Attractions
Downtown Daytona Beach
Once home to presidents and wealthy entrepreneurs, Downtown Daytona Beach is the core of this historic city. The district began with the founding in 1870 by Mathias Day.
Downtown’s main promenade Beach Street, is lined with over 50 shops and eateries. Every season fans fill up the stands to see Daytona Cubs play in the historic Jackie Robinson Stadium on the waterfront. Beach Street has museums, exhibits, outdoor festivals, water activities, nightclubs, cafes and Florida’s oldest Saturday Farmer’s Market, (open until 1:00pm). Anchoring the North Block of Beach Street is the new, multi-million dollar state-of-the-art News-Journal Center at Daytona State College.
The Downtown area is the only neighborhood in Daytona where you can see a Broadway play, stop by the Halifax Historical Museum, enjoy the Daytona Beach International Festival, catch a baseball game, photograph the manatees, launch your boat, shop and dine out with friends all within walking distance. For current information visit the website www.daytonadowntown.com
Boating
Sightseeing, sunset dinner and moonlight cruises are available on the Halifax River from November through April and along the St. John’s River year-round.
Volusia County also operates eight boat ramps, including one on the Tomoka River in Ormond Beach (Rt. 40 – Southwest side of the Grenada Blvd Bridge) as well as a ramp on the Halifax River in New Smyrna Beach.
The Halifax area is a prime spot for boating and water sports. Offshore sailing and fishing are available off the Atlantic Coast, the Intracoastal Waterway, Ponce Inlet, the St. John’s River and Tomoka Rivers and Spruce Creek. Several marinas are located throughout the county.
They include Marina Point (downtown Daytona Beach), Pelican Island Marina (Port Orange), Inlet Harbor (Ponce Inlet), Daytona Beach Yacht Club (Daytona Beach), Perry’s Marina (Wilbur-By-The-Sea), and Halifax Harbor (Daytona Beach).
The Peabody Auditorium
The Peabody Auditorium is located at 600 Auditorium Boulevard, just off of A1A, adjacent to the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Florida. This historic building is home to local performances of the London Symphony Orchestra, the Daytona Beach Symphony Society, the Daytona Beach Civic Ballet, and national artists and performers as well as hosting events for local schools and colleges. www.peabodyauditorium.org
The Loop (Scenic Drive)
The Loop begins with a northerly trek at the foot of the Granada Bridge on John Anderson Drive in Ormond Beach. Going North, riders are greeted by a cathedral of trees up to the Highbridge Road where they hang a left (to go west) and go over the bridge and the Intracoastal Waterway (the Halifax River).
There are several places to stop along the way and just enjoy the Florida countryside. After more winding turns, you’ll come upon Walter Boardman road where you will make another turn that takes you further west to Old Dixie Highway. When you reach Old Dixie Highway, take another left (to go south) toward Ormond Beach.
If you haven’t ever taken the Loop, we recommend it highly. This leisurely ride will give you a feel for Florida’s natural beauty. Check out Ormond Park and the Fairchild Oak tree – one of Florida’s oldest living Oaks. Bring your camera, maybe a boxed lunch, and enjoy. The Loop is approximately 22 miles long and a must for riders who enjoy an open road and Florida’s natural beauty.
Ponce Inlet Lighthouse –Florida’s tallest lighthouse
Visited by over 140,000 people each year, the Ponce de Leon Inlet Light Station was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1998. The lighthouse tower and museum are located 10 miles south of Daytona Beach and are open to the public year round.
The Ponce Inlet Lighthouse is the tallest lighthouse in Florida and one of the tallest masonry lighthouses in the country. Visitors can climb 203 steps to the top of the 175 foot tower and enjoy magnificent views of the World’s Most Famous Beach, Ponce Inlet, and surrounding inland waterways from the lighthouse gallery deck.
Ocean Center
101 N. Atlantic Ave. Daytona Beach, FL 32118
Located in the heart of the Daytona Beach resort area, and only 400 feet from the Atlantic Ocean, the Volusia County Ocean Center is the area’s convention, entertainment and sports complex.
Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area at Flagler Beach
Nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway, this windswept park is named for Florida folk singer Gamble Rogers. The beach is the most popular feature at this park, where visitors enjoy swimming, sunbathing, beachcombing or fishing.
The daily low tide is an ideal time to observe shore birds feeding in tidal pools; summer months bring sea turtles that lay their eggs in the golden-brown coquina sand. On the Intracoastal Waterway side of the park, picnic pavilions provide a shady place to enjoy a meal.
A nature trail winds through a shady coastal forest of scrub oaks and saw palmetto. Boaters and canoeists can launch from a boat ramp on the Intracoastal Waterway. The park’s full-facility campground is situated on the dune above the shore of the Atlantic Ocean. A short walk along a boardwalk takes you to the beach.
Located in Flagler Beach directly north of Ormond Beach off Highway A1A