Sand Point Park: Titusville's river park, named for the town's first name

Sand Point Park is the City of Titusville’s 29.88-acre community park on the Indian River, at 10 E. Max Brewer Causeway, where U.S. 1 meets the causeway. The city describes it as the home of Titusville Little League, with the Astronaut Memorial near its south entrance, a 0.66-mile exercise trail, eleven small and mid-sized pavilions, a large shoreline pavilion with a kitchen that seats 250, ball fields, a playground and boat ramps.

The name is older than the town. Sand Point was what the settlement on this stretch of river was called until 1873, when the post office was renamed Titusville.

The name

The original Sand Point was a spit of land that jutted into the Indian River, which the National Register nomination for nearby La Grange Church calls “a natural place for a dock.” The City of Titusville dates the first U.S. post office in the area to 1859, at Sand Point. Henry Titus settled there in 1867, on land his wife owned, and built the Titus House hotel around 1870. In 1873 the post office became Titusville. The settlement’s story is on our page about Sand Point before Titus.

The Astronaut Memorial

The memorial by the south entrance is where Titusville holds its Astronaut Memorial Ceremony every January, for the 17 astronauts killed in three NASA accidents: the crews of Apollo 1, Challenger (STS-51L) and Columbia (STS-107). The American Space Museum, which sponsors it with the city’s Flag & Memorial Committee, describes the program: a wreath laid at the American flag monument, a flower placed on each astronaut’s plaque, a 21-gun salute and Taps. It’s free and open to the public. The 2025 ceremony was on Sunday, January 26.

January is the right month for it. Apollo 1 burned on its pad on January 27, 1967, Challenger broke apart 73 seconds after launch on January 28, 1986, and Columbia was lost on reentry on February 1, 2003. Three anniversaries inside six days, and NASA holds its own Day of Remembrance in late January. Challenger and Columbia both lifted off from Kennedy Space Center, across the river from this park.

The park today

The city lists the park’s amenities as baseball and softball fields, boat ramps, pavilions, picnic shelters, playgrounds and restrooms, and notes that fishing from the shoreline near the big pavilion is popular with visitors, ospreys and pelicans alike. Pavilion reservations go through the city.

It’s also a place to watch a launch. The city’s rocket-launch page lists Sand Point as one of seven viewing spots in Titusville, along with the Max Brewer Bridge beside it, the Municipal Marina and Space View Park, the only one the page describes, “less than 15 miles directly across from the launch pads.” Space View Park is a separate site off Broad Street and Indian River Avenue; our Space View Park page covers it.

Further Reading

• Florida: A Short History by Michael Gannon