Melbourne Beaches, Things To Do, Attractions, Historic Downtown Melbourne

The downtown experience includes a variety of shoppes and boutiques, antiques, bars, restaurants and nightlife! Come down to spend the day and stay for dinner.

Location
East on US 192, just over the
bridge and across US1
Get Map »

Website
Historic Downtown Melbourne

Special Features
Fashion
Dining & Nightlife
Health & Beauty
Gift Shops
Crafts & Antiques
Arts & Entertainment
Professional Services

Downtown Melbourne has its roots going back to the morning of Dec. 22, 1888, when a group of 23 electors created the "Village of Melbourne" by a spoken vote. Up to that time, the small community located on a natural harbor of the Indian River Lagoon had been known as "Crane Creek," the name of a fresh water river which runs parallel to the downtown's main corridor and dumps into the salty lagoon. At the time, barge traffic along the Indian River brought supplies and new arrivals along the peninsula, and the creek provided easy access into Melbourne Harbor.

The original downtown area drastically changed in 1919. A tenant in a waterfront boarding house tossed a kerosene lantern out of a second-story window, reportedly after someone shot it full of holes. The lantern ignited the wooden sidewalk along Front Street. A strong wind fanned the flames, and the downtown area was quickly consumed. After this event, the downtown area was rebuilt to the west of the train tracks and essentially remains as it was laid out then.

Today, with over a dozen restaurants, pubs and bars, there’s much to do in Historic Downtown Melbourne. Restaurants range from the elegant Continental Flambe and Matt’s Casbah to the casual Island Pasta Company and Meg O’Malley’s. The Depot Café, Le Bon Café, Mustard’s Last Stand, Pita Pit, 905 Café and Sun Shoppe Café feature light dining. For libations and entertainment, the MainStreet Pub, Moostruck and Foo Bar fit the bill.

Check Out Events »