturdays.

6. Sunrise Theatre for the Performing Arts

This striking building in downtown Fort Pierce, constructed in the Mediterranean Revival style in 1923, currently functions as a city-owned performance venue with a capacity of 1,200.

As a cultural cornerstone for the Treasure Coast, the Sunrise Theatre features a diverse array of events in an elegant atmosphere.

Events range from opera and touring Broadway productions to ballet, live comedy, and concerts featuring renowned rock and country artists.

For an intimate experience, note the performances at the 220-seat Black Box Theatre, which hosts regular jazz sessions every Tuesday and comedy nights on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month.

7. UDT – SEAL Museum

Fort Pierce serves as the original home of the United States Navy SEALs, a fact that may come as a surprise to many.

In the 1940s, Naval Amphibious Training Base Fort Pierce functioned as the training ground for troops preparing for landings in Normandy. It was also here that the Underwater Demolition Teams (UDT), a predecessor of the SEALs, trained for combat.

Visitors can learn about the history of the Sea, Air, and Land forces at the fort’s preserved structure, which was decommissioned in 1946.

The UDT – SEAL Museum is a nonprofit and the sole attraction dedicated to the Navy SEALs, featuring captivating displays of submersible vehicles, a 3D representation of the Bin Laden compound, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), a Humvee from Desert Storm, and a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk.

Personal involvement includes an outdoor obstacle course that emulates the O-Course in Coronado, a challenge that proved difficult for me.

8. South Causeway Beach

In Fort Pierce, there’s a diverse public beach available for each day of the week. Nevertheless, for families with small children or novice swimmers, a more sheltered location is advisable.

Consistently on my itinerary is South Causeway Beach, situated just west of the inlet. This area features a lengthy stretch of white sandy shoreline with crystal-clear waters.

Enclosed by palm trees, the beach gently slopes into the lagoon, with a conveniently located parking area close to the shore and several picnic shelters along the path.

Additionally, the west end features attractions on my list, including the St. Lucie County Regional History Center and St. Lucie County Aquarium.

9. St. Lucie County Regional History Center

In operation since 1968, this museum provides a narrative of St. Lucie County’s history. Located just a short walk from South Causeway Beach, the campus includes the charming Gardner House (1907).

With its period decor, this house illustrates the domestic life of a lower-middle-class family from South Florida during the early 20th century.

Additional exhibits highlight the Native American cultures that inhabited the region for millennia, including the Ais and Seminole tribes.

Visitors can explore a recreated doctor’s office and general store from the 1900s, alongside a timeline detailing Fort Pierce’s commercial fishing industry.

One notable story presented is the county’s unsuccessful effort to become the “Pineapple Capital of the World,” a plan thwarted by pests and freezing weather.

10. Heathcote Botanical Gardens

Florida is home to numerous botanical gardens, and the one in Fort Pierce is certainly noteworthy. Established in 1960, it originated as a commercial nursery run by landscape architect Molly Crimmons.

She and her husband Jim relocated their family home from Delaware Avenue to this property. Since the mid-1980s, Heathcote Gardens has been overseen by a nonprofit organization.

Set against a backdrop of majestic live oaks, the Crimmons’ 1920s home houses the administrative offices.

Spanning five acres, the surrounding gardens encompass a rainforest exhibit, an herb garden, a cycad walk, a native plant garden, and a Japanese garden complete with a teahouse.

If time permits for just one visit, I highly recommend the James J. Smith Bonsai Collection, recognized as the largest display of tropical bonsai in the United States, featuring over 100 specimens.

11. Manatee Observation & Education Center

While the American alligator is often more famous, the gentle Florida manatee is also an enduring symbol of the state.

Fort Pierce has a long-standing association with manatees, as they would frequently congregate to bask in the warm waters from a nearby power plant.

Although the plant has closed, the local manatee population remains, best observed at the mouth of Moore’s Creek.

The Manatee Observation & Education Center offers informative exhibits dedicated to this vulnerable species and includes aquariums featuring native fish.

The knowledgeable staff can provide information on local sightings and directed me to a nearby jetty where I was fortunate enough to spot a mother manatee and her calf.

12. Summer Crush Vineyard and Winery

Established in 2012, Summer Crush Vineyard and Winery is an engaging destination for wine enthusiasts. The 12-acre vineyard cultivates native Muscadine grapes, producing wines with a range of flavor profiles, from dry to sweet.

Among the selections is Old Florida White, a sweet white wine crafted from golden bronze Muscadine grapes.

For a unique experience, both Party Wave Pineapple and Mangotiki are infused with tropical fruits. Tours of the winery are available Tuesday through Friday, offering insight from the owner.

During my visit, I was drawn by the wine but stayed for the live entertainment, as a tribute performance to Stevie Nicks captivated the audience. Regular weekend shows are complemented by a selection of food trucks offering diverse options.

13. Al’s Family Farms

Operated by the same family for three generations, Al’s Family Farms is dedicated to offering exceptional Florida produce.

For those hailing from colder regions, the extensive variety of citrus at the farm stand is particularly striking. Al’s provides more citrus varieties than any other grower in the Indian River region.

This establishment, set within a vintage 1939 red barn, showcases freshly harvested Valencia and navel oranges, ruby red/pink grapefruits, tango tangerines, and more.

A key time to visit is between March and May, when Valencia oranges are in season.

Visitors can expect freshly harvested citrus, various citrus products, organic honey, and a range of homemade specialty items, including fudge and key lime pie.

14. The Highwaymen Trail

After encountering the artwork of The Highwaymen, I ventured along a trail that commemorates their contributions to Fort Pierce.

This trail features ten stops, affording the opportunity to explore the historic residential neighborhoods situated north of downtown, filled with public art and informative kiosks.

Notable locations along the route include a former juke joint where Highwaymen artist Alfred Hair lost his life in 1970, as well as the studio of A.E. Backus.

Each year, a festival celebrates The Highwaymen and their cultural impact on Fort Pierce, taking place in early February with guided trail tours, live jazz, a children’s zone, and local artists showcasing their work.

15. Gator Trace Golf & Country Club

This semi-private club features a moderately challenging 18-hole, par 70 course.

With various tee options, the course accommodates players of all skill levels, providing a beginner-friendly environment while still incorporating engaging challenges.

Water hazards are prevalent on nearly every hole, as ponds, lakes, and canals are integrated into the layout, with natural features such as solitary pine and palm trees adding to the intrigue.

Players are likely to encounter local wildlife during their rounds; for instance, I observed a pair of alligators near the lake on the 15th hole and even had to wait for a sandhill crane to vacate one of the greens.

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