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The Heritage Center
and
Indian River Citrus Museum

A Legacy of Community and Connection

For 90 years, the Heritage Center has been the backdrop for joy, laughter, and community spirit. From wedding vows and galas to concerts and civic gatherings, every moment spent here has become a cherished part of Vero Beach’s story.

To celebrate this milestone, we invite you to join our 90/90/90 Campaign — 1,000 supporters giving $90 each to reach a goal of $90,000. Your contribution helps preserve this historic treasure, ensuring her doors — and her lights — stay open for generations to come.

Because this place truly matters!

90-90-90

👉 Click here to Join the 90/90/90 Campaign and help keep the lights of the Heritage Center shining bright for the next generation.

The Story of the Heritage Center

Built in 1935 through a partnership between the Federal Emergency Relief Administration and the City of Vero Beach, the Heritage Center quickly became the heart of the community.

During WWII, it served as the Servicemen’s Center, where USO-era dances filled the nights with music, laughter, and love stories that still echo through Vero Beach history.

In the decades that followed, it hosted countless community events and art programs before falling into disrepair. When demolition loomed, dedicated citizens—led by the Indian River County Historical Society and Millie Bunnell—fought to save it. Fully restored in 1993, the Heritage Center was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Today, Vero Heritage, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, lovingly stewards the building, maintaining it at no cost to the City. It remains a vibrant venue for weddings, fundraisers, and community gatherings, and is home to the Indian River Citrus Museum, celebrating our region’s citrus legacy.

👉 Click here to Join the 90/90/90 Campaign and help keep the lights of the Heritage Center shining bright for the next generation.

Historical Photos

Museum Photograph

Photos of citrus workers, groves, processes, and pioneer families.

Artifacts

Museum Artifacts

Artifacts include citrus tools, photos, signs and original advertising prints.

Displays

Museum Displays

The Indian River Citrus Museum features attractive, informative, easy-to-access displays.

Gift Shop

Citrus-Related Items For Sale

Our gift shop features exclusive FL-made items. For a preview of gift shop items, such as original citrus crate labels, citrus products and other souvenirs, Click Here.

Citrus Label Spotlight
with Brenda Eubanks Burnette Interim Executive Director

Vero Heritage Citrus Label Tour

Picture collage of citrus labels, tour signs, and an orange with an excited expression.

Vero Heritage is establishing the “Vero Heritage Citrus Label Tour” (modeled after what has been successfully done in Polk and Manatee Counties). This art in public places heritage tour explores the historic marketing portion of citrus though artistic labels that once adorned the wooden shipping crates. As of Summer 2022, we have three signs in Historic Downtown Vero Beach. Look for more signs throughout Indian River County soon!

Download a family-friendly scavenger hunt here.

If you have trouble accessing this file, please contact us.

Facebook

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Instagram

Visit Us on Instagram.

YouTube

Watch These doors opened and greeted their very first guests in 1935! on YouTube

Video Captions

Though the surroundings looked quite a bit different and the building went by an entirely different name these doors welcomed their first guests in 1935. And much like today they welcomed all manner of civic events, special gatherings, dances, and events during World War II.

These doors welcomed the servicemen stationed here at the Vero Beach Naval Air Station. Over the years this became known as the Servicemen Center, a welcome diversion to military life.

During those years a few new doors were added. This door opened to a lounge for our servicemen and women and later welcomed eager dance students.

Since 1993 this door has welcomed guests from all over our country and even the world to the Indian River Citrus Museum.

In the early 1990s there were serious discussion about demolishing this building. Led by Millie Bonnell, the community rallied behind her to protect and save this building from demolition. The building was saved, restored and placed on the national register of historic places.

We now call this building The Heritage Center. It has endured a war, multiple economic recessions, multiple storms, even the threat of demolition and these doors
always reopen to welcome the community.

The non-profit, Vero Heritage Inc., keeps these doors open thanks to donors like you. Thank you so much for your continued support!

Promoting and Preserving Our Local Heritage

Florida Humanities

Thanks in part to CARES Act and ARP Act funding through Florida Humanities, Vero Heritage Inc was able to continue to offer important programs to our community. We are deeply appreciative of the support.

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