It's back to work for thousands of workers at the Kennedy Space Center -- and back to business for federally run parks in Brevard County.

The sign outside the gate on SR 3 said "Welcome Back KSC Employees" -- and the cars filled with NASA employees were lining up to get through the security gate and then on to work.

We're told during the shutdown everything had been turned off, like computers and equipment, even cell phones. Employees were busy checking Thursday unread emails and voicemails.

The shutdown lasted 16 days and had a huge impact on jobs around the nation and here in Central Florida. Brevard County was hit hard by the shutdown with thousands of NASA workers forced to stay home and not get a paycheck.

The 2,000 civil workers at KSC will get backpay now that the government shutdown is over.

But for the more than 6,000 contractors working at the space center -- that will be up to their employers.

NASA projects like the upcoming MAVEN spacecraft to Mars were allowed to continue during the shutdown.

Had they been delayed the mission would have been bumped two years from it's scheduled November launch.

And while the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex remained open during the shutdown, bus tours that drove in gated property were cancelled. Those tours have resumed.

The gates at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge are back open, as is the Canaveral National Seashore.

Locals who enjoy the pristine beach and have done without for 16 days are coming to the sand in a flurry.

The Manning family from nearby Titusville changed plans in order to come to their favorite spot on the sand.

"We were actually going to Cocoa Beach, but my dad called and found out they were open today and we came out," said Trishta Manning.

Surfers took advantage of the waves. Joe Fisher is a regular here and wondered just how long the surf would have to wait for the government to re-open.

"People were real bummed out about it. And rightly so. It's just crazy the way our government is working, or not working," he said.