The Dinosaur Store in Cocoa Beach opened in 2006 and has since become a regular stop for families visiting the Space Coast. Located at 1235 S Atlantic Ave, the store combines retail with education through displays of actual dinosaur fossils and life-sized models. Owners John and Maria Thompson say the store's mission is to make paleontology accessible to children and adults alike. "We want people to leave with a better understanding of how these creatures lived," Maria said during a recent visit. The store's main attraction is the Dino Discovery Zone, which features 30 life-sized replicas of species like Triceratops, T. rex, and Stegosaurus. These models are positioned in a layout that mimics a prehistoric landscape, allowing visitors to walk through a recreated Cretaceous period environment. The store also houses a collection of over 200 fossils, including a partial skeleton of a hadrosaur discovered in Montana. In 2022, the store added a new interactive exhibit where visitors can use augmented reality glasses to see how dinosaurs moved. The Thompsons report steady attendance throughout the year, with peak seasons during school breaks. They note that many local schools schedule field trips to the store, and the facility has hosted over 50,000 visitors annually since 2010. The store's impact extends beyond tourism; it partners with the Brevard Museum on outreach programs for underserved communities. "We’re not just a shop, we’re a learning center," John said. The store remains open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., with plans to expand its fossil collection in 2024.